TRIBECA FEST: Wrapping up the festival

The 2014 Tribeca Film Festival continues through April 27th but sadly, my time is up. This was a different experience from NYFF last year due to my tight schedule (had a wedding to attend) which forced me to watch some films online. Still, it was a pleasant experience overall, even though there were no knockout films. I could definitely see myself coming back, especially to try out some of the cool sidebar events.

To close out my coverage, here are a few random thoughts and observations:

• The festival's rush ticket system lived up to its reputation. I managed to get a last minute ticket to the buzzy world premiere of "Every Secret Thing".
• In the words of Cate Blanchett, "The world is round, people!" Films directed by and starring women ended up being my favourites of the festival.
• Of the many first-time filmmakers, I think Talya Lavie is the one to watch. I'd love it if she won the Best New Narrative Director award.
• As a foreigner, it's a bit confusing that so many of the screenings aren't actually in the TriBeCa area. Why did I spend so much time in Chelsea and the East Side?
• Favourite film: Every Secret Thing
• Favourite director: Amy Berg, Every Secret Thing
• Favourite performance: Don Johnson, Alex of Venice
• Favourite screenplay: Nicole Holofcener, Every Secret Thing

Here's how I'd rank the 8 films I saw (in order of preference):

Every Secret Thing
Alex of Venice
Zero Motivation
Ice Poison
Boulevard
Beneath the Harvest Sky
The Bachelor Weekend
Karpotrotter