Tribeca Fest Unveils 60 More Features; Spotlight and Discovery Sections Highlighted
by Eugene Hernandez
March 16, 2006
Another sixty feature films have joined the lineup of movies screening at this year's Tribeca Film Festival. Festival organizers unveiled plans rosters for both the Spotlight and the new Discovery sections, along with the movies screening in two new NY Specials secions. 37 films will screen in the new Discovery section, which highlights debut work by filmmakers from around the world. Most are world premieres.
"My colleagues and I are pleased to have been able to select an especially strong group of films and eagerly await the opportunity to share our excitement about them with our audiences," said Peter Scarlet, Executive Director.
A total of 169 feature films will screen at this year's Tribeca Film Festival. 59 competition titles were announced yesterday by organizers and other titles will be unveiled in the coming weeks. The festival is set to run from April 25 - May 7, 2006 throughout Manhattan.
The complete lineups announced today are listed below:

Spotlight
"The Case of the Grinning Cat" (Chats Perches), a video by Chris Marker (France) - International Premiere.
Only cinema's greatest essayist would dare combine a personal glance at French (and world) politics of the first few years of the 21st Century with a love-letter to his adored Cat. Surely the seemingly magical appearance of felines all over Paris can't be by chance. And...might it happen here? Let's hope so.
"Comeback Season," directed and written by Bruce McCulloch (Canada) - World Premiere.
In this funny and unlikely buddy picture, a chance encounter brings together cheating husband Walter (Ray Liotta) and injured high-school football star Skylar (Shaun Sipos). An unlikely friendship develops, as Skylar helps Walter get his family back and Walter helps Skylar regain the confidence he needs to overcome his injury.
"Comedy of Power" (L'ivresse du Pouvoir), directed by Claude Chabrol, written by Chabrol and Odile Barski (France) - North American Premiere.
Teaming with the veteran director for the seventh time, Isabelle Huppert turns in another bravura performance as a powerful examining magistrate on the trail of some corrupt big cheeses. Delighting in the permutations of human stupidity, the film is both a political thriller and a moral comedy.
"Crime Novel" (Romanzo Criminale), directed by Michele Placido, written by Placido, Sandro Petraglia, Stefano Rulli, Giancarlo De Cataldo (Italy) - North American Premiere.
A virtual history of gangsterism in Italy between the '70s and the '90s, Crime Novel follows the epic trajectory of three young delinquents who dream of taking over the Roman underworld. Eventually their dream becomes a reality, and as their violence escalates, it becomes inseparable from the terrorism, kidnappings, and government corruption simultaneously plaguing Italy.
"Five Fingers," directed by Laurence Malkin, written by Malkin and Chad Thurman (U.S.A.) - World Premiere.
A Lionsgate release. An idealistic Dutch pianist, played by fresh-faced Ryan Phillippe, travels to Morocco to start a charitable food organization. But a group of unorthodox terrorists abduct him at the airport and subject him to a series of horrifying mental tests. If he fails, he stands to lose his fingers, one at a time. Also starring Laurence Fishburne.
"The Groomsmen," directed and written by Edward Burns (U.S.A.) - A Bauer Martinez release.
Paulie (Ed Burns) has a week of hanging out with his four groomsmen to look forward to before he marries his pregnant fiancee. But cold feet are just the tip of the iceberg for this gang of Peter Pans in this charming comedy about learning to grow up after you've already reached your 30's. Also starring, Brittany Murphy, John Leguizamo, Jay Mohr, Matthew Lillard, and Donal Logue.
"House of Sand" (Casa de Areia), directed by Andrucha Waddington, written by Elena Soarez (Brazil) - New York Premiere.
A Sony Pictures Classics release. Inspired by Woman of the Dunes, this epic tale of love and loss follows the fate of three generations of headstrong women who all, at some point, lived in the same desert house full of sand. Waddington masterfully shows time's punishing clock. Starring Fernanda Montenegro (Best Actress Winner TFF 2004) and Fernanda Torres.
"I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With," directed and written by Jeff Garlin (U.S.A.) - World Premiere.
"Curb Your Enthusiasm"'s Jeff Garlin wrote, directed, and stars in this bittersweet romantic comedy about an overweight, underappreciated Chicago actor in search of a soul mate. The urban, odd-man-out humor is reminiscent of early Woody Allen, but the angst remains low-key in this highly personal, immensely likable film. Starring Sarah Silverman, Amy Sedaris, and Bonnie Hunt.