14 Tribeca Shorts 2014

I've gone to 5 Tribecas total, 4 as a member of the press. Every year I try and make some effort to see as many of the shorts as I can. Usually this entails seeing one or two of the collections and then catching up with as many of the shorts in the on line press library as possible.

This year I made 3 collections, Flight Delays, Digital Dilemma,  and Totally Twisted. The best of the collections I saw was Twisted hands down. Though Digital was most certainly an experience (and I mean that in a good way). Sunday I did my annual Tribeca ritual, namely going through the on line press library and watching things. This year I caught up with four of the features I had missed (plus two I wanted to see again Honest Liar and Slaying the Badger) and I also watched as many of the shorts as I could manage.

What follows are brief capsules of what I saw.Its reaction off the top of my head. I probably could have and should have said more, but this was the best I could do. The brevity is the result of wanting to see as many of the shorts as I could, I could write or I could watch and on this last day of the festival I wanted to just watch.

I liked everyone of these films. As with the main part of the fest going with my gut has resulted in seeing some great films. This is a complete record of everyone of the shorts I saw.

CYCLOID
Beautiful short (4 minutes) trip around the world in a man's dream. Amazing. Truly wonderful. I wish I had seen this on the big screen.

AMANDA F***ING PALMER ON THE ROCKS
Amanda Palmer has weird eyebrows.  Amanda Palmer explains why she went to crowd sourcing and how she uses social media.  Its interesting but she has weird eyebrows (Yea that makes no sense but all I remember are those damn eyebrows)

70 HESTER STREET
Remembering and revisiting the directors childhood home. Very good.

DUKE AND THE BUFFALO
Duke Phillips ranches and conserves bison. With all the ranching films that have popped up in the last year, including FISHTAIL at this years Tribeca, this is the best. Its a wonderful portrait of man, animals and a way of life. Its helped by great characters and actual real explanation of what we are seeing. I really wish I had seen this on the big screen

GHOST TRAIN
Portrait of a man dealing with his wife's dementia and his own impending end by visiting a cabaret restaurant. Sad and touching

IN GUNS WE TRUST
Kennesaw Georgia where every head of households must have a gun.

INCIDENT URBAIN
Playing with Karpotrotter this is a better film following two men as they walk through an urban landscape and discuss architecture and other things.

LOVE IN THE TIME OF MARCH MADNESS
Animated story of the love life of a six foot four woman. very good and touching

NOCTURNITY
A woman tracks her nocturnal eating with cameras. An interesting little doc

LIFE AFTER MANSON
Patricia Krenwinkle talks about and examines her life before and after Manson. Utterly fascinating. And one of the best shorts in the festival.

PINK HELMET POSSE
Three six and seven year old girls kick ass, skateboard and are little girls...This film needs to be shown to little girls everywhere so they know they can do whatever if they want to. Way cool.

SEQUESTERED
Two bank robbers have trouble getting out of the car to rob the bank when they take exception to to each other's masks. Funny. very very funny

SHOW FOLK
Seven old time show business folk talk about their lives as entertainers. An absolute joy.

SKER
I missed this one when I saw Flight Delays at the festival proper. I should have stayed to see this on the big screen since it's visually impressive, it may also be the best film in the collection. Its the story of a kayaker who decides to take a rest on a Sker or skerry-a rocky island only to realize it probably was a mistake. I dare not say more except see it.

(And if you're a filmmaker of a film I didn't see feel free to contact me. If you are willing to get me a copy of the film and will allow me the time to decompress and finish up my coverage, I will take a stab at looking at your film. I say this because in years past I've been contacted by filmmakers who have directed me to some truly great films)