My Most Anticipated Hidden Gems of Tribeca 2023

Here it is - the busiest time of my year outside of awards season - the Tribeca Festival. With only three days to go before the festival, I wanted to highlight what I am most excited to see during the festival.

For me, it's a bit tricky to pick out what I most want to see. With over 200 selections in the lineup, Tribeca can be a behemoth to narrow down into a digestible list. Especially when you consider that most of my favorites have come from browsing the virtual library and finding something to watch like My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To, Joe Buffalo, Last Meal, The Queen of Basketball, and that's just from the 2021 festival.

So, instead of posting a list of what films have the greatest chance of selling well, getting awards, or my most anticipated, I'm instead going to focus this list, which will serve as my preview for Tribeca 2023, as a list of what films I believe will become my hidden gems of the festival.

Please note: I will only be including what I can see as a member of the virtual press, so if a film is only playing in person and I don't have a screener for it, it will not be on this list.

This list is ranked by excitement levels and potential to become a hidden gem.

For a list of everything I'm covering at Tribeca 2023, click here (Patreon sub required)

Films (not including shorts)

Somewhere Quiet - this could end up being the hit of Tribeca 2023. It stars Jennifer Kem as Meg, someone trying to readjust to life after being recently abducted. To start the healing process, she goes to Cape Cod with her husband Scott (Kentucker Audley) to stay at his family's cabin. However, with the arrival of his cousin Madeline (Marin Ireland), Meg's trauma begins to resurface again, making her question her sanity while trying to come to terms with her kidnapping.

The Gullspång Miracle - Okay, I know a lot of people have been talking about this one, but I'm going to talk about this one too. What's drawing me to this film is the duality between the two sisters, Kari and May, and how their religious convictions prompt them to buy an apartment only to realize that the seller looks like their older sister Astrid, who committed suicide thirty years ago. This documystery is sure to be a huge hit and one of the biggest hidden gems of the festival.

The Line - In the realm of thrillers, this could be a huge hidden gem. America has long had a contentious relationship with college fraternities, so a thriller with massive stars such as Alex Wolff, Halle Bailey, John Malkovich, and Denise Richards could put a spotlight on what's going on behind the scenes at these colleges and help to examine what's wrong with the hazing practices while also providing audiences with major star power.

Hey Viktor! - A mix of former child actor Cody Lightning's experiences after starring in the indie hit Smoke Signals mixed in with some fictionalized version of his experiences, this one is a gutbuster and feels like one of the more emotionally honest Tribeca selections. Here's hoping someone like IFC Films picks it up!

The Future - A lot is going on with this film. Not only is it about the murder of Israel's Minister of Space and Tourism, but it is also about the pioneer of The Future Project interviewing the assassin. Oh, and then on top of that, there's the underlying politics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. So if you like a character-focused film with political intrigue, this one is for you.

Smoking Tigers - This one is a Cinderella story. The short film version of this film was selected from Tribeca's Untold Stories collection last year and will be So Young Shell You's directorial debut. While I missed the short last year, I'll be making this one a priority.

Rule of Two Walls - Another Tribeca alum is director David Gutnik, who last premiered his film Materna at Tribeca 2020. This time, Gutnik chronicles modern-day Ukraine through the artists who have chosen to stay. I don't normally vibe with a documentary discussing a recent topic, but I'm intrigued by what Gutnik and the artists living in Ukraine have to say.

One Night with Adela - This one could end up being a hidden gem - maybe not, but One Night with Adela stars Laura Galán, who audiences last saw in last year's Piggy, and features her journey towards vengeance that contains all the emotions that come with, along with some I'm sure audiences aren't expecting. It's also shot in one take, so need I to say more?

Break the Game - I haven't watched many speed runs in my life - I've always been too busy to watch one, but when news of this doc hit my inbox, I put it on my must-see list. Blending in Narcissa Wright's live stream footage, interviews, and 8-bit animation, I could easily see this being the next big video game documentary, and why not? It's been eleven years since Indie Game: The Movie, the best video game documentary of all time.

