The smoke of the SXSW Film Festival is fading, and the spring bloom of the Tribeca Film Festival is around the corner. And like they do every year, the organizers have put together a series of terrific talks with some heavyweight filmmakers and creative talent, and they’re really bringing the goods this April.
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Scarlett Johansson, Noah Baumbach, Dustin Hoffman, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Tom Hanks, and more will participate in a series of conversations that should prove tremendously fascinating and entertaining. If the movies weren’t exciting enough, extended sitdowns with guests certainly up the ante.
The Tribeca Film Festival runs from April 19-30.
Jon Favreau with Scarlett Johansson
Filmmaker Jon Favreau will talk to actress Scarlett Johansson about his distinguished and diverse career as a director, successful across both indie and blockbuster franchises, ranging from the indie hit Swingers to the blockbuster Iron Man series. He will also discuss his initiation into virtual reality with Gnomes & Goblins and the landmark live action effort, The Jungle Book, truly embodying the spirit of a director who knows no bounds.
DATE: Friday, April 21
TIME: 5:00PM
LOCATION: SVA 1
Alejandro González Iñárritu
Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu, one of only three directors to ever win consecutive Oscars and the first to do so in 65 years, will talk about his beautifully varied work on films such as Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Biutiful, Babel, and most recently, The Revenant. Iñárritu is the first Mexican filmmaker to have been nominated for Best Director and Best Producer in the history of the Academy Awards.
DATE: Saturday, April 22
TIME: 2:30PM
LOCATION: SVA 1
Noah Baumbach with Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman will speak with director and writer Noah Baumbach about his career, which includes his Academy Award®-nominated film The Squid and the Whale and the groundbreaking Frances Ha.
DATE: Monday, April 24
TIME: 6:00PM
LOCATION: BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center
Tribeca Talks: Virtual Reality
Kathryn Bigelow and Imraan Ismail – The Protectors
At a special VR premiere, Academy Award®-winning director Kathryn Bigelow and co-creator Imraan Ismail discuss their collaboration on Virtual Reality documentary The Protectors: A Walk in the Ranger’s Shoes. The experience, from National Geographic, Here Be Dragons, Annapurna Pictures, and African Parks chronicles a day in the life of the rangers in Garamba National Park. Conversation to be followed by the VR premiere.
DATE: Saturday, April 22
TIME: 8:15PM
LOCATION: The Tribeca Festival Hub, located at Spring Studies – 50 Varick Street
Tribeca Talks: Storytellers
With media support from Entertainment Weekly
Some of today’s most innovative creators broke from traditional roles and pioneered their own forms of storytelling, often mastering multiple mediums. This series will celebrate the illustrious careers of those individuals who have broken from the mold.
Kobe Bryant and Glen Keane with Michael Strahan
Basketball great Kobe Bryant collaborated with visionary animator Glen Keane on an animated short film that explores what it is like to say goodbye to something you love. In an onstage conversation led by football hall of famer and media personality Michael Strahan, Bryant and Keane focus on what story means to them and what it is like to truly step out of your own lane.
After the Movie: Bryant and Keane’s conversation with Michael Strahan will follow a screening of Dear Basketball, Kobe Bryant’s inspiring poem, stunningly drawn to life by veteran animation director Glen Keane and set to the music of legendary composer John Williams.
DATE: Sunday, April 23
TIME: 4:30PM
LOCATION: BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center
Common with Nelson George
Beginning as a rapper in Chicago, Academy Award®, Golden Globe, and three time Grammy winner Common has crafted an impressive career as a renowned hip-hop artist and notable actor. Director/screenwriter Nelson George joins Common to discuss the power of the combination of film and music.
After the Movie: This conversation will begin with a screening of a never-before-seen extended version of Letter to the Free, followed by a conversation with Nelson George and a live performance by Common.
DATE: Sunday, April 23
TIME: 8:00PM
LOCATION: The Tribeca Festival Hub, located at Spring Studies – 50 Varick Street
Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner
Initially discovered for her original voice in breakout film Tiny Furniture, Lena Dunham has since gone on to win a Golden Globe for her performance in Girls, which was created by Dunham and is helmed by Jenni Konner, whose other work includes the series Help Me Help You. The duo also co-founded the media brand Lenny, home of the feminist weekly newsletter Lenny Letter (LennyLetter.com). In a can’t miss conversation, Dunham and Konner will discuss Girls, the industry, and the highs and lows of their careers.
