One of at least 2 different films on the self-described “street queen” that are on the horizon, director David France’s “The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson” is set to premiere at the upcoming Tribeca Film Festival.
It’s one of 82 feature-length titles that the Festival announced yesterday for its 2017 edition, screening in the World Documentary Competition section.
The legendary “drag queen,” Stonewall veteran, and co-founder of the trans-rights movement, was found dead in the Hudson River 25 years ago, and her best friend and fellow activist Sylvia Rivera died a few years later, the victim of a broken heart. Now, as decades-old interviews and never-before-seen video footage have surfaced, contemporary trans activists dig through the clues in search of justice for Marsha and Sylvia, and along the way they discover a deeper connection to the movement’s first leaders.
“The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson” features never-before-seen footage and rediscovered interviews, as Academy Award nominee David France (“How to Survive a Plague”) follows a new investigation into the mysterious death of Johnson, one of the courageous black transgender activists who spearheaded the modern gay civil rights movement.
The 16th Annual Tribeca Film Festival takes place April 19 – 30 in New York City. In a year of record high submissions, the Festival’s curators chose to reduce the size of the overall program by 20%, making this the most selective and focused festival slate yet. The Competition section features 32 films: 12 documentaries, 10 U.S. narratives and 10 international narratives. The Spotlight Narrative section features 15 fiction films, while 16 nonfiction films will premiere in the Spotlight Documentary section. The Midnight section features five heart-stopping narratives and one documentary premiere.
The 2017 feature-film program includes films from 28 countries, including 78 World Premieres, six International Premieres, six North American Premieres, two U.S. Premieres, and six New York Premieres. Thirty-seven of the feature filmmakers are making their feature directorial debuts, and 20 of the directors are returning to the Festival with their new films. Thirty-two women directors are represented in the 98 festival selections. Tribeca’s 2017 slate was programmed from more than 8,700 submissions, of which 3,362 were feature films submissions.
No trailer for “The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson” yet.
