Skip to main content

Tribeca Festival · 2009

Tribeca Festival 2009

Shorts

The 46 works in the 2009 short film line-up are eligible to compete for combined cash and value-in-kind prizes totaling more than $15,000 for Best Narrative Short, Best Documentary Short and Student Visionary Award. Student films are marked *

Each selection is put into a themed programme, and they are listed below. Which programme a short falls into is listed in itallics:

  • Means To An End - Everyone’s just trying to make it through another day.
  • Mixed Feelings - Dreams and desires are contemplated and complicated in this selection.
  • Wake-up Call - These shorts show life lessons learned, some the hard way.
  • Truth or Consequences - These mature shorts concern growing up, getting off and getting by. Not recommended for those under 16.
  • Time Will Tell - This group of documentary shorts will leave a lasting impression on the heart and mind.
  • Human Landscapes - Drawn from filmmakers on three continents, this program of experimental short films and videos centers around the theme of the individual’s relationship to the environmental space he or she inhabits. The avant-garde filmmaking enterprise is essentially one defined by creative artists working single-handedly and with great sensitivity to interpreting the field of vision before their camera lenses.

Programme

46 films · 2 reviews

Jump to a film

3 Wheels (Three Wheels)

A rickshaw driver tries not to miss the boat.

(Country: China, Taiwan; Year: 2009; Director: Tony Wei; Writer: Chung Lee; Stars: Mao-Shin Chiang, Chung-heng Chu, Cary Woodworth, Jia-Le Yan)

Means To An End. World Premiere*

Almost Every Day (Quase Todo Dia)

Agatha navigates work, love and the streets of Rio de Janeiro.

(Country: Brazil, US; Year: 2009; Director: Gandja Monteiro; Writer: Gandja Monteiro)

Means To An End. World Premiere

The Bather

A whimsical look at a bath.

(Country: US; Year: 2009; Director: George Griffin)

Human Landscapes. World Premiere

Blue Boy

Kenny is a country club lifeguard living in a haze, but one day all that changes.

(Country: US; Year: 2009; Director: Alex Jablonski; Writer: Alex Jablonski, Kevin Canty)

Truth Or Consequences. World Premiere*

Cal Express

An immature twenty-something grows up and comes out.

(Country: US; Year: 2009; Director: Sergio Carvajal ; Writer: Sergio Carvajal )

Wake-up Call. World Premiere*

Camera Roll (For Taylor)

Avant-garde short.

(Country: US; Year: 2009; Director: Joel Schlemowitz )

Human Landscapes. World Premiere

Chop Off

An exposition of the dark, fearful recesses of the human psyche by filming the body modification of performance artist R K, who literally risks 'life and limb.' R K's body is his medium and amputation is his art.

(Year: 2008; Director: M M Serra)

Human Landscapes. New York Premiere

The Company Man

A loyal employee longs for promotion.

(Country: US; Year: 2008; Director: Andrew Zappin; Writer: Andrew Zappin; Stars: Wynn Everett, Matt Malloy, DJ Qualls)

Means To An End. New York Premiere

The Confession

A man at confession, grapples with a gossiping priest.

(Country: Ireland; Year: 2008; Director: Thomas Hefferon; Writer: Thomas Hefferon; Stars: Donncha Crowley, Sean Flanagan, Stephen Morris) , Official site

Truth Or Consequences. New York Premiere

Cutlass

Robin remembers what it’s like to want something really, really badly.

(Country: US; Year: 2007; Director: Kate Hudson; Writer: Kate Hudson; Stars: Virginia Madsen, Dakota Fanning, Kristen Stewart, Kurt Russell, Sarah Roemer, Brian Hooks, Chevy Chase, Ethan Suplee, Steve Jones, Dax Shepard)

Mixed Feelings. New York Premiere

Deadline

An ex-con confronts an abusive guard from his past.

(Country: US; Year: 2009; Director: Joseph Bakhash; Writer: Sean McPhillips)

Wake-up Call. New York Premiere

Deconstruction Workers (Bygningsarbeidere)

Two Average Joes dig their way through the meaning of life.

(Country: Norway; Year: 2008; Director: Kajsa Næss; Writer: Kjartan Helleve)

Means To An End. New York Premiere

Densen

A musical trip through photos from Tokyo, St Petersburg, Barcelona, Milan and Buenos Aires.

