By Dwight Casimere
Jury Award winner for the 21st Annual Tribeca Festival, presented by OKX! Included Jesus Camp, Let the Right One In and Taxi to the Dark side, among others. These and other award-winning films are available for viewing on Tribeca At Home now through Sunday June 26. Passes are available to screen these and other stellar films from this year’s Tribeca Film Festival by visiting tribecafilm.com.
Best Cinematography winner in a U.S. Narrative Feature was Azuli Anderson’s Next Exit in its World Premiere. The film involves euthanasia. Two complete strangers wander across the country with the express purpose of ending their lives using a medical procedure that has sparked headlines and bitter disputes. The journey leads them to some undiscovered truths and revelations of a life passed unnoticed right before their very eyes.
Best Performance in a U.S. Narrative when to Rain Spencer in the World Premiere Good Girl Jane. It is a dark film written and directed by Sarah Elizabeth Mintz. Isolated and depressed, high school-aged Jane goes out of control with a hard partying crowd. Head-over-heels over the local bad boy (good girls always go for those types!) her life becomes a roller coaster ride of sex, drugs and rock-and-roll. With superb acting, a tight script and brilliant camera work catch this searing award-winning performance by an actress who has already shown her chops in the TV series The Summer/Turned Pretty and for such films as The Super Man and The Garden. Spencer started acting at age ten. At 22 years of age, she’s already starting to look like a seasoned veteran.
Special Jury Mention for Best Performance in a U.S. Narrative went to Liz Carbel Sierra in God’s Time from the U.S. in its world premiere. Set in New York, this dark comedy chart’s the heart-pounding journey of two besties in a race to prevent the possible murder of their mutual inamorata’s ex-boyfriend. Written and directed by Daniel Antebi this is a thriller not to be missed!
Best International Narrative Feature went to January (Janvaris) from Latvia, Poland and Lithuania, also in its World Premiere. In it, a budding filmmaker searches for identity against the backdrop of the Latvian Independence Movement. An atmospheric, but troubling coming-of-age story, January was written and directed by Viesturs Kairiss. Visit tribecafilm.com for more.
