The Tribeca Film Festival has always featured macabre offerings for horror hounds to enjoy, and this year is no exception. A poignant zombie drama starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Abigail Breslin (which was originally scheduled to premiere at last year's TIFF), a mutated wasps creature feature co-starring Lance Henriksen and Clifton Collins Jr., and Adrián García Bogliano's darkly humorous kidnapping tale are just a few films on the onscreen scare slate for the 14th Annual Tribeca Film Festival.
Press Release - "NEW YORK, NY (March 3, 2015) —The Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), presented by AT&T, today announced its feature film selections in the Spotlight, Midnight, and Special Screening sections as well as work in progress screenings. The 14th edition of the Festival will take place from April 15 to April 26 in New York City.
The Spotlight section features 40 films, consisting of 23 narratives and 17 documentaries. Twenty-four films in the selection world premiere at the Festival.
The Midnight section will premiere five films, four of which are world premieres from dynamic new genre voices from around the world. It is an eclectic lineup of twisted tales that run the gamut from creature features to ominous, creepy horror films, including a real life underground wrestling revenge story and an unsettling babysitter thriller.
Rounding out the program is the special event, which is also part of the Midnight section, Rifftrax Live: The Room. Rifftrax, an expansion of cult classic TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000 by its original cast members, skewers cult classic films with live comedic commentary.
“The Spotlight section highlights many familiar faces as well as new ones, while the films' stories deliver unconventional perspectives and fresh commentary,” said Festival director, Genna Terranova.
Terranova continued, “Seeing a film together alongside a live performance heightens the experience, engages the imagination, and brings audiences together in unforgettable way. We have had a lot of success with these film events in the past, so it was only natural to make them a bigger part of the program with a series of Special Screenings featuring live music, dance and comedy.”
“As a genre fan myself, I had a lot of fun with the range of storytelling in this year’s section,” said Cara Cusumano, Senior Programmer. “From one worst nightmare to another, I know this year’s selections will engage – and sometimes unnerve – audiences with a range of edgy horror stories, suspenseful thrillers, and absurd humor.”
The complete film selections for the Spotlight, Midnight, and Special Screenings sections, as well as the Work In Progress titles are as follows:
SPOTLIGHT
Backtrack, directed and written by Michael Petroni. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. In this spine-tingling supernatural thriller, troubled psychotherapist Peter Bowers (Adrien Brody) is suffering from nightmares and eerie visions. When he uncovers a horrifying secret that all of his patients share, he is put on a course that takes him back to the small hometown he fled years ago. There he confronts his demons and unravels a mystery 20 years in the making.
Hungry Hearts, directed by Saverio Costanzo. (Italy) – U.S. Premiere, Narrative. After a chance meeting and a whirlwind romance in New York City, Jude (Adam Driver) and Mina (Alba Rohrwacher) become pregnant. Convinced their child will be harmed by the pollutions in the outside world, Mina becomes consumed by protecting her baby, forcing Jude to recognize a terrible truth about why his son’s life could be in danger. A Sundance Selects Release
Maggie, directed by Henry Hobson, written by John Scott 3. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. There's a deadly zombie epidemic threatening humanity, but Wade (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a small-town farmer and family man, refuses to accept defeat even when his daughter Maggie (Abigail Breslin) becomes infected. As Maggie's condition worsens and the authorities seek to eradicate those with the virus, Wade is pushed to the limits in an effort to protect her. Joely Richardson co-stars in this post-apocalyptic thriller. Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions release.
Mojave, directed by and written by William Monahan. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. William Monahan’s second feature, starring Oscar Isaac and Garrett Hedlund, is a delirious trip from the fringes of the desert to the center of the film industry. Armed with little more than a knife and two handles of vodka, an on-edge Hollywood director sets out to the Mojave Desert, where he finds a drifter brandishing a rifle and claiming to be the Devil.
MIDNIGHT
Always thrilling and a little bit dangerous, Tribeca's Midnight section this year features five genre films and one special event for adventurous late night audiences. Creative and unique villains from vengeful anthropomorphic bananas to evil mutant wasps and crazy ass babysitters terrorize the heroes of Bodyslam: Revenge of the Banana!, Stung, and Emelie; Conversely it's antiheroes who take the spotlight in corrupt cop drama Hyena and envelope-pushing kidnapping story Scherzo Diabolico. The program is capped off with a one-night only live performance from cinephile comedy group Rifftrax, who will skewer the reigning king of Midnight Movies: Tommy Wiseau's The Room. Stay up late with these scary, funny, surprising tales in Midnight at Tribeca.
Emelie, directed by Michael Thelin, and written by Richard Raymond Harry Herbeck. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. After their regular babysitter Maggie can’t make it, the Thompson family turns to her friend Anna to supervise their children while the parents go out to celebrate their anniversary. At first Anna seems like a dream come true to the kids, allowing them to eat extra cookies and play with things that are usually off-limits, but as her behavior becomes increasingly odd, the kids soon find out that her intentions are dark and twisted, and she is not who she seems to be.
