The annual Tribeca Film Festival is jam-packed with critically acclaimed indies, provocative shorts and groundbreaking documentaries — at the 2023 edition, music is at the heart of many categories.
Held June 7-13 at various theaters around New York City, Tribeca Film Festival will feature exciting music films spanning all genres. There are more than 20 music-related screenings at the festival, including shorts and music videos like Lizzo’s Special, alongside films touching on subcultures and insightful biopics about Gloria Gaynor, Cyndi Lauper, Carlos Santana, the Indigo Girls and Biz Markie.
Feature films include Lost Soulz, a drama set to a lo-fi hip-hop soundtrack and starring rapper Suave Sidle; a concert film of Taylor Mac’s musical extravaganza, showcasing three decades of American social history with a 22-piece orchestra and a host of special guests. Also showing is the legendary hip-hop movie Wild Style, and a tense telling of the Milli Vanilli controversy with Frank Farian that ultimately led to the duo’s demise. Some of the featured artists will also perform live following the premiere of their films.
Accompanying the film slate are talks by music stars like Chance the Rapper, Lin-Manual Miranda, Hailee Steinfeld and Diplo, all offering up their individual expertise and industry insights, and screenings of music videos including Lizzo’s Special and Lunarcode’s The Light. A music lounge will also host performances by Tei Shi, Frost Children, LuNika, Habibi and Sussan Deyhim.
Ahead of the festival, GRAMMY.com rounded up some of the most exciting music documentaries and feature films.
Uncharted
Making its world premiere at Tribeca, this documentary takes us behind the scenes of Alicia Keys’ women’s songwriting camp She Is The Music. Directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Beth Aala, this film explores the difficulties of breaking into the music industry as a woman of color.
Keys acts as a mentor, guiding the songwriters through live performances and intimate writing sessions, as well as opening up about the difficulties she experienced coming up. However, it is the camp’s participants who take center stage in this documentary, including Barbados-born Ayoni and Atlanta native DaVionne.
On the night of the premiere, some of the camp’s participants will perform in a show curated by Alicia Keys.
Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive
Legendary disco singer Gloria Gaynor shares her life story in this new biopic, charting not only her landmark successes, but her struggles along the way. Since releasing the song that landed her in history books, "I Will Survive," Gaynor’s life was blighted by health issues and her abusive ex-husband. Now, aged 76, she is releasing a new gospel album and we get to come along for the ride.
Gloria Gaynor herself will be performing after the premiere of the doc.
Bad Like Brooklyn Dancehall
As Jamaicans migrated to New York City in the '80s and '90s, they brought with them a catalog of culture — from music and dance, to food and language. Of particular note was the import of dancehall music, a genre that was elevated in the city and, eventually, across the rest of the country and world.
In this documentary, we get to hear the story of dancehall told through some of the genre’s most recognizable faces: Sean Paul, Shaggy, Ding Dong, Kool Herc and more. Alongside their anecdotes, audiences will view never-before-seen archival footage to help tell the story of how dancehall traveled from Kingston to the Big Apple and how it has inspired generations, including in hip hop, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
Following the premiere, there will be a performance by dancehall legends.
Lost Soulz
This feature film tells the story of Sol (played by rapper Suave Sidle), who joins a hip-hop group and travels across Texas hoping to find himself. He creates, produces and performs with a troupe who are also rappers in real life.
While most of the film is scripted, director Katherine Propper also gave actors freedom and space to improvise. Set to a lo-fi hip-hop soundtrack, the effect is one of hazy comfort and moments that take you by surprise. Lost Soulz is about finding home in whatever form that may be, and seeking to achieve your dreams without knowing exactly what they are.
It’s Only Life After All
Filmmaker Alexandria Bombach has adored the Indigo Girls since her early teens, and is part of a global following who are drawn to the folk-rock duo's liberatory music.
In this documentary ode, members Emily Saliers and Amy Ray share their story of success that spans decades of impressive accolades, including selling 15 million records. But it also highlights the difficulties they faced as women and lesbians within a misogynistic and homophobic music industry, and how this seeped into their wider life and work.
Anthem
Did you know that America's National Anthem is based on an old British song? In this documentary, musicians and producers Kris Bowers and Dahi travel across the U.S. to find out what a national anthem inspired by America’s rich mix of musical genres might sound like.
As they cross the country, they explore and discuss Motown in Detroit, blues in Clarksdale, country music in Nashville, jazz in New Orleans, Native American music and dance in Tulsa, and Latine music in San Francisco. With all this information, knowledge and infusion of cultural expertise, they set about recording a new anthem that aims to reflect the America of today.
Cypher
Tierra Whack rose to fame at age 15 after a video of her freestyle rapping on the streets of Philadelphia racked up thousands of views. As she became a staple in the rap world, director Chris Moukarbel wanted to document her journey.
He began filming at her concerts and on the set of her music videos to capture the behind-the-scenes journey. One evening, a strange interaction with a fan led Tierra and her team down an unwitting path towards conspiracy theories around the music industry being run by a small group of elites. In this pseudo-documentary, we are forced to question everything: What is real, who is telling this story, and what should we believe?
Taylor Mac’s 24-decade History of Popular Music
Taylor Mac is an extraordinary, multipotentialite artist whose extensive theater work includes this condensed version of a 24-hour musical performance filmed at Brooklyn's St. Ann’s Warehouse. It is an attempt to summarize America’s history of music from 1776 to the present day.Taylor Mac is the star of the show, but is supported by a host of other incredible performers, artists, singers, musicians and more. Captured by renowned filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, this is a delectably queer, glamorous and riotous extravaganza.
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