(Country: Sweden; Year: 2009; Director: Anna Linder)

Human Landscapes. World Premiere

First Steps

A filmmaker chronicles his personal experience with multiple sclerosis.

(Country: US; Year: 2009; Director: Jason DaSilva; Writer: Jason DaSilva)

Time Will Tell. World Premiere

Gefilte Fish

Gail is torn between a fish and her family tradition.

(Country: Israel; Year: 2009; Director: Shelly Kling-Yosef; Writer: Shelly Kling-Yosef)

Wake-up Call. North American Premiere*

Glock

A new secret agent “kills” time waiting for his first assignment.

(Country: US; Year: 2009; Director: Tom Everett Scott; Writer: Michael McMillian, Tom Everett Scott; Stars: Rhys Coiro, Ciarán Hinds, Michael McMillian, Krysten Ritter, Stephen Root, Tom Everett Scott)

Means To An End. New York Premiere

Ha'Aki

Animated meditation on ice hockey.

(Country: Canada; Year: 2009; Director: Iriz Pääbo; Writer: Iriz Pääbo)

Human Landscapes. New York Premiere

home

Flooded with memories, home is where the heart is.

(Country: US; Year: 2009; Director: Matthew Faust)

Time Will Tell. New York Premiere

Hot Dogs At The Met

Experimental short.

(Country: US; Year: 2009; Director: Ken Jacobs; Writer: Ken Jacobs)

Human Landscapes. North American Premiere

Influenza/Composition II (chrome square)

Sticky squares reflect the life of a city.

(Year: 2009; Director: Jeroen Jongeleen)

Human Landscapes. World Premiere

KOGI

A visual poem about indigenous people.

(Country: Brazil; Year: 2009; Director: Paula Gaitán)

Human Landscapes. World Premiere

The Last Mermaids

Review preview for The Last Mermaids

One of that all-too-rare breed of documentary – one that possesses a fascinating subject and tackles it in an interesting and engaging way.

Amber Wilkinson · 4.5 out of 5
Generations of women free divers tell their story.

(Country: US, South Korea; Year: 2009; Director: Liz Chae)

Full review

Time Will Tell. North American Premiere

Love Does Grow on Trees

It's 1989 and thirteen-year-old Danny's life is thrown into chaos when he discovers adult magazines, girls, and the embarrassment that goes with both.

(Country: UK ; Year: 2008; Director: Bevan Walsh)

Truth Or Consequences. US Premiere

Métro

Experimental short.

(Country: Canada; Year: 2009; Director: Martin Laporte)

Human Landscapes. World Premiere

Mustang: Journey Of Transformation

A sacred Tibetan cultural site is restored.

(Country: US; Year: 2009; Director: Will Parrinello; Writer: Sarah Kass; Stars: Richard Gere, Dalai Lama, Luigi Fieni, John Sanday, Tsewang Bista)

Time Will Tell. New York Premiere

Nowhere Kids

Georgia’s journey to find her biological mother veers off-course when she meets some kids.

(Country: USA; Year: 2009; Director: Eric Juhola; Writer: Lindsay Goldwert, Eric Juhola, Jeremy Stulberg; Stars: Judith Boxley, Robert Haley, Eleonore Hendricks, Gregory Higgins, Cheryl Johnston, Gregory Kostal, Evan Louison, Naomi Madsen, Donnie Mastro, Rich Williamson)

Truth Or Consequences. New York Premiere

Nueva York

Interwoven stories with a cultural connection.

(Country: US; Year: 2009; Director: Manolo Celi; Writer: Manolo Celi)

Mixed Feelings. World Premiere

Oda a la Piña

A dancing pineapple loses her rhythm.

(Country: Cuba; Year: 2009; Director: Laimir Fano; Writer: Laimir Fano)

Means To An End.*

Of Best Intentions

Five characters collide with cosmic consequences.

(Country: Ireland; Year: 2008; Director: Brian Durnin; Writer: Brian Durnin)

Mixed Feelings. New York Premiere

Oil Change

A big helping of truth is served at a dinner party.