Hyena, written and directed by Gerard Johnson. (UK) – U.S. Premiere, Narrative. Michael Logan (Peter Ferdinando) may be a corrupt, coke-addled cop, but he’s a bad lieutenant with a conscience. After years of dodging the same laws he was assigned to uphold, Michael suddenly finds himself trying to change while safeguarding a young Albanian woman from the sex trade. Equal parts grit and neon, Hyena blurs the line between cop and criminal and exposes the illicit underworld inhabited by London’s most ruthless policemen. A Tribeca Film release.
Scherzo Diabolico, directed and written by Adrián García Bogliano. (Mexico, USA) – World Premiere, Narrative.Armed with a fine-tuned chokehold and penchant for piano sonatas, a wearied accountant breaks his mild-mannered routine when he kidnaps a young woman. What starts as a carefully calculated plan soon crescendos into his worst nightmare. A delightfully twisted black comedy, Scherzo Diaboloco is the latest opus from director Adrián García Bogliano. In Spanish with subtitles
Stung, directed by Benni Diez and written by Adam Aresty. (Germany, USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. For catering staffers Paul and Julia, Mrs. Perch’s fancy garden party at her remote country villa is nothing out of the ordinary. A mishap with toxic plant fertilizer leads to the most unwelcome of dinner guests: giant killer wasps. Director Benni Diez takes audiences on a thrilling, gory rollercoaster ride from campy to creepy, in this delightful and dreadful creature-feature.
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
This year’s special screenings are all exciting film experiences.
Rifftrax Live: The Room. (USA) – World Premiere. The brainchild of Mystery Science Theater 3000 alumnus Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy (aka Tom Servo), and Bill Corbett (aka Crow T. Robot), Rifftrax skewers cult classic films with hilarious live commentary.
For their first-ever New York performance the Rifftrax gang will unleash their signature comedic chops on Tommy Wiseau's modern masterpiece, The Room, for a one-night-only live cinema event.
Passes and tickets for the 2015 Festival
The new Spring Pass is on sale now at tribecafilm.com/festival/tickets. This pass will provide access to Spring Studios, throughout the Festival, including innovation talks, exhibitions, and special events, as well as a resource center, and creative workspace, with food, and drinks. This Pass will also provide reduced ticket prices for select special events. The Spring Pass costs $400, discounted to $300 if purchased before April 15. Pass holders can invite one guest to accompany them to Spring Studios each day of the Festival. An Individual Day Pass for Spring Studios costs $50, discounted to $40 if purchased before April 15.
Advance selection ticket packages and passes are now on sale for American Express Card Members, and on Monday, March 9 for the general public. All advance selection packages and passes can be purchased online at tribecafilm.com/festival/tickets, or by telephone at (646) 502-5296 or toll free at (866) 941-FEST (3378).
Single tickets cost $18.00 for evening, and weekend screenings, and $10.00 for weekday matinee screenings.
Single ticket sales begin Tuesday, March 31 for American Express Card Members, Sunday, April 5 for downtown residents, and Monday, April 6 for the general public. Single tickets can be purchased online, by telephone, or at one of the Ticket Outlets, with locations at Regal Cinemas Battery Park (102 North End Avenue), Bow Tie Cinemas Chelsea (260 W. 23rd Street), and the Tribeca Film Festival creative hub at Spring Studios (50 Varick Street). The 2015 Festival will offer ticket discounts on general screenings and Tribeca Talks: After the Movie and Directors Series panels for students, seniors and select downtown Manhattan residents. Discounted tickets are available at Ticket Outlet locations only.
About the Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival helps filmmakers reach the broadest possible audience, enabling the international film community and general public to experience the power of cinema and promote New York City as a major filmmaking center. It is well known for being a diverse international film festival that supports emerging and established directors.
Founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2001, following the attacks on the World Trade Center, to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of the lower Manhattan district through an annual celebration of film, music, and culture, the Festival brings the industry and community together around storytelling.
The Tribeca Film Festival has screened more than 1,600 films from more than 80 countries since its first edition in 2002. Since inception, it has attracted an international audience of more than 4.9 million attendees, and has generated an estimated $900 million in economic activity for New York City.
About the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival Sponsors
As Presenting Sponsor of the Tribeca Film Festival, AT&T is committed to supporting the Festival and the art of filmmaking through access and innovation, aiming to make this the most interactive film festival in the country, where visitors experience the Festival in ways they never imagined.
The Tribeca Film Festival is pleased to announce its Signature Sponsors: Accenture, American Express, Bloomberg, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Gin, Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), Brookfield Place, ESPN, IWC Schaffhausen, The Lincoln Motor Company, NCM Media Networks, The New York Times, Santander, United Airlines, and VDKA® 6100. The Festival welcomes new Signature Sponsors: NBC 4 New York and Spring Studios."
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
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