Rolling Along - I always get confused when talking about this one because this is technically trying to do two things: it's a documentary and a "pro-shot" of his Broadway performance that discusses his life. However, I always respect a filmmaker trying to do something new in the documentary space, so I'm beyond intrigued to see what director Mike Tollin and screenwriter Bill Bradley have up their sleeves with this one.

Songs About Fucking - I'm not a huge audiophile. According to my Spotify stats, I only listen to 13 songs a day. However, I am familiar with Marc Rebillet and director James Gallagher, so a documentary about Rebillet is right up my wheelhouse. My only hope is that Rebillet performs the songs in the credits.

Deep Sea - I'm probably crazy for calling this a hidden gem, as the writer and director Xiaopeng Tian is a reasonably popular name, but the visuals of Deep Sea grabbed me immediately once I saw the still images. To reuse an adage, every frame is a painting, and I can't wait to see it.

Playland - This one intrigues me. It's an experimental film that filmmaker Georden West describes as "a transdisciplinary work of queer bricolage" that takes place in the Playland Café, Boston's oldest and most notorious gay hangout space. Beyond my curiosity, I'm interested to see how Georden incorporates the multitude of storylines set in 1943, 1965, 1977, and 1992 and how that interplays with the vignettes, archival audio, and home video footage. If Georden can pull it off, it'll easily be a hidden gem for me.

Je'Vida - While we're talking experimental, this film is about a Sámi woman living in contemporary Finland and how the hatred has affected her childhood memories and her native roots. It's also shot entirely in black & white and is the first film to use the Skolt Sámi dialect.

All You Hear is Noise - This docushort depicts the stories of U.S. triathletes Trent Hampton, Melanie Holmes, and Chris Wines training for the Special Olympics World Games. I think this could be a potential hidden gem of Tribeca 2023, as it shines a real light on disability that not many docushorts have in recent years. The only one that comes to mind is last year's I Didn't See You There, which was a huge hit.

Shorts

My Eyes Are Up Here - This looks like a short with a mix of humor balanced with some light dramatic elements that could propel it into my hidden gems. That, and the inclusion of disabled persons in media, is always a must-see for me.

American Sikh - Oozing style, this short brings out the pedestal we put superheroes on and depicts Vishavjit Singh, AKA Sikh Captain America, and his experiences as a Sikh living in post-9/11 New York.

Corvine - Also animated, this short looks playful and has a great hand-drawn feel that I could see appealing to many people.

Savi the Cat - My family has a cat. One that's meowing behind me as I type this, so I can relate to a short that wants to tell a story about how a cat can be destructive to a relationship and home. It's also a plus that there are these gorgeous hand-drawn interstitials that portray Savi's point of view.

The Night Doctrine - I haven't seen many journalism docushorts, so this short was an instant watch the first time I saw it in the lineup. That, and the art style reminds me a bit of the video game The Silent Age, so that could also be another reason why.

Deciding Vote - I'm not sure why I'm not seeing this on most anticipated lists, so I thought I'd mention it here. It's a simple story of George Michaels (no, not that one), his deciding vote (roll credits) on a New York abortion bill, and the destruction of his career. I'm getting 12 Angry Men vibes from this short, and I don't know why, but I'll be checking this one out.

For people in trouble - A romantic drama set amidst the potential of society collapsing? And it's gorgeously shot? Yep, I'm in.

To My Father - Once I saw CODA at Sundance 2021, I immediately wanted to see more projects with Troy Kotsur as the lead. Here, we get something more introspective, where Troy and crew talk about his journey to the Oscar and showcase how much his father meant to him—an instant watch for me.

Over the Wall - I love NASCAR. Or, at least I did when I was growing up, so a short about a pit crew member, especially a Black woman moving her way up to participate in the Daytona 500, the biggest race in NASCAR? Sign me up.

The Sperm Bank - Beyond the obvious, I believe this short is a must-see for how seamlessly it can interweave moments of humor, such as porn stars complimenting Rob's Blu-ray collection with more serious discussions on his future and whether that future even exists. 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to watch a few screeners and write some reviews for the entire first week of Tribeca.

If you want to see any of these films, click here to get tickets.

Until next time!

Thanks to Shane Conto, Joseph Davis, David Walters, Ambula Bula, and Brian Skuttle for supporting Austin B Media on Patreon!