DATE: Tuesday, April 25
TIME: 6:00PM
LOCATION: The Tribeca Festival Hub, located at Spring Studies – 50 Varick Street
Bruce Springsteen with Tom Hanks
Bruce Springsteen has had an illustrious career spanning over 40 years of unforgettable cultural achievements. The musician sits down with celebrated actor and longtime friend Tom Hanks to discuss Springsteen’s unique place in American musical history and look forward to the future.
DATE: Friday, April 28
TIME: 5:00PM
LOCATION: Beacon Theatre
Barbra Streisand with Robert Rodriguez
Widely recognized as an icon in multiple entertainment fields, Barbra Streisand has attained unprecedented achievements as a recording artist, actor, director, producer, concert performer, author and songwriter. Streisand has been awarded two Oscars®, five Emmys, ten Golden Globes, eight Grammys plus two special Grammys, a special Tony award in 1970, and two CableACE Awards – the only artist to receive honors in all of those fields of endeavor. She will converse on her unparalleled career and force field of creativity with filmmaker Robert Rodriguez.
DATE: Saturday, April 29
TIME: 6:00PM
LOCATION: BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center
Tribeca Talks: Master Class (Free events)
Tribeca Talks: Master Class are free events featuring conversations focusing on a specific sector of the filmmaking process.
Dolby: Image and Sound Master Class with Imogen Heap
The new animated short film Escape utilizes exciting new imaging and sound technologies, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, to present a euphoric vision of the future. Join composer/sound designer Imogen Heap, directors Limbert Fabian and Brandon Oldenburg, and other members of the film’s creative team as they discuss how they used audio technologies to tell this compelling story
DATE: Sunday, April 23
TIME: 12:00PM
LOCATION: Dolby Cinema at AMC Empire 25, 234 W 42 St
Production and Costume Design Master Class
Kristi Zea, the venerated production designer who has collaborated with directors such as Martin Scorsese and Jonathan Demme, sits down with a prominent costume designer for a conversation about creating the overall look and feel of film.
DATE: Saturday, April 29
TIME: 3:00PM
LOCATION: SVA 2
Cinematography Master Class
Acclaimed cinematographer Ellen Kuras, frequent collaborator with directors Michel Gondry and Spike Lee, takes you behind the camera, from choosing the right lenses to crafting a specific vision. Academy Award-nominated for her directorial debut documentary film, The Betrayal – Nerakhoon, she will offer tips and provide examples from her work on films including Blow and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
DATE: Sunday, April 30
TIME: 3:00 PM
LOCATION: SVA 2
Tribeca Talks: Podcasts
This year the Tribeca Film Festival partners with Slate to offer access to podcasts covering culture and political humor, as well as the popular Gilbert Gottfried comedy podcast.
Live from The Tribeca Film Festival: Slate’s Represent
Slate’s Represent is a space for discussion about culture created by women, people of color, and those in the LGBTQ community. Host Aisha Harris dives deep into conversations with critics about the latest pop cultural news, and filmmakers in the industry about what they do and how they do it.
DATE: Monday, April 24
TIME: 6:45 PM
LOCATION: SVA2
Live from The Tribeca Film Festival: Slate’s Trumpcast
Get a dose of politics and comedy with Slate’s Trumpcast Live. Host Jacob Weisberg is joined by Slate Chief Political Correspondent Jamelle Bouie, author Virginia Heffernan, and more for a frank conversation on the first 100 days of the Trump administration.
DATE: Sunday, April 30
TIME: 8:15 PM
LOCATION: SVA1
Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast! Live
Acclaimed comedian and actor Gilbert Gottfried and cohost Frank Santopadre are joined by special celebrity guests for a live recording of their hilarious and informative podcast. Vanity Fair called “Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast!” “gripping” and the Village Voice named it 2015’s “Best Podcast of the Year.”
DATE: Sunday, April 23
TIME: 5:30 PM
LOCATION: Regal