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Here’s the secret truth about film festivals: unless you’re starring in a premiere yourself, most of them inspire a lot of work at best, and soul-sucking FOMO at worst. Either you have to pay a fortune to get there and spend half your time trying to land on the right list (hi Sundance!), or you’re stuck at home scrolling through TikTok just to catch a five-second glimpse of Leo on a red carpet (looking at you, Cannes).
In 2002, the Tribeca Film Festival broke into this entrenched world as a deliberately brash newcomer. Intent on crafting a festival by and for New Yorkers, creators Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff upended every annoying element that keeps most fans on the outside peeping in. The festival has grown like ivy in the decades since, and now offers options for everyone.
RECOMMENDED: The Tribeca Festival 2023 guide
“We pride ourselves on being a storytelling festival, so the breadth of the kinds of events you can find at Tribeca is quite unique,” festival director Cara Cusumano says of this year’s line-up.
She’s not kidding. You want to be the first to see a big-buzz movie? Sit in on conversations between A-listers? Attend live performances, bring the kids, try out new immersive experiences? At Tribeca, you don’t need to know anyone, pull any strings, or get on any lists to spot stars and sneak peeks.
How to attend Tribeca Festival
Honestly, the biggest issue you’re going to face is figuring out how to pare down your options. Cusumano has a couple of suggestions for the indecisive: “I’d say pick a day and time first, and check out whatever is premiering then. You can also sign up for the Tribeca newsletter, which shares curated recommendations across different programs in the leadup to the festival.”
The program is so broad, in fact, that a few years ago organizers dropped the word “Film” from the title altogether; it’s now officially the Tribeca Festival. But cinema still remains the event’s centerpiece, with literally hundreds of compelling titles on tap.
Watch out for these big names
If you’re looking for familiar faces, consider First Time Female Director from, well, first-time director Chelsea Peretti. She also stars, as a small-town playwright overseeing a crew that includes Amy Poehler, Kate Berlant, and Megan Mullally.
In fact, actors directing is a whole thing this year: Michael Shannon steps behind the camera for Eric LaRue, in which Judy Green and Alexander Skarsgård play parents coping with the aftermath of a school shooting; Steve Buscemi directs Tessa Thompson as a crisis center volunteer in The Listener; David Duchovny adapts his own novel Bucky F*cking Dent; and John Slattery cast his Mad Men costar Jon Hamm (along with Tina Fey) for Maggie Moore(s).
Don’t miss these docs
But maybe documentaries are more your style. The vast nonfiction lineup covers everything from NFTs (Minted) to comic-book deities (Stan Lee). There’s also a free screening of the competitive breakdance doc Planet B-Boy. But this year’s program–which kicks off with the premiere of Kiss the Future, a heart-tugger featuring U2–is especially focused on music. You’ll find portraits of the late Biz Markie (All Up in the Biz), French Montana (For Khadija), Cyndi Lauper (Let the Canary Sing), Carlos Santana (Carlos), Shaggy and Sean Paul (Bad Like Brooklyn Dancehall), the Indigo Girls (It’s Only Life After All), Gloria Gaynor (I Will Survive), and even the Broadway musical Waitress (Waitress, the Musical-Live on Broadway!). And if you’re able to get tickets to the premiere screening of any of the above, stick around afterward: most of them will be followed by live Q&As or special performances.
And why it’s worth going for everyone
Not even a film fan? Totally fine! You’re included, too. There are previews for TV shows like Outlander and The Walking Dead: Dead City; a celebration of audio storytelling that features live recordings (including a special Modern Love podcast with Kim Cattrall); and family-friendly individual gaming and virtual reality experiences.
Best of all, though, may be the Tribeca Talks series, which will host conversations between Billy Porter and Idina Menzel, Chance the Rapper and Thelma Golden, John Mellencamp and David Letterman, Paul McCartney and Conan O’Brien, and Lin-Manuel Miranda and Rosie Perez.
The point is, there truly is something for everyone. Except…what if you just can’t make it to any of these events in person? Surely by now, you know the answer, but yep, you can still attend. The Tribeca at Home program means you can watch dozens of films from anywhere, including your couch. So no excuses: go get your tickets, and start making everyone else jealous.
The 2023 Tribeca Festival runs from June 7-18. Tickets are available at www.tribecafilm.com. Rush tickets will be offered when advanced tickets for a screening or event are no longer available at venues other than Beacon Theatre. The Rush system functions as a standby line that will form at the venue approximately one hour prior to the scheduled start time. Admittance is based on availability and will begin roughly 10 minutes prior to the program start time. Rush Tickets are the same price as advance tickets and are payable upon entry.