@TribecaFilmFest | Misery Loves Comedy (3/4) #TFF2015 #TFF

Does it? Or does it not? Well, Kevin Pollak’s documentary may not have the answer, but it does give you some insight into the comedian’s psyche. Jimmy Fallon, Tom Hanks, Amy Schumer, Jim Gaffigan, Judd Apatow, Lisa Kudrow, Larry David, and Jon Favreau are among over 60 famous funny people featured in this hilarious twist on the age-old truth: misery loves company. In-depth, candid interviews with some of the most revered comedy greats who each share their unique path and a life devoted to making strangers laugh.

With interesting anecdotes and insights from the comedy underbelly that reveal a performer’s deep desire to connect with audiences, Kevin Pollak’s MISERY LOVES COMEDY is shares with audience the art of humor that details a comedian’s rare ability to help us understand life as only they can. The comedians talk about influence in their lives of not only other comedy greats, but also their community. How they got inspired to be a comedian, how they became a comedian. And they talk about if they are actually miserable or how misery contributes in their ability to make others laugh. And the answer is… Not clear!

Well, I hope you’re not expecting an answer!!

Now Available on iTunes and On Demand.

IN THEATRES

OPENING APRIL 24
New York, NY (IFC Center)
Friday Q&A with Kevin Pollak after the 7:45pm show, intro to the 10pm
Saturday Q&As with Kevin Pollak and Jim Norton after the 5:30pm, 7:45pm shows with intro to the 10pm

OPENING MAY 1
Los Angeles, CA (Sundance Sunset)
Santa Ana, CA (South Coast Village)
San Francisco, CA (Roxie)
Pittsburgh, PA (Row House Cinema)
Houston, TX (Sundance Cinemas)
Park City, UT (Park City Film Series)
Seattle, WA (Sundance Cinemas)
Madison, WI (Sundance Cinemas)

OPENING MAY 8
Phoenix, AZ (FilmBar Phoenix)
Palm Springs, CA (Camelot Theatres)
San Diego, CA (Digital Gym Cinema)
Columbus, OH (Gateway Film Center)

OPENING MAY 15
Greensboro, NC (Geeksboro Cinema)
Sedona, AZ (Mary Fisher Theatre)

OPENING MAY 22
Lambertville, NJ (ACME Screening Room)

OPENING MAY 27
Boulder, CO (Boedecker Theatre)

FILM INFORMATION

Year: 2014
Length: 94 minutes
Language: English
Country: USA 

CAST & CREDITS

Director: Kevin Pollak
Written By: Kevin Pollak & John Vorhaus
Producers: Becky Newhall and Burton Ritchie
Cast: Tom Hanks, Jimmy Fallon, Amy Schumer, Judd Apatow, Jon Favreau, Lisa Kudrow, Larry David, Steve Coogan, Jim Gaffigan, and Whoopi Goldberg

Tribeca Film Festival New York Premiere Of Misery Loves Comedy, An American Express Card Member Only Event At The SVA Theater on April 22, 2015 in New York City.

@TribecaFilmFest | Karen, therapist by app, at the Tribeca Film Festival #TFF2015 #TFF

If you’re a New Yorker who loves film then you are likely attending parts of the Tribeca Film Festival, which started April 15 and runs through April 26. And if you don’t live here, take heart knowing that many of these outstanding films will be hitting a cinema near you, or Netflix.

I caught up on Sunday with journalist Lapacazo Sandoval, who is covering the film festival for myNewYorkeye and interviewing filmmakers. As Lapacazo went off to interview a film producer, I decided to hit the Storyscapes Exhibit and Lounge on 50 Varick Street.

A collaboration between the film festival and Bombay Sapphire Gin, Storyscapes showcases five distinctive interactive projects vying for a festival award in groundbreaking approaches in storytelling and technology. For 2015, Storyscapes is all about “full spectrum storytelling” from virtual reality to immersive audio, apps and personalized web series, according to the festival flier.

Life coaching over tea. Does Karen need you or do you need Karen?

Karen

One such project is Karen, an app that mixes gaming, storytelling and psychological profiling. Created by British art group Blast Theory, the app engages you in a dialogue with Karen Elliott, a fictional life coach played by British actress Claire Cage.

Yesterday, I joined a group of five people who stood in line to play the game, listen to Karen’s life story,  and answer questions ranging from attitudes toward relationships to what top she should wear on a date. I chose the boring peach blouse because it was better than the tacky white sweater with sequins, and now wonder what she would think of my judgment call.

Is therapy telling Karen what top to wear?

