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14 Movies We're Thrilled To See At This Year's Tribeca Film Festival

Including a Clive Davis doc, "The Circle" and a Heath Ledger retrospective.
Matthew Jacobs
By 

Senior Entertainment Reporter, HuffPost

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Spring doesn’t last long in New York City, but with it comes the Tribeca Film Festival. Kicking off Wednesday and continuing through April 30, this year marks the 16th iteration of Robert De Niro and producer Jane Rosenthal’s gala, founded to help revive downtown Manhattan after 9/11.

Tribeca’s television and virtual-reality lineups are a cut above most other festivals. Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” will premiere this week, and Ken Burns’ Vietnam War documentary series and the new season of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” are on tap for next week, as well as a slew of other titles. Additionally, the “Godfather” and “Reservoir Dogs” casts will reunite for anniversary retrospectives, and a handful of fascinating duos will sit down to discuss their craft, including Bruce Springsteen and Tom Hanks, Noah Baumbach and Dustin Hoffman, Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner, and Barbra Streisand and Robert Rodriguez.

Along the way, The Huffington Post will provide ongoing coverage of Tribeca’s buzziest movies, shows and events. It all starts with the opening-night premiere of the new Clive Davis documentary, followed by a concert featuring Aretha Franklin, Carly Simon, Barry Manilow, Jennifer Hudson, Dionne Warwick and Earth, Wind & Fire. Here’s a handful of titles that are on our radar over the next two weeks.

"Can't Stop, Won't Stop: The Bad Boy Story"
Tribeca
After being fired from his Uptown Records exec gig in 1993, Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs launched Bad Boy Records, the home of Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans, Mase and 112. In 2016, the clan reunited for a series of live performances. This documentary uses that homecoming to trace the label's history and its impact on hip-hop.
"The Circle"
STX Entertainment
Dave Eggers' novel about an internet conglomerate whose world domination would end individual privacy felt apocalyptic when it was released in 2013. Today, it's starting to feel prescient. Emma Watson plays a new employee who, after quickly climbing the ladder, realizes the tech company's humanity-eroding implications.
"Chris Gethard: Career Suicide"
Tribeca
Comedian Chris Gethard won raves last year for his candid one-man show about depression, therapy, alcoholism and other ailments that deserve an unflinching spotlight. Now, "Career Suicide" will be presented in movie form, premiering on HBO on May 6.
"The Boy Downstairs"
Tribeca
Having just wrapped six seasons of "Girls," Zosia Mamet is forging ahead with her movie career. First up is this dramedy about a writer who returns to New York City, only to inadvertently move into her ex-boyfriend's building.
"Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives"
Tribeca
Clive Davis is among the most famous record producers in history, having shaped the careers of Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Aerosmith, Carly Simon, Barry Manilow, Alicia Keys, TLC and Pink, among many others. Davis' best-selling 2013 autobiography forms the basis of this documentary chronicling his life and career.
"The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson"
Tribeca
Marsha P. Johnson's 1992 death was ruled a suicide, but those who knew the queer-liberation activist remain convinced she wouldn't have taken her life. This documentary re-opens Johnson's case, exploring the life of a figure whose contributions to the Stonewall riots, transgender rights and the AIDS epidemic were revolutionary.
"Get Me Roger Stone"
Tribeca
A Richard Nixon devotee known for dirty politics and sleek wardrobes, Roger Stone played a key role in getting Donald Trump elected. In fact, he first suggested Trump run for the presidency back in 2000. In "Get Me Roger Stone," the controversial Republican strategist gets an entire documentary to tout his supposed glories. Trump himself even makes an appearance.
"I Am Evidence"
Tribeca
Mariska Hargitay produced this HBO documentary about the hundreds of thousands of untested rape kits throughout the country. Behind every kit is an unsolved sexual assault case, which lets this important movie shine a light on the many victims who never found justice.
"When God Sleeps"
Tribeca
Iranian singer-songwriter Shahin Najafi has been exiled from his homeland, where his iconoclastic music is not tolerated. Now in Berlin, he and his band spend their time avoiding death threats and missing their loved ones -- all because they aren't granted free speech.
"I Am Heath Ledger"
Tribeca
"I Am Heath Ledger" isn't about the salacious details surrounding its title subject's untimely death. Instead, the sweet doc focuses on Ledger's devotion to his craft and the rich relationships he maintained with industry colleagues like Naomi Watts, Ben Harper and Ben Mendelsohn.
"Whitney. 'Can I Be Me.'"
Tribeca
Whitney Houston is one of our more complicated pop stars. Record executives molded her into an R&B diva palatable for white audiences, while her posse exposed her to drugs and chaos that made her something of a functioning zombie. Premiering on Showtime in August, the new documentary "Whitney" chronicles the ebbs and flows of one of the greatest vocal talents who's ever lived.
"Dabka"
Tribeca
"Dabka" is a "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot"-esque portrait of Canadian journalist Jay Bahadur, who traveled to Somalia to report on the country's pirates. Evan Peters plays Bahadur, and Barkhad Abdi steps back into "Captain Phillips" territory, except this time he's one of the good guys.
"The Lovers"
Tribeca
Debra Winger and Tracy Letts unite to play a longtime married couple who, following a series of affairs, find a new spark in their relationship. We're mostly just excited to see these acting vets -- she's a three-time Oscar nominee; he's a Pulitzer winner -- star in a rom-com of sorts.
"LA 92"
Tribeca
Twenty-five years after Los Angeles protested the Rodney King verdict with widespread riots, National Geographic's documentary arm has used rare archival footage to revisit this historical episode from multiple perspectives.

See the full Tribeca Film Festival lineup here.

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