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Every year, the Tribeca Film Festival continues to grow. Year after year, directors, producers, critics, and film nerds alike have gathered to celebrate the infamous festival held in New York City, and this year was no exception. On April 20, actors including Michael Rapaport, Abby Elliott, Jamie Chung, and Bryan Greenberg came out to support director Jason Bergh’s new film, Alekesam. The 35-minute documentary short focuses on the life of celebrated jazz musician Hugh Masekela and his son Sal Masekela. The story follows Hugh’s musical career as he journeyed from Africa to America, as well as the start of Sal’s start as a musician. After the screening, guests enjoyed a party held at the Tribeca Grand Hotel with cocktails, dancing, and a live performance by Sal himself. 

 

The party continued on April 21, when good friends Olivia Wilde and Sal Masekela hosted an dinner at Tribeca hotspot Macao. In addition to celebrating the success of both of their films, Wilde and Masekela honored directors Bryn Mooser and David Darg’s Baseball in the Time of Cholera. Produced by Olivia Wilde, the film focuses on the harrowing tale of an outbreak of chlorea in Haiti and its effects of the outbreak on a young Haitian athlete named Joseph. Guests of the dinner included Ben Lyons, Jason Bergh, Elon Musk, and Kelly Bensimon. 

 

(Stay tuned because the excitement doesn’t stop there -- Sal Masekela will soon be stopping by the YH Studio for an exclusive interview, and we chatted with Olivia Wilde at Tribeca as well! Keep your eyes peeled for those videos!)

 

Some truly brilliant films emerged at this year’s festival, and we’ve got the low down on some of the best ones. Here are top 10 films of Tribeca to get on your radar:

 

1.  Mansome -- In this light documentary, Morgan Spurlock interviews celebrities such as Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis, and Paul Rudd alongside everyday Joes on what it truly means to be a man. The interviews range from questions on the obsession with body hair to the more serious body dysmorphic disorder. While the films sounds like it will be hilarious, it also sounds like Mansome will truly answer the question: what does it take to be a man?

 

2.  Revenge for Jolly! -- The plot to Revenge for Jolly! is surprisingly quite believable, depending on just how much you love your dog: a man (Brian Petsos) and his cousin (Oscar Issac) seeks to avenge the death of his beloved dog, who was killed under perplexing and suspicious circumstances. As the pair try to track down the killer, they manage to leave a path of destruction in their wake. Revenge for Jolly! has a stellar cast, including Kristen Wiig, Elijah Wood, Adam Brody, Gillian Jacobs, and SNL castmember Bobby Moynihan. We’re all for completely crazy dark comedies, and it sounds as though Revenge for Jolly! is a bizarre cross between a Tarantino film and Best in Show.

 

3.  Alekesam -- As mentioned earlier, this musical documentary tells the tale of Hugh Alekesam, a musician, father, and activist who was exiled from his family and native South Africa 30 years ago as a result of racial segregation. Hugh came to America where he found success with his 1968 number one hit, "Grazin’ in the Grass." In 1971, Hugh fathered a child, Selema Alekesam, and made the difficult decision to leave his son and America to return to Africa. In the film, Selema, now known as ESPN X Games host Sal Alekesam, reflects on his father, abandonment, race, and self. The documentary is an interesting glimpse into a very complicated father-and-son relationship, and the love that keeps that bond together.

 

4.  Baseball in the Time of Cholera -- Also mentioned above, this eye-opening documentary focuses on the current cholera epidemic in Haiti. The film itself really concentrates on the U.N.’s denial for introducing the disease, despite glaring evidence that Nepalese peacekeepers brought it along with them. The heart of the film is based around the story of Joseph, a young Haitian boy who plays in Haiti’s first baseball team and the Haitian lawyer seeking justice against the U.N. Directed by David Derg and Bryn Mooser and executive produced by Olivia Wilde, Baseball in the Time of Cholera is one documentary that will make you want to take a stand and fight for justice.

 

5.  Deadfall -- In this chilling thriller located in the wintry countryside outside Canada, smooth-talking heist man Addison (Eric Bana) and his sister (Olivia Wilde) are on the run with a bag full of cash from a casino job. With a lethal blizzard on their tail, the pair split up to make a dash for the border. Meanwhile, retired boxer Jay (Charlie Hunnam) sets out to spend Thanksgiving with his mother (Sissy Spacek) and sheriff father (Kris Kristofferson). A twist of fate bring them all together. Directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky, whose film The Counterfeits won the 2008 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, portrays a frigid small town with careful detail to the mood-setting sights and sounds.

 

6.  Cheerful Weather for the Wedding Day -- Adapted from the 1932 novel of the same name by Julia Strachey, Cheerful Weather for the Wedding Day tells the tale of Dolly (Felicity Jones) on her wedding day. The chaos only increases when her former love, Joseph Patten (Luke Treadaway), appears to confess his love to her. Dolly is forced to choose between Joseph and a life in Argentina with her husband-to-be. Ideal for those who love “Downton Abbey”, Cheerful Weather for the Wedding Day is a cheeky-yet-lovelorn dramedy. We recommend it for fans of not only “Downton Abbey” but last year’s Oscar winner, The King’s Speech.

 

7.  Knife Fight -- The ideal film for election season, Knife Fight tells the tale of a political strategist (Rob Lowe) and a cynical investigator (“The West Wing” star Richard Schiff) as they struggle to protect scandal-ridden clients from the media. The ensemble cast features some star players, including Emmy-winner Julie Bowen, Jennifer Morrison, Jamie Chung, and Eric McCormack (“Will & Grace.”) The political satire was directed by Bill Guttentag, who also co-wrote alongside Chris Lehane.

 

8.  Struck by Lightning -- “Glee” star Chris Colfer wrote and stars in this dark comedy, which follows a budding writer and journalist (Colfer), who, after being struck by lightning, recounts the ways he blackmailed his fellow students into contributing to his literary magazine. The film, helmed by Saved! director Brian Dannelly, features Christina Hendricks, Sarah Hyland, Rebel Wilson, and Allison Janney. If Colfer can write as well as he can sing, then there is no doubt that Struck by Lightning will be a hit.

 

9.  The Giant Mechanical Man -- This quirky rom-com focuses on the connection between Janice (Jenna Fischer), who is currently unemployed and living with her demanding sister Jill (Malin Akerman), and Tim (Chris Messina), a street performer whose talent is being a “living statue”. As the two begin to fall for one another, Jill’s meddling ways threaten to ruin Janice’s shot at true love. The film features a strong supporting cast including Topher Grace, Bob Odenkirk, and Rich Sommer. The Giant Mechanical Man is the ideal date night movie for the delightfully quirky couple.

 

10.  Supporting Characters -- Buddy comedies tend to have the power to be either some of the greatest movies ever made, or, simply put, catastrophic disasters. Thankfully, Supporting Characters appears to be the former. Best friends Nick (indie darling Alex Karpovsky) and Darryl (Tarik Lowe) are a powerhouse film editing duo hired to rework a movie in crisis. When Nick begins to fall for the flirtatious starlet of the film (Arielle Kebbel), and Darryl falls hard for a steamy pop dancer (Melonie Diaz), their lives fall into further chaos. The film features a terrific supporting cast including Lena Dunham (“Girls”), Kevin Corrigan, Mike Landry, and Michael Rivera. Take your best buddy to see this one -- it’s a film that will make you appreciate all of their quirks. 

 

 

- Sarah Osman, YH Staff