“I love the idea of a life coach that goes wrong,” said Ingrid Kopp,  director of interactive at the Tribeca Film Institute and curator of the competition, in an interview with Frank Rose of The New York Times. “And I thought it would particularly appeal to New Yorkers.”

The conversation with Karen is murky, and weird. At certain points, I felt that she asked certain questions not so much to learn about me or another player but because she wanted to know our opinion of her.

Several of us remarked that Karen resembles the storyline of Her, the 2013 movie about Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) who falls in love with an operating system named Samantha (Scarlett Johansson.) Rose in his article observed the similarity, too, noting that the app “develops boundary issues and leaves its users feeling distinctly uncomfortable.”

Calling Karen

The video below captures an early moment in the relationship. Karen is walking home,  out of breath and rushed like most urbanites after a long day.  “Great!” she exclaims, finding you on her doorstep. “I’ve been expecting you.”

Tribeca Film Festival: The "Calling Karen" scene from the life-coach app Karen, which incorporates gaming and storytelling.

In this short clip, she whispers to you from bed although she appears alone. How would you answer her question?

From a storytelling perspective, I think the idea is brilliant. It’s immersive and interactive, and that is where all forms of story are headed. It left me wanting to know more about her and myself. But playing the game for 20 minutes is certainly not enough to arrive at profound answers.

You have to stick it out because as Karen says early on, “If you share with me, I can help you find out things about yourself you might not even realize.” The Times’ Rose pointed out that you won’t know what Karen thinks about you until the end of the game, at which point you will be asked to pay $3.99 for an “extensive–not to say invasive–psychological provide compiled by the app itself.”

I think I will fork over the cash. Just out of curiosity, of course.

–Sally O’Dowd is founder and CEO of Sally On Media, a strategy, branding and communications company serving media and tech companies. Sally On Media is sponsoring My New York Eye’s promotional efforts during the festival; we have sponsored post cards to increase brand awareness and website traffic. We do this because we believe in the site’s creative mission and love to see media sally on  with entrepreneurial vigor.

@TribecaFilmFest | Shorts Program Tightrope BIG BOY

Directed by Bryan Campbell. The story is based on a young boys experience his first without his parents in a deserted highway rest stop.

“Children these days are constantly under parental control, the helicopter parents, so many children do not mature naturally for fear that dangerous occurrences may eventuate.” The story evolves, as Big Boy remains unattended in a graffiti ridden bathroom.

@TRIBECAFILMFEST |"#TFF SHORTS: Marco Kalantari, FROM The Shaman" #TFF #TFF2015

The Shaman Trailer - 2015 Science Fiction Film Subscribe for more: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=NewTrailersBuzz

Title of film: The Shaman

Name: Marco Kalantari (Director, Editor, Writer & Producer)

myNewYorkeye: What do you love about being a storyteller?

Marco Kalantari: Definitely the possibility to create worlds and to inspire people with my stories. We all try to make sense of the chaos around us and find a way to understand life. That’s why we love films and stories in general. I believe that strong values of a good story always relate to universal human experiences. For me a good story isn’t an escape from reality but something that inspires us on our search for reality. Our very best effort to make sense out of our existence. And this is also a strong theme of The Shaman since our protagonist is someone who lives between two worlds - our reality and the Netherworld. This brings him into a strong conflict, which again is a metaphor for our struggle as human beings.

myNewYorkeye: What does it mean, to have your film as part of this festival?

Marco Kalantari: To me it still feels like a dream to have The Shaman’s world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. It was our ambition from the beginning to launch the film at a major festival and bringing the film to Tribeca was our big hope as we always felt this would be the perfect platform for The Shaman. The moment I got the call from New York that we made it into the festival, my entire life turned upside down. The entire Tribeca team has been extraordinarily supportive and friendly.

myNewYorkeye: What is the central Message of your film?

Marco Kalantari: The Shaman’s strong high concept is the fact that most of our questions about the future can be found in our past. 30,000 years ago, Shamanism was the main religion on planet earth. 

And it’s a tale about a man who sets off to defeat his antagonist, but finds out that the true enemy is himself. I believe this applies to all of us. 

The film’s themes are Trust - the conflict between the Shaman and his squire; and Redemption - the sacrifices the Shaman has to make in order to overcome his enemy, and find his true self.

myNewYorkeye: What's Your Fav thing about this city? 

