By Mabel Pais

BITTU

DIR: Karishma Dev Dube l USA / India l 2020 l Doc l 17m

WINNER: Student Academy Award

Film based on an infamous school poisoning in India

 “BITTU” is a film about the close friendship between two girls which is eclipsed by an accidental poisoning at school.

In 2013, at least 23 students died, and dozens more fell ill at a primary school in India after eating lunch contaminated with pesticide. The incident was a moment of mundane carelessness that resulted in horrific consequences. Karishma Dev Dube’s “BITTU” was shot in the foothills of the Himalayas and is based on this tragic event. This important film recently won a Student Academy Award.

BITTU has also been screened at The Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival (Canada).

————-

MAKING THE CASE

DIR: Jennifer Callhan l USA l 2020 l Doc Short l 10m

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, for whom legal arguments are daily currency, examines her handbags, revealing a corner of a mind that has argued and won historic cases.

EDDY’S WORLD

DIR: Lyn Goldfarb l USA l 2020 l Doc Short l 18m

“Eddy World,” is a portrait of a 98-year-old working toy inventor, Eddy Goldfarb. Best known for the iconic “chattering teeth” and 800 classic toys, he shares his passion for creativity and his philosophies of life and aging. Eddy lives in a retirement community. He works on new models in his garage, writes short stories, creates lithophane portraits with his 3D printer, and exercises. Eddy began designing toys on the Batfish Submarine during World War II. He is an endearing storyteller who believes that optimism and new ideas keep him young.

——————–

FEATURE

ONCE UPON A TIME IN VENEZUELA

DIR: Anabel Rodríguez Ríos l Venezuela l 2020 l Spanish w / Eng subs l 1h 39m

OFFICIAL OSCAR SUBMISSION

RELEASING BY ‘TOPIC’ STREAMING SERVICE

U.S. AND CANADA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31

“Once Upon A Time In Venezuela”is a film about Venezuela’s deteriorating economic situation. With the world’s largest crude reserves at Lake Maracaibo not far from Congo Mirador, Venezuela was one of Latin America’s richest countries through the 1990s. The lake’s namesake city was even referred to as “Venezuela’s Saudi Arabia.”

But inequality was high, and the boom time wasn’t to last.

In 1999, Hugo Chavez took power and launched the Bolivarian Revolution, centralizing power to the state, redistributing wealth and nationalizing industries including oil and banking. His socialist political reforms put him at odds with the United States, and a hostile relationship lasted until his death in 2013.

His successor, Nicolas Maduro, continued Chavez’s legacy, but by 2016, oil prices had fallen by more than 70 percent, plunging the country into a humanitarian crisis.

In addition, the Trump administration put sanctions on Venezuela and refused to recognize Maduro’s presidency after highly disputed elections in 2018. Suffering from hyperinflation, environmental degradation, and shortage of food and basic necessities, over 4 million Venezuelans left the country in the past few years, and many millions more are expected to continue to flee in what will be the world’s worst refugee crisis of modern times…

To learn more, visit www.onceuponatimeinvenezuela.com

———————–

TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL 2021

20TH ANNIVERSARY

 June 9-20

SUBMISSIONS OPEN

  NEW PODCAST SECTION FOR 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

New Juried Awards Granted for Fiction and Nonfiction Audio Storytelling

The Tribeca Film Festival (tribecafilm.com), introduces Tribeca Podcasts, a new vertical dedicated to audio storytelling timed to its 20th anniversary. This is the latest Tribeca initiative to connect storytellers from different mediums with audiences, industry, and fellow creators. The 2021 Tribeca Film Festival will take place June 9-20.

The new section will include world premieres and sneak peeks of highly anticipated podcasts, talks with renowned audio creators, and live recordings in front of audiences during the Festival. Details will be announced at a later date.

For the first time, submissions will open for Official Selection consideration in fiction and narrative nonfiction audio stories and podcasts. Selections will be available on Tribeca’s website and in-person listening stations at select venues, pending COVID-19 safety protocols. For the first time, juried awards will be granted to one fiction project and one narrative nonfiction project.

Tribeca has a history of supporting audio storytelling. The six-episode science fiction podcast “Earth Break: A Few Suggestions For Survival, With Additional Hints and Tips About How to Make Yourself More Comfortable During the Alien Apocalypse,” featuring a voice performance by Jenny Slate, made its world premiere at the 2019 Festival. Tribeca also hosted a panel for ESPN’s 30 for 30 podcasts in 2017, and launched the “Tribeca Talks” podcast series this summer, which includes intimate conversations with actors and filmmakers recorded live at previous editions of the Festival.

Submissions for fiction and narrative nonfiction audio stories and podcasts are open with an initial deadline of January 13th, and a final deadline of January 29th.

Submissions are now open for all categories: feature and short films, episodic storytelling, immersive, branded entertainment, and a newly added section dedicated to online premieres. For the first time this year, submissions are open for the Tribeca Games section. The late deadline for these sections is January 13th.

 Submission Details for Tribeca Podcasts

Deadline: January 13th

Final Deadline: January 29th

Submission rules, regulations, and information on eligibility for the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival will be available at tribecafilm.com/festival/submissions. For any questions, contact entries@tribecafilm.com

Twitter:      @Tribeca

Instagram:  @tribeca

Facebook:   facebook.com/Tribeca

Hashtag:     #Tribeca2021

 About the Tribeca Film Festival

The Tribeca Film Festival brings artists and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, gaming, music, and online work. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is a platform for creative expression and immersive entertainment. Tribeca champions emerging and established voices; discovers award-winning filmmakers and creators; curates innovative experiences; and introduces new technology and ideas through premieres, exhibitions, talks, and live performances.

The Festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World Trade Center. Tribeca celebrates its 20th year: June 9 – 20, 2021.  tribecafilm.com/festival

(Mabel Pais writes on Social Issues, The Arts and Entertainment, Spirituality, and Health & Wellness)