The 2024 Tribeca Festival returns to New York City today, celebrating international storytellers in cinemas and online through June 16. We have rounded up the festival’s 13 science or technology-themed projects below, categorized by festival section, with descriptions quoted from the festival program.
Those interested in further exploring the pressing issue of artificial intelligence can look forward to two documentaries from Greg Kohs at the festival. While Kohs’s 2017 film ALPHAGO will play in the Reunions & Retrospectives section and THE THINKING GAME will play in the Spotlight Documentary section, both focus on the nature and limitations of artificial intelligence. We also recommend the latest from Sloan grantee and ARC OF OBLIVION director Ian Cheney, whose new documentary SHELF LIFE explores themes of aging and decay through the lens of cheesemaking.
SPOTLIGHT+
GROUP THERAPY. Dir. Neil Berkeley. World Premiere. “Neil Berkeley’s latest is a thoughtful and humorous navigation of personal conversations on mental health. Produced by Kevin Hart, this unique documentary takes the form of a group therapy session led by some of today’s funniest comedians.”
SPOTLIGHT NARRATIVE
MEMES & NIGHTMARES. Dir. Charles Todd, Matt Mitchener. World Premiere. “If one of the most popular memes goes missing from Twitter, would anyone notice? Executive Produced by LeBron James and Maverick Carter, NBA Twitter King Josiah Johnson seeks an answer, where his journey explores our relationship with ephemeral media.”
SPOTLIGHT DOCUMENTARY
DUST TO DUST. Dir. Kosai Sekine. International Premiere. “Yuima Nakazato, one of the most promising designers in Japan, journeys to Kenya to learn about how the fashion industry has impacted the climate crisis and to search for solutions.”
HOW I FAKED MY LIFE WITH AI. Dir. Kyle Vorbach. World Premiere. “In an era where reality and fiction blur, filmmaker Kyle Vorbach attempts to use cutting-edge AI technology to fake his way into the life of his dreams.”
Still from HOW I FAKED MY LIFE WITH AI. Courtesy of Tribeca Festival.
THE THINKING GAME. Dir. Greg Kohs. World Premiere. “THE THINKING GAME chronicles the extraordinary life of visionary scientist Demis Hassabis and his relentless quest to solve the enigma of artificial general intelligence.”
REUNIONS & RETROSPECTIVES
ALPHAGO. Dir. Greg Kohs. “With simple rules but a near-infinite number of possible outcomes, the ancient Chinese board game Go has long been considered the holy grail of artificial intelligence. Director Greg Kohs's absorbing documentary chronicles Google's DeepMind team as it prepares to test the limits of its rapidly-evolving AI technology.”
Still from ALPHAGO. Courtesy of Tribeca Festival.
DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
HACKING HATE. Dir. Simon Klose. World Premiere. “Simon Klose’s kinetic and socially-pressing documentary follows award-winning Swedish journalist My Vingren as she goes undercover online as a white supremacist in order to expose a network of neo-Nazis and far-right organizations.”
SHELF LIFE. Dir. Ian Cheney. World Premiere. “Quirky and contemplative, this delectable documentary takes us on a surprising global odyssey into the world of cheese, drawing unexpected parallels between the aging of cheese and the human experience of growing old.”
Still from THE A-FRAME. Courtesy of Tribeca Festival.
QUAD GODS. Dir. Jess Jacklin. World Premiere. “As the world’s first all quadriplegic esports gaming team, the Quad Gods are fierce competitors in this captivating story that challenges assumptions about disability, and spotlights the restorative power of resilience, passion and found community”
MIDNIGHT
THE A-FRAME. Dir. Calvin Reeder. World Premiere. “A quantum physicist's machine opens a portal to a subatomic universe, accidentally discovering a radical cancer treatment. As human trials begin, the stakes rise in this Cronenbergian sci-fi comedy.”
SHORTS
CATHARSIS. Dir. Brian Logvinsky. World Premiere. “A dancer savant with serious anger issues is about to sabotage his life when a strange psychotherapist brings him to face the shadows of his subconscious mind.”
COMPLICATIONS. Dir. Ivar Aase. New York Premiere. “A cam session turns into a life-and-death situation for Lotte – a webcam dominatrix.”
LUKI AND THE LIGHTS. Dir. Toby Cochran. “LUKI, a charming and upbeat robot known for living life to the fullest, is diagnosed with the life-altering disease ALS. He must choose how to face life going forward.”
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