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Tribeca Festival · 2025

Tribeca Festival 2025

US Narrative Competition

Programme

11 films · 1 review

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Bird In Hand

Bird returns home to visit her mum in search of the perfect wedding venue after a surprise engagement to her longtime boyfriend, but much to everyone's surprise, she is actually on the hunt for something else. A chance meeting with her biological father.

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Melody C Roscher; Writer: Melody C Roscher; Stars: Alisha Wainwright, Christine Lahti, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, James Le Gros, K Todd Freeman, Jeffrey Nordling, Esco Jouley, Jernard Burks, Elizabeth Lande, Jen Hines, Madison Harris, Wilbert Anderson, William Anderson, Ashley Gaulden, Richard D'Abreu)

World premiere

Charliebird

Al is a devoted music therapist at a children’s hospital in Texas. Charlie is the rebellious teen patient assigned to work with her. When Charlie reveals a secret passion project, and professional lines begin to blur, the two forge an unexpected bond.

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Libby Ewing; Writer: Samantha Smart; Stars: Jeffrey Grover, Gabe Fazio, Samantha Smart, Nicholas Michael McGovern, Kate Sanchez, Gabriela Ochoa Perez, Maria Peyramaure, Tish Brandt, Kailani Arizpe, Jill Zmolek, Matthew Rodriguez, Shaki Alliu, Annabelle Lorraine Davis, Tiffany Biggars, Ethan Biggars)

World premiere

Esta Isla

Drama follows young lovers Bebo and Lola as they flee to a remote part of the island in the wake of a heinous murder.

(Country: Puerto Rico; Year: 2025; Director: Cristian Carretero, Lorraine Jones; Writer: Kisha Tikina Burgos, Cristian Carretero, Lorraine Jones; Stars: Zion Ortiz, Fabiola Brown, Xavier Morales, Georgina Borri, Audicio Robles, Teofilo Torres)

World premiere

Horsegirls

As her mother battles an uncertain diagnosis, neurodivergent 22-year-old Margarita discovers a source of strength in an unexpected place: the sport of hobbyhorsing.

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Lauren Meyering; Writer: Mackenzie Breeden, Lauren Meyering; Stars: Gretchen Mol, Jerod Haynes, Iqbal Theba, Lillian Carrier, Joel Austin, Mackenzie Breeden, Matthew Schwab, Kovana Shine, Kenzie James, Arya Brixey, Abigail Grace Korenthal)

World premiere

Leads

Mags, once a promising up-and-coming actress, strives for contentment as the most sought-after acting teacher at her small college. But her life is unexpectedly upended by the arrival of a new student in her class: her charming but volatile younger brother Merritt.

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Bryan Poyser; Writer: Justin Arnold, Heather Kafka, Bryan Poyser; Stars: Heather Kafka, Justin Arnold, Macon Blair, Sara Paxton, Alejandro Rose-Garcia, Chris Doubek, Mira David, Amado DeHoyos, Jordan Jarvis, Jordan Banks, Kim LeBlanc, Kat Adams, Yesenia Garcia, Christopher Shea, Courtney Voss)

World premiere

Lemonade Blessing

Freshly tossed into a private Catholic high school by his devout mother, John falls head over heels for a devious classmate ready to push his faith (and morals) to the brink.

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Chris Merola; Writer: Chris Merola; Stars: Jake Ryan, Jeanine Serralles, Skye Alyssa Friedman, Miles J Harvey, Michael Oloyede, Todd Gearhart, Barbara Rosenblat, Nicholas J. Coleman, Alexander Jameson, James Freedson-Jackson, Tiffany Ho, Keith William Richards, John Churchill, Bree Klauser, Dina Drew)

World premiere

On A String

Review preview for On A String

There is no grand adventure, no melodramatic pathos, no broad comedy, just life as an eternal struggle for survival and for the chance of thriving, but also with a sense of warmth.

Marko Stojiljkovic · 4 out of 5
Fresh out of Juilliard, a young violist returns home to live with her parents in the heart of New York City. Now it’s time to play gigs in the homes of strangers and make art with friends - nothing can go wrong, right?

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Isabel Hagen; Writer: Isabel Hagen; Stars: Dylan Baker, Eric Bogosian, Frederick Weller, Charlotte Ray Rosenberg, Jamie Lee, Joy Suprano, Peter Reeves, DeLaney Harter Rosenthal, Renée Stork, Isabel Hagen, Jordan Galland, Haven Stashenko, John Kroner, Jon Lonoff, Ling Ling Huang)

Full review See: On A String director Isabel Hagen on moving from viola player to stand-up and filmmaker

World premiere

Rosemead

A Chinese immigrant mother is driven to desperate measures by her unstable son’s escalating mental health crisis and growing obsession with mass shootings.

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Eric Lin; Writer: Marilyn Fu, Eric Lin; Stars: Lucy Liu, Lawrence Shou, Orion Lee, Jennifer Lim, Madison Hu, James Chen, Eleven Lee, Susan Pourfar, Zack Calderon, Adam Chanler-Berat, Dana de Celis, Jo Mei, Dave Shalansky, Grace Shen, Eric Leviton)

World premiere

The Scout

Sofia is a location scout for a TV show in New York City. Over the course of one day, she is invited into homes, businesses, and lives across the city, witnessing the private spaces and dramas of countless strangers, until her work takes a sudden, personal turn.

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Paula González-Nasser; Writer: Paula González-Nasser; Stars: Rutanya Alda, Otmara Marrero, Mimi Davila, Ikechukwu Ufomadu, Sarah Herrman, Matt Barats, Max Rosen)

World premiere

So Far All Good

Following a stint in prison, a young man returns to friends and family waiting for him across New York. Except his girl has moved on, money ain’t what it used to be and this isn’t the same bustling city he left behind. It’s all good.

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Seck; Writer: Rasan Kuvly, Seck; Stars: Rasan Kuvly, Jevon Donaldson, Jadé Porciatti, Colter Ford, Natividad Alemany, Daniel Forbes Jr., Ashley Nord, Kenny Germosen)

World premiere

The Travel Companion

Struggling documentarian Simon relies on his friend Bruce’s airline job to get free flights as his travel companion. But when Bruce starts dating Beatrice, Simon obsessively clings to his precious perk.

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Alex Mallis, Travis Wood; Writer: Weston Auburn, Alex Mallis, Travis Wood; Stars: Tristan Turner, Joanna Arnow, Anthony Oberbeck, Peter Davis, David Smilow, Scarlett Strasberg, Steven Phillips-Horst, Raheem Roher, Anil Joseph, Luis Lazcano, Naomi Asa, Charlie Hoxie, Peter Fairman, Brit Fryer, Dara Messinger)

World premiere