Black-and-White Jazz Musical ‘Airport BLVD’ Heads to Tribeca Competition

Posted on May 25, 2026 by admin

A black-and-white musical about gentrification and belonging in East Austin is heading to the U.S. Narrative Competition at Tribeca 2026.

Airport BLVD follows Xavier as his neighborhood, friendships, and sense of home slowly vanish around him. Writer-director Alejandro Hendricks shot the film in luminous black-and-white with an original jazz score, centering Black creative lives in a city rarely shown from this perspective onscreen.

The film tackles displacement, intimacy, ambition, and what happens when a city transforms faster than the people who made it home. It’s a love letter to East Austin, old and new, caught in that bittersweet space between memory and evolution.

The cast includes Jamal Gamble, Toluwani, Kenny Duet, Mor Cohen, Matthew Graham Wagner, and Azeem Williams. Brannin Webber, Jamal Gamble, and Trai Wade produced.

Airport BLVD world premieres June 5 at 6:15 PM at Village East Theater by Angelika, with additional screenings June 6 and 10.

For indie filmmakers tackling gentrification and cultural erasure, this one hits close to home. Austin’s transformation has pushed out countless artists and communities of color. Hendricks is putting that story, and those faces, front and center.

Mexican Director Fernanda Tovar’s “Sad Girlz” Brings Double Berlinale Win to Tribeca

Posted on May 23, 2026 by admin

Fernanda Tovar’s debut feature is heading to New York with serious momentum. “Sad Girlz” (Chicas tristes) will make its North American premiere at Tribeca Festival next month after sweeping Berlin’s Generation 14plus section with both the Crystal Bear and the Grand Prix.

The Mexico City-set drama follows Paula and La Maestra, two 16-year-old competitive swimmers training for the Junior Pan American Championship. After a party where Paula is left alone with a longtime crush, something shifts. She becomes withdrawn. Her best friend pushes for answers. As Paula slowly shares what happened, neither girl can fully name the experience or its weight.

What starts as an unbreakable bond begins to fracture under the pressure of fear, guilt, and anger. Tovar captures how teenage friendship can become both refuge and battlefield when trauma enters the frame.

Produced by Colectivo Colmena, the film recently added another prize at Cartagena Film Festival. Tovar’s shorts have played Cannes Critics’ Week and Morelia, but this marks her most ambitious work yet.

“Sad Girlz” screens June 4-12 at Tribeca, with its North American premiere on June 4 at 5:15pm at Village East by Angelika. For indie filmmakers watching, it’s a reminder that intimate, emotionally precise storytelling still cuts through.

Zoey Deutch Chases Jon Hamm Through L.A. in David Wain’s Sundance Comedy

Posted on May 21, 2026 by admin

A small-town hairdresser’s quest to even the score after her fiancé sleeps with his celebrity pass gets wildly out of hand in Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass. The new comedy from David Wain (Wet Hot American Summer, Role Models) stars Zoey Deutch as Gail, whose wedding plans implode when her high school sweetheart follows through on that infamous relationship agreement.

Her solution? Track down Jon Hamm in Los Angeles and claim her own celebrity pass. What starts as an impulsive road trip spirals into a full-blown Hollywood adventure involving a psychic’s advice, a talent agency assistant, a paparazzo, and actor John Slattery, who apparently helps her hunt down Hamm himself.

The film, written by Ken Marino and Wain, features a stacked cast including John Slattery, Marino, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Ben Wang, and Sabrina Impacciatore. Hamm appears as himself, which already feels like the kind of meta comedy Wain fans will eat up.

Gail Daughtry premiered at Sundance earlier this year and heads to Tribeca on June 10 before hitting theaters July 10 via Sony Pictures Classics. A teaser dropped this week, and judging by the premise alone, this one’s leaning into the absurd in the best way. For indie comedy lovers, Wain’s return to rom-com chaos feels overdue.

Green Day Comedy “Nimrods” Hits Theaters August 14

Posted on May 19, 2026 by admin

A Green Day-inspired road trip comedy is coming to theaters this summer, and fans can actually own a piece of it.

