Tribeca Film Festival 2025: June 4–15, New York

The Tribeca Film Festival 2025 will take place in New York City from June 4 to 15, reaffirming its role as a dynamic platform for cinematic innovation and artistic expression. This year’s edition opens with the world premiere of Billy Joel: And So It Goes, a deeply personal portrait of one of America’s most iconic musicians. Directed by Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin, the documentary weaves together never-before-seen archival footage, candid interviews, and unreleased performances to chronicle Billy Joel’s rise from Long Island to international stardom. Offering an intimate glimpse into the artist’s private life—through home movies and behind-the-scenes moments—the film is a powerful tribute to a global music legend. Following its premiere at the Beacon Theatre, the documentary will air on HBO.​

Italian Projects Featured at Tribeca 2025

Several Italian productions and co-productions will be featured at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, showcasing the breadth and depth of contemporary Italian creativity across formats and genres—from animation and shorts to feature films in competition.

Playing God
A clay sculpture comes to life in the darkness of a workshop, surrounded by strange and mysterious creatures. Directed by Matteo Burani, Playing God is a stop-motion animated short film selected for the Shorts: Midnight Mash-up program. The film is a co-production between Italy and France, with Italy as the majority partner. Internationally distributed by Autour de Minuit and by Sayonara Film in Italy, the short exemplifies the artistic excellence of Italian animation and Tribeca’s commitment to boundary-pushing storytelling.
For more information: https://tribecafilm.com/films/playing-god-2025

Reflection in a Dead Diamond (International Narrative Competition)
Directed by Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani, and co-produced with Italy, this sensual and brutal homage to 1960s spy cinema follows a retired agent whose past resurfaces when a neighbor vanishes on the French Riviera. With Fabio Testi and Yannick Renier in leading roles, the film blends fragmented narrative, gender commentary, and flamboyant production design into a visually charged psychological thriller.
For more information: https://tribecafilm.com/films/reflection-in-a-dead-diamond-2025

Little Trouble Girls (International Narrative Competition)
A Slovenian-Italian co-production directed by Urška Djukić, this coming-of-age film explores adolescent desire, friendship, and religious repression. Set between Slovenia and the Friuli town of Cividale, where Italian workers appear as part of the story, the film captures the emotional awakening of a young girl torn between curiosity and shame.
For more information: https://tribecafilm.com/films/little-trouble-girls-2025

Awaiting the Lightning Bolt (Shorts: Whoopi’s Wonderful World of Animation)
Renato dares to capture a lightning bolt in a jar. Through successive storms, he discovers the power of nature—and love. This poetic animated short, included in the special animation program curated by Whoopi Goldberg, is a testament to the imagination and charm of Italian short-form storytelling.
For more information: https://tribecafilm.com/films/awaiting-the-lightning-bolt-2025

Fior di Latte
Directed by Charlotte Ercoli, this Italian-American debut feature is a surreal and offbeat exploration of nostalgia and creative escapism. The story follows a playwright who becomes addicted to huffing perfume to relive memories of an Italian summer, leading him into increasingly fantastical territory. Visually inventive and emotionally resonant, the film stars Tim Heidecker and Kevin Kline.
For more information: https://tribecafilm.com/films/fior-di-latte-2025

Natasha (Shorts: For the Cause)
This powerful short recounts the life and murder of Natalia Estemirova, a courageous human rights investigator in Putin’s Russia. An Italian co-production, the film is part of the section dedicated to stories of resistance and social justice.
For more information: https://tribecafilm.com/films/natasha-2025

Cuerpo Celeste (International Narrative Competition)
An Italian-Chilean co-production, this film follows 15-year-old Celeste in post-Pinochet Chile as she grapples with personal transformation amid national transition. A sensitive and layered coming-of-age story, the film explores identity, displacement, and resilience.
For more information: https://tribecafilm.com/films/cuerpo-celeste-2025

Among the most anticipated premieres, Something Beautiful, a visual album by Miley Cyrus, will debut exclusively at the festival, serving as a visual interpretation of her namesake record. Co-directed and co-written by Cyrus with Jacob Bixenman and Brendan Walter, the project merges thirteen original tracks with an innovative audiovisual narrative. A special conversation with the artist will follow the screening.​

The festival’s lineup also includes the premiere of Yanuni, a documentary produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and directed by Richard Ladkani. The film presents a moving love story intertwined with a compelling environmental call to action, as it follows indigenous leader Juma Xipaia and her husband Hugo Loss in their fight to protect their ancestral land in the Brazilian Amazon.​

Tribeca 2025 continues to be a global hub for powerful storytelling, artistic experimentation, and industry excellence. Welcoming both audiences and professionals from around the world, the festival celebrates creativity in all its forms.​

“Tribeca has always been more than a festival—it’s a home for artists navigating an ever-changing industry and an ever-changing world,” said Jane Rosenthal, Tribeca Festival co-founder and CEO of Tribeca Enterprises.​

For more information on the festival schedule, ticket purchases, and event details, please visit the official Tribeca Festival website: tribecafilm.com.