Marco Kalantari: The energy and the vibe. I’ve been living in several big Asian cities - Tokyo, Beijing and Shanghai. What attracts me about NY is the city’s attitude. The will to stand out. My impression of New York is that it’s more than just a place to live and work. NY is a statement. 

myNewYorkeye: How do you re-charge your creative battery in NYC?

Marco Kalantari: I just step out on the street and open my eyes. That has a high-speed-charging effect.

myNewYorkeye: What's next for you?

Marco Kalantari: I will continue to work hard and make my next steps towards my big movie making dream. At the same time I’ll try to improve as a human being. Because only that will give me the right to tell stories in the first place.

Trailer: https://tribecafilm.com/filmguide/shaman-2015

Social Media Links:

www.marcokalantari.com/shaman

www.facebook.com/the.shaman.movie

www.twitter.com/shaman_movie

@TribecaFilmFest | Ludacris Announced as Special Performer at TFF Opening Night | #TFF2015

LUDACRIS TO PERFORM “LIVE FROM NEW YORK!” AT 2015 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL®   OPENING NIGHT APRIL 15

Tickets on sale now for world premiere of “Saturday Night Live” documentary followed by a special concert at The Beacon Theatre

New York, NY – April 10, 2015 – The Tribeca Film Festival (TFF) announced today that rapper/actor Chris “Ludacris” Bridges will perform at the opening night of its 14th edition on Wednesday, April 15, at the Beacon Theatre, presented by AT&T.  The concert will follow the world premiere of the documentary Live From New York!, which explores 40 years of American politics, tragedy and popular culture through the comedic lens of SNL, directed by Bao Nguyen and produced by JL Pomeroy and Tom Broecker. Tickets for the TFF 2015 Opening Night Gala are on sale at https://tribecafilm.com/livefromnewyork. The Tribeca Film Festival runs April 15 to April 26.

“This year’s Tribeca Film Festival is a true celebration of the convergence of music and filmand Ludacris is an artist who embodies that cultural collaboration,” said Paula Weinstein, EVP, Tribeca Enterprises. “As both a TFF and SNL alum, he is the perfect entertainer to help us open the Festival and celebrate a beloved institution.” 

“Appearing on “Saturday Night Live”– both as a host and a musical guest –were some of the most thrilling moments of my career,” said Ludacris. “I’m excited to be a part of this premiere and the Tribeca Film Festival Opening Night. As a storyteller through music and acting, it is especially meaningful for me to participate in an event that is centered on spotlighting great stories.” 

Ludacris, a multi-talented recording artist and acclaimed actor, has sold more than 15 million albums domestically, thanks to the blockbuster success of such singles as “Stand Up,” “Get Back,” “Southern Hospitality,” “Number One Spot,” “Money Maker” and “My Chick Bad.” All of these records were accompanied by ingenious videos that demonstrated Bridges’ far-reaching imagination, and his willingness to stretch the boundaries of what rap videos should look and feel like.

He recently released his 8th studio album, Ludaversal and starred in Furious 7, the seventh instalment in the global box-office hit franchise. His other feature film credits include Universal Pictures’ Fast & Furious 6; Fast Five;  2 Fast 2 Furious; Garry Marshall’s ensemble comedy New Year’s Eve; and Ivan Reitman’s romantic comedy, No Strings Attached, opposite Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman, and he has given acclaimed performances in film, (Crash, Hustle & Flow), and television, (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit).

Visit www.tribecafilm.com/festival for more information about TFF’s 2015 programs and the full line-up of films.

Connect with Tribeca: To keep up with Tribeca, visit www.tribecafilm.com/festival. Like the Tribeca Film Festival Facebook page at facebook.com/TribecaFilm. Follow us on Twitter @TribecaFilmFest and on Instagram @tribeca and join the conversation by using the hashtag #TribecaTogether or #TFF2015.

Connect with Live From New York! at www.livefromnewyorkmovie.com. Like the Facebook page at facebook.com/Livefromnewyorkmovie. Follow the film on Twitter at @lfnymovie and on Instagram @lfnymovie

About the Tribeca Film Festival

The Tribeca Film Festival helps filmmakers reach the broadest possible audience, enabling the international film community and general public to experience the power of cinema. It is well known for being a diverse international film festival that supports emerging and established directors.

Founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2001, following the attacks on the World Trade Center, to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of the lower Manhattan district through an annual celebration of film, music and culture, the Festival brings the industry and community together around storytelling.

The Tribeca Film Festival has screened more than 1,600 films from more than 80 countries since its first edition in 2002. Since inception, it has attracted an international audience of more than 4.9 million attendees, and has generated an estimated $900 million in economic activity for New York City.