“Nimrods” follows three friends who mistakenly think their band is opening for Green Day on New Year’s Eve, so they take off for LA. The cross-country journey is based on Green Day’s own wild years living in a tour van. Mason Thames, Kylr Coffman, and Ryan Foust play the leads, with McKenna Grace, Jenna Fischer, Angela Kinsey, Fred Armisen, and Bobby Lee rounding out the cast.

Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tre Cool are producing alongside Tim Perell. Live Nation Studios and Ryan Kroft executive produce.

The film hits theaters August 14 through Inaugural Entertainment and Legion M, the fan-owned studio that’s letting audiences invest in distribution. Legion M co-founders Jeff Annison and Paul Scanlan saw it at TIFF and jumped. “Green Day wouldn’t exist without the fans,” they said, “and we’re excited to give those fans the opportunity to own a stake in the film.”

This follows Legion M’s recent success with “Fackham Hall” and fits their model of building fan momentum around theatrical releases. For a comedy rooted in punk rock chaos, letting the community rally behind it feels right.

Alice Eve Faces Sharks and Secrets in Malta Thriller ‘CHUM’

Posted on May 16, 2026 by admin

A destination wedding goes sideways when a great white shows up uninvited. CHUM, starring Alice Eve, hits theaters and VOD on June 5 from Independent Film Company.

The premise is simple but effective. A wedding party in Malta gets ambushed by a bloodthirsty shark and a fisherman with his own twisted plans. Trapped between open water and a human threat, the group has to figure out who to trust while fighting to stay alive. The newlyweds, meanwhile, are forced to confront whether their relationship can survive the chaos.

Eve, known for Star Trek Into Darkness and recent indie thrillers like Cult Killer, leads the cast. Jonathan Zuck directs from a script he co-wrote with Joe Leone. The ensemble includes Eric Michael Cole, Elle Haymond, and Sarah Siadat.

IFC is giving this one a day-and-date release, meaning it’ll be available in theaters and at home simultaneously. The 87-minute runtime suggests a lean, no-filler approach, which is exactly what a survival thriller needs.

For indie filmmakers and genre fans, CHUM is a reminder that you don’t need a massive budget to deliver tension. A smart concept, a solid cast, and a killer location can go a long way.

Alicia Scherson Brings Roberto Bolaño’s “The Third Reich” to Life in “Summer War,” World Premiering at Tribeca

Posted on May 12, 2026 by admin

A tabletop wargame becomes terrifyingly real in Alicia Scherson’s “Summer War,” adapting Roberto Bolaño’s novel “The Third Reich” for its world premiere at Tribeca Festival 2026.

The Chilean director returns to Tribeca two decades after winning Best New Narrative Director for her debut “Play.” This time she’s crafted a psychological thriller set in 1989, as Pinochet’s dictatorship crumbles. It’s Scherson’s second Bolaño adaptation, following 2013’s “Il Futuro.”

Dan Beirne stars as Udo Berger, an obsessive wargame champion whose beach vacation spirals when his WWII battle simulations start bleeding into reality. After a tourist vanishes at sea, Udo faces off against a mysterious local in a match where strategy dictates what’s real.

The international cast includes Lux Pascal, David Gaete, Aline Kuppenheim, and Agustín Pardella. Scherson relocates Bolaño’s story to Chile’s fragile political transition, turning it into a meditation on masculinity, paranoia, and how simulated violence echoes real-world consequences.

For indie filmmakers wrestling with literary adaptations, Scherson proves that respecting the source while making bold creative choices pays off. Her dry, dark humor captures Bolaño’s quiet unease without losing the tension.

The film screens June 7 at AMC 19th St. East 6 in New York.

Film Forum Bringing 35mm “Third Man” Print to NYC, Old-School Photochemical Style

Posted on May 11, 2026 by admin

Film Forum is screening a new 35mm print of Carol Reed’s “The Third Man” from June 12-25, and they’re doing it the analog way.

Unlike most classic film prints made today, which are digitally restored then output to film stock, this print was created photochemically in a lab from the original 35mm elements. Haghefilm and L’Immagine Ritrovata handled the work for Studiocanal, keeping the process true to the film’s origins.

The 1949 noir, starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, and Orson Welles as Harry Lime, was shot across five weeks of double shifts in Vienna. Cinematographer Robert Krasker won an Oscar for his shadow work, and Anton Karas’s zither theme became a worldwide phenomenon.

