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both films are very different and the jury felt that both should get equal mention even though only one gets the prize. We thought Hotel Gramercy Park was a highly entertaining and moving story about a New York family and a New York institution coming to terms with a changing city, but in the end we felt Zoned In deserved the prize for having the bravery to tell a seemingly typical story that ends up revealing bold and difficult truths."
“Made In NY” Narrative Award:
THE CALLER
Drected by Richard Ledes
Jury Comments: "The Caller superbly uses its New York locations – from the sleek mid-town high-rises to the desolate Brooklyn Bridge piers – to create a chilling and finally stirring suspense movie; an unusual thriller whose mysterious plot finally exposes the mysteries of the heart."
Best Narrative Short:
NEW BOY
Directed by Steph Green
Jury Comments: "New Boy took us on a complete emotional journey. It was moving, funny and powerful."
Best Documentary Short
MANDATORY SERVICE
Directed by Jessica Habie
Jury Comments: "Mandatory Service, a perspective of war and conflict from participants themselves. The Israeli’s empathy for the Palestinians is not a perspective we glimpse too often in Western Media."
Student Visionary Award:
ELEPHANT GARDEN
Directed by Sasie Sealy.
Jury Comments: "Elephant Garden captured the "inner-life" of a beautiful young girl; her confusion as she becomes a young adult. Wonderful visual story telling and the performance of Kelley Mack is stellar."
Studying while Watching Out for Roadside Bombs
Wednesday, April 30th
We're nearing the end of the "press" side of Tribeca. The public screenings are going strong, but press screenings end tomorrow and most of the big premiere events are over. The huge one that remains is Speed Racer, which closes out the festival on Saturday. Let's hope it goes better than War, Inc.
Today I caught a screening for the documentary Baghdad High, which is basically exactly what it sounds like: a year in the life of four boys who attend high school in Baghdad. It sounded absurdly interesting to me, and for the most part, it was. The four boys are all exceedingly likable and frighteningly normal. This isn't a movie about politics or the war at all, really – both ominous things that are always transpiring just out of view of both us and the boys – but just a story about how people can try to lead their lives in the worst setting imaginable.
Most of the film takes places in the boys' homes – they were given cameras and filmed the entire thing themselves during the 2006-07 school year - although it's disappointing that we didn't see more of the school itself. The principal is a strong force in this movie but is only rarely seen; he laments at one point that within the first three months of the year, he's lost a quarter of the student body thanks both to a lack of motivation and families constantly fleeing the city.
Ultimately the film serves as a good experiment and a fascinating slice of ...
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