NYWIFT Blog

By Tammy Reese

For the third time, I was graced with the honor to represent NYWIFT and cover the  Tribeca Festival in New York City. The Tribeca Festival, presented by AT&T, brings visionaries and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, gaming, music, and online work.

It is my distinct pleasure to bring you some iconic highlights of the events, panels, red carpets, and more that I covered.

Pre-Tribeca, I had the blessing to interview some members of our NYWIFT community including Asha Smith, Nikia Nelson, and Haley Davis, all of who are a part of projects which showcased at this year’s festival.

Also, ahead of opening day, I interviewed legends Angela Bassett and Patricia Field which you can listen to on our podcast. Each also has a NYWIFT connection – as past Muse and Designing Women honorees respectively.

I arrived at the festival on June 9th to meet fellow NYWIFT Member Maria Soccor who previously picked up my Hudson press badge for me and has been a huge support in navigating Tribeca, along with LaKisa Renee, who covered the Dan Rather red carpet alongside me, but for Cultured Focus Magazine. Dan’s documentary, Rather, directed by Frank Marshall, premiered at the SVA theater. [NYWIFT member and TV news veteran Dana Roberson is featured in the documentary as well.]

Tammy Reese, Dan Rather, and LaKisa Renee at the 2023 Tribeca Festival

I pre-screened the doc and was so overjoyed that the 91-year-old media icon is getting his flowers while he can still smell them. He is a masterclass for journalism, and I was moved to tears when I expressed to him personally how much he’s inspired me throughout my multimedia career. Dan shook my hand, gave me some heartfelt advice, and chatted with me personally off-camera as well as took a super cool photo with LaKisa and me. During the carpet, I asked the director Frank Marshall how he would describe Dan in one word. He replied, “Trustworthy.” I agree!

Billy Porter and Tammy Reese at the 2023 Tribeca Festival

Next up, I got to cover the Our Son red carpet. This film stars Billy Porter and Luke Evans. Since I had previously interviewed Luke for a different project, I made it a priority to be sure to interview Emmy Award-winning actor Billy Porter this time. Porter and Evans returned to Tribeca playing partners of 13 years. Porter stars as Gabriel, an aspiring artist struggling to find creative and personal spark while caring for the young son he shares with his ambitious partner, Nicky (Evans). Stress and anxiety flare as their relationship gets to an unrepairable place, forcing the couple to head for a divorce. Now the two must navigate the unenviable position of revealing the news to shared friends and family. Thus begins the journey to find themselves and support their son.

Check out my interview with Billy Porter here.

Other red carpets I covered included the documentary premiere of Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive. This documentary recounts Gloria Gaynor’s life while also chronicling her comeback journey. It is both a moving story of an artist’s resilience and a scintillating peak at the machinations of the music industry. Actress Cassandra Freeman, who stars in Peacock’s Bel-Air, was in attendance.

LaKisa Renee, Cassandra Freeman, and Tammy Reese at the 2023 Tribeca Festival

Also, a super fun red carpet I covered was Diarra From Detroit, which is a dark comedy that follows a divorcing school teacher who refuses to believe she’s been ghosted by her rebound Tinder date. Her search for the missing man pulls her into a decades-old mystery involving the Detroit underworld. As the case unfolds, her co-workers, friends, and lovers become unlikely allies as she falls down a dangerous rabbit hole. The cast of this new TV series includes past NYWIFT Muse honoree Phylicia Rashad and Morris Chestnut. Both of whom I got a chance to speak with.

Interview with Phylicia

Interview with Morris

I have to give a special mention to another Tribeca documentary premiere called Exposing Parchman, which is an investigative documentary that explores the efforts to reform the Mississippi correctional system led by a team of attorneys on behalf of the inmates of Parchman Prison. The film tells the inside stories of the families, the legal team, and Roc Nation across three years of legal battles to end the deadly conditions for those incarcerated at Parchman.

Last but not least, I ended my 2023 Tribeca Festival experience on June 17th exactly how I began my Tribeca coverage by covering the one and only Angela Bassett during the 25th Anniversary Celebration of the 1998 release of How Stella Got Her Groove Back. After the movie screening, there was a panel discussion with Kevin Sullivan and  Angela Bassett, moderated by Torell Shavone Taylor. Check out some highlights here.  

Covering a festival as renowned as Tribeca takes a lot of endurance, planning, and professionalism. In the three years I covered I went from a D (Chamber) press badge, to a C (Franklin) press badge, to an A (Hudson) press badge. Huge thanks to NYWIFT and Katie Chambers for backing this opportunity.

LaKisa Renee, Gloria Gaynor, and Tammy Reese at the 2023 Tribeca Festival

Until next time… keep up to date with all things Tribeca Festival by visiting https://www.tribecafilm.com/

Check on Tammy Reese’s coverage of The Walking Dead: Dead City at the 2023 Tribeca Festival here!