Welles lit his own scenes and wrote much of his dialogue, including the famous “cuckoo clock” speech. The film won the Palme d’Or at Cannes and was named one of the 10 best-shot films of cinema’s first 50 years by American Cinematographer.

This matters because photochemical preservation is increasingly rare. Most repertory houses default to digital restorations. Film Forum’s commitment to analog processes keeps the craft alive for filmmakers and audiences who care about how classics are preserved and presented.

Avalon Fast’s “CAMP” Hits Theaters June 26 After Festival Run

Posted on May 9, 2026 by admin

A guilt-ridden young woman, two tragic accidents, and a voice calling from the woods. That’s the setup for CAMP, a new horror feature from writer-director Avalon Fast hitting theaters June 26 courtesy of Dark Sky Films.

The film follows Emily, who takes a job as a summer camp counselor to escape the weight of two devastating tragedies from her past. Surrounded by supportive fellow counselors, she starts to believe in a fresh start. But when a voice begins whispering from deep in the woods, urging her to go home, Emily’s fragile peace starts to unravel.

CAMP has been making waves on the festival circuit, winning Fantastic Fest’s Next Wave Award and screening at BeyondFest, Sitges, Brooklyn Horror, and Outfest. Critics have compared it to The Virgin Suicides, with RogerEbert.com noting how the film uses grief and mourning as storytelling tools instead of easy answers. Projected Figures called it “a dizzying, unnerving examination of the strength and power that women can use to uplift each other.”

Fast, who calls her work “GIRL HORROR,” previously directed Honeycomb, which premiered at Slamdance in 2022. The film stars Zola Grimmer, Alice Wordsworth, and Cherry Moore.

Marcel Ruiz Makes His Screenwriting Debut With “Summer of Three” at Tribeca

Posted on May 8, 2026 by admin

Marcel Ruiz, best known for playing Alex Alvarez in Netflix’s One Day at a Time, is stepping behind the camera for the first time. His debut as a screenwriter and producer comes with Summer of Three, which world premieres at Tribeca Festival’s U.S. Narrative Competition in June.

The film is directed by his father, Carlitos Ruiz-Ruiz, whose debut Lovesickness premiered at Tribeca back in 2007. Now they’re back together with a deeply personal collaboration.

Summer of Three follows 17-year-old Javi, who returns to Puerto Rico after years away, first for his grandfather’s funeral. What starts as a reluctant trip turns into an unexpected homecoming when he meets Luife and Kiki, two misfits who pull him into a sultry love triangle. The film explores identity, grief, and belonging through a summer of heat, music, and emotional awakening.

The soundtrack blends reggaeton classics with Puerto Rico’s indie scene, grounding the story in the island’s youthful energy. Newcomers Kiki Montilla and Paolo Schoene join Ruiz in the cast.

This is exactly the kind of project Tribeca was built for: personal, bold, and rooted in cultural identity. A father-son collaboration premiering where the father’s career began? That’s the indie dream.

Hugh Jackman and Emma Thompson Lead Animated Mystery “The Sheep Detectives”

Posted on May 1, 2026 by admin

A shepherd reads detective novels to his sheep every night. He thinks they’re just listening to the sound of his voice. Turns out, they’ve been paying attention.

“The Sheep Detectives” hits theaters May 8, and Amazon MGM Studios just dropped three new clips. Hugh Jackman voices George, the shepherd who unwittingly trains his flock in the art of crime-solving. When something suspicious happens on the farm, the sheep take matters into their own hooves.

The film’s based on “Three Bags Full” by Leonie Swann and adapted by Craig Mazin, who’s proven he can handle complex storytelling. Kyle Balda directs.

The voice cast is stacked. Emma Thompson and Hong Chau join Jackman, along with Nicholas Braun, Nicholas Galitzine, and Molly Gordon. Supporting roles feature Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Chris O’Dowd, Regina Hall, Patrick Stewart, Bella Ramsey, and Brett Goldstein.

It’s a family-friendly mystery with a PG rating, produced by Working Title and Three Strange Angels. Lindsay Doran, Tim Bevan, and Eric Fellner are producing, with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller among the executive producers.

Tickets are already on sale. For indie filmmakers watching the animation space, this is another example of studios betting on original storytelling over sequels.