Tribeca 2009: Day 11 Recap

After missing the last 2 days, I went back for the final day of the Tribeca Film Festival. The end of Tribeca unfortunately means that I must officially return to my life. Real life already started creeping in when I had work Friday morning and then yesterday I worked a full day. Now tomorrow I have school and life goes back to normal. Well sort of. I still have about 10 reviews to write and 2 hours worth of footage to edit for you guys, in addition to several screeners to watch and then review. I’m also in the process of setting up interviews with some local Tribeca filmmakers. So for all those upset the festival is over, don’t be since my coverage will continue for at least another 2 weeks. But before I get ahead of myself, here’s Day 11†¦

Today it was pouring out but being the movie lover I am, I hopped on the bus for my 90-minute commute to the festival. Since the schedule for today was pretty light, consisting mostly of award winners, I opted to make the Heineken Audience Choice Award Winner the film I would see. The film that won the audiences’ heart (and $25,000) was City Island. I wanted to see the film but unfortunately missed every screening before this so it was a perfect opportunity. I’d also like to mention that the 3^rd Place Audience Choice was Midgets Vs. Mascots. You can check out my interview with one of the mascots right HERE.

It was a little early so I went to the DirectTV Tribeca Press Center before the theater. It was empty. Completely empty. There were only 4 people and they were all volunteers working at the center. I’m not sure if all the press were at screenings or if they packed up and left but it was weird. I grabbed a free Snapple and checked my press mailbox to make sure it was cleared. I headed to the theater and by the time I got there, I was getting pretty wet. To make matters worse, they were making people wait on a line outside. Surely they would want the press to go inside so that we were not wet and unhappy while reviewing the film. Nope, back of the line†¦in the rain.

I was sitting in the full theater, soaking wet and a little cold. The movie began and within a few minutes, I completely forgot how uncomfortable I was. I can see why it won the Audience Award. I am not saying it was my favorite film there, but the entire audience seemed to love it. The movie was hysterical but also touched on some serious issues. Thinking back, there are some familiar situations that we have all seen before, but the film puts a fresh spin on them. Andy Garcia was great, as was everyone else in the cast. I guarantee it will be picked up very soon. I compared TiMER to Little Miss Sunshine a few days ago and while I stand by that comparison, it rings even truer with City Island. Especially considering City Island and Little Miss Sunshine are both dysfunctional family dramedies. After the movie, director Raymond De Felitta and a producer answered a few questions from the crowd.

It was close to 3 pm when I got out. That meant the day was done for me. The Press Center was about to close and my badge became next to useless after 3 pm since it was a Sunday. I’d only be eligible for rush tickets, which meant standing outside in the rain in hopes that a seat would open up once all the ticketed customers entered. Instead I headed home thus concluding my amazing Tribeca experience. Tomorrow I will post an epic full festival recap that gives my impressions of the festival and a rundown of my favorite films.

Jerry Cavallaro – www.AreYouStuckLikeChuck.com