(Country: US; Year: 2009; Director: Todd Luoto; Writer: Todd Luoto)

Mixed Feelings. New York Premiere

Paradise Café (Café Paraíso)

Showing as part of International Shorts: Mexico at EIFF 2008.

(Country: Mexico; Year: 2008; Director: Alonso Ruizpalacios; Writer: Alonso Ruizpalacios; Stars: Tenoch Huerta, José Sefami, Sophié Alexander, Enrique Arreola)

Means To An End.*

La Route Du Nord

A man heads back to Beirut to reclaim his father and his past.

(Country: France; Year: 2008; Director: Carlos Chahine; Writer: Carlos Chahine; Stars: Fadi Abi Samra, Carlos Chahine, Camille Figuereo, Rami Kadeih, Abla Khoury, Mathieu Marie)

Wake-up Call. North American Premiere

Search

Two teenagers skive off school and discover a dark place.

(Country: US; Director: Lisa M Perry; Writer: Aaron Walker)

Truth Or Consequences. World Premiere*

Section 44

Whom would you rat out?

(Country: UK; Year: 2009; Director: Daniel Wilson; Writer: Daniel Wilson)

Wake-up Call. North American Premiere

Shimasani

Mary Jane wonders if she’ll ever leave the Navajo reservation.

(Country: US; Year: 2009; Director: Blackhorse Lowe; Writer: Blackhorse Lowe)

Mixed Feelings. World Premiere

Skin

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

(Country: Australia; Year: 2008; Director: Rhys Graham)

Time Will Tell. New York Premiere

Small Change

Sophie hopes for a visit from the Tooth Fairy.

(Country: Australia; Year: 2007; Director: Anna McGrath; Writer: Anna McGrath; Stars: Ditch Davey, Minnie Liszukiewicz, Ziggy Liszukiewicz, Vada Wardlaw)

Truth Or Consequences. New York Premiere*

Sunspots (Macchie di Sole)

Twelve-year-old Adriana spends a steamy summer by the sea.

(Country: Italy; Year: 2009; Director: Stella di Tocco; Writer: Enrique Esteve)

Truth Or Consequences. New York Premiere

Team Taliban

Who will you root for?

(Country: US; Year: 2009; Director: Benjamin Kegan)

Time Will Tell. New York Premiere

This Will All Make Perfect Sense Someday

Practically perfect simply isn’t enough.

(Country: US; Year: 2009; Director: Long-Cuu Phan; Writer: Long-Cuu Phan)

Mixed Feelings. New York Premiere

A Time and A Time

Avant-garde animation.

(Country: UK; Year: 2009; Director: Sarah Cox)

Human Landscapes. North American Premiere

The Tinwoodsman's Home Movie #2

Review preview for The Tinwoodsman's Home Movie #2

Despite the drenched colour scheme, directors Lee Lynch and Naomi Uman have given their film a deliberately ‘home-shot’ look.

Amber Wilkinson · 2 out of 5
The Tinman poses for snaps.

(Country: US; Year: 2009; Director: Naomi Uman, Lee Lynch; Writer: Naomi Uman, Lee Lynch)

Full review

Wake-up Call. New York Premiere

Trailer Trash

Manipulated movie trailers rescued from the trash.

(Country: US; Year: 2009; Director: Mark Street)

Human Landscapes. World Premiere

Us (Nous)

In an apartment, a police captain discovers a man’s skeleton one year after his death. Several years earlier, the man had shot a home movie about his vacation at the seaside.

(Country: France; Year: 2007; Director: Olivier Hems; Writer: Olivier Hems; Stars: Guy Abgrall, Valérie Bral, Jeanne Clinchamp, Sébastien Garcia, Marie Lauvériat, Hervé Mahieux)

Human Landscapes. US Premiere

Without You

Tragedy haunts the living and the dead.

(Country: UK; Year: 2009; Director: Emma Passmore; Writer: Emma Passmore; Stars: Neil Bennun, Morven Macbeth)

Human Landscapes. North American Premiere

Wu

“Unhappy” is a seven-letter word.

(Country: France; Year: 2009; Director: Cécile Vernant; Writer: Cécile Vernant; Stars: Didier Menin, Marie-Anne Mestre, Océane Decaudain)

Wake-up Call. North American Premiere