Tribeca debuts unseen footage of the 1992 L.A. riots
Twenty-five years after the Rodney King verdict, Tribeca 2017 kicks off this weekend with searing archival news images and unseen footage of the 1992 LA riots with the world premiere of LA 92. Academy Award co-directors and co-cinematographers Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin of Undefeated are back again to narrate the unforgettable beating of Rodney King and the riots that ensued costing more than $1 billion dollars in damage and fifty lives. Opting against voiceovers, the film seamlessly strings together archive footage, sound bites from politicians, and unseen on-the-ground videos from 1992 that make for a staggering account of the riots. As a National Geographic world release, LA 92 is just one of the big name films that Tribeca enthusiasts have been anticipating.
What makes the cut at this year’s film festival
LA 92 will be part of Tribeca’s Spotlight Documentary section where other never before seen footage will make an impression on audiences for the first time. The Spotlight Documentary section is one of the most anticipated this year as it is set to debut some of the most controversial groundbreaking films of 2017. Filmmaker Nick Broomfield, creator of Kurt & Courtney and Biggie & Tupac, will be screening his much awaited documentary Whitney: Can I Be Me, dedicated to releasing hidden film of Whitney’s 1999 tour before her tragic death decades later. Controversially, Broomfield went ahead with the film without the blessing of the Houston estate.
Making the cut this year was harder than ever for filmmakers as Tribeca’s organizers decided to reduce the total number of titles by 20 percent in order to control the festivals growing success. In its 16th year, Tribeca had a historic record of 8,700 submissions, which the selection committee had to cut down to 78 world premiers and 37 feature-length debuts. In addition to these archive-based films, the festival will also honors Earth Day on April 22 with an eco-conscious lineup of documentaries that highlight climate change, food waste, and animal extinction. As it has continued to do every year since its genesis, Tribeca 2017 will showcase filmmakers the Director of Programming says, “aspire to inspire, challenge, and change the world.”
For a list of accepted films, summaries, tickets and their premiere dates visit: https://tribecafilm.com/stories/tribeca-2017-feature-films-competition-spotlight-viewpoints-midnight-sections
