40 Most Anticipated Films In The Tribeca Film Festival 2022 Line-Up

From breakout independent shorts to renowned global features, Tribeca Film Festival returns this June. We’re continuing our film festival coverage at Pop Culture Planet by heading back to Tribeca to share the best films out of the festival. “This 2022 feature film program leaves us proud and humbled by the boundless ingenuity and passion of our indefatigable filmmaking community,” said Festival Director and VP of Programming Cara Cusumano. “Whether a comedic breath of fresh air or a trenchant expose of the most urgent contemporary issues, this year’s official selections again remind us of the vitality and urgency of independent film in a world that needs it more than ever.” 

“Tribeca received a record number of more than 7,200 shorts submissions,” said Tribeca Vice President of Filmmaker Relations and Shorts Programming Sharon Badal. “We’re excited to have music videos in our programming, and curated a crazy late-night program — one about love in all shapes and sizes, and a peaceful program where our audience can just escape and chill out. Each year my co-programmer Ben Thompson and I try to do something different, and this year is no exception.”

With the 2022 slate announced, we’re sharing our most anticipated feature and short films. Below is a list of films that you’ll want to add to your watch list:

88 / U.S.A. (Directed and written by Eromose; Produced by Hunter Arnold, Linda Rubin, Eromose, Brandon Victor Dixon, Warren Adams) — The Financial Director for a democratic super PAC behind a frontrunner presidential candidate investigates donations uncovering a conspiracy. Eromose returns to Tribeca after his acclaimed Legacy (2010) capturing the zeitgeist of government mistrust and institutional racism in a timely political thriller. Cast: Brandon Victor Dixon, Naturi Naughton, Orlando Jones, Thomas Sadoski, William Fichtner, Amy Sloan.

A Wounded Fawn / U.S.A. (Directed by Travis Stevens; Written by Travis Stevens, Nathan Faudree; Produced by Joe Barbagallo, Laurence Gendron, Travis Stevens) — It’s the perfect plan: A serial killer brings an unsuspecting new victim on a weekend getaway to add another body to his ever-growing count. She’s buying into his faux charms, and he’s eagerly lusting for blood. What could possibly go wrong? Cast: Josh Ruben, Sarah Lind, Malin Barr, Katie Kuang, Laksmi Hedemark, Tanya Everett, Marshall Taylor Thurman, Leandro Taub, Neal Mayer.

Acidman / U.S.A (Directed by Alex Lehmann; Written by Alex Lehmann, Chris Dowling; Produced by Liz Cardenas, Alex Lehmann, Dianna Agron, Christian Agypt) — After a decade apart, Maggie tracks down her elusive father. His fixation with UFOs has intensified over the years, which frustrates her attempts to communicate some big news. Cast: Thomas Haden Church, Dianna Agron, Sameerah Luqmaan-Harris.

Aisha / Ireland (Directed and written by Frank Berry; Produced by Tristan Orpen Lynch, Donna Eperon, Aoife O'Sullivan, Sam Bisbee) — Aisha, a young Nigerian woman seeking asylum in Ireland, is floundering in a maze of social services and bureaucracy. As her situation becomes increasingly dire, Aisha struggles to maintain hope and dignity against the looming threat of deportation. Cast: Letitia Wright, Josh O'Connor.

Allswell / U.S.A. (Directed and written by Ben Snyder, and written by Elizabeth Rodriguez; Produced by Gia Walsh, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Vince Jolivette, Ben Snyder, Ari Issler, Paul Jarrett, Kara Baker) — Three Nuyorican sisters navigate the daunting life challenges of single motherhood, career, and family, all while finding humor and solace within the bonds of sisterhood. Cast: Elizabeth Rodriguez, Liza Colon-Zayas, Daphne Rubin-Vega,  Felix Solis, Max Cassella, Michael Rispoli, Shirley Rodriguez, MacKenzie Lansing, J. Cameron Barnett.

Alone Together / U.S.A. (Directed and written by Katie Holmes; Produced by Yale Productions, Lafayette Pictures) – Strangers June and Charlie have to learn to coexist when they accidentally book the same Airbnb to get away from the pandemic. Alone Together is the ultimate New York lockdown love story. Cast: Katie Holmes, Jim Sturgess, Derek Luke, Becky Ann Baker, Zosia Mamet, Melissa Leo.

American Dreamer / U.S.A. (Directed by Paul Dektor; Written by Theodore Melfi; Produced by Toyo Shimano, Emily Shimano, Theodore Melfi, Kimberly Quinn, Peter Dinklage, David Ginsberg, Paul Dektor) — In this winsome comedy, an entitled Economics professor pursues a tactic to buy an ailing widow’s mansion for nothing – but he quickly realizes that his seemingly foolproof strategy won’t be as easy as he thought. Cast: Peter Dinklage, Shirley MacLaine, Matt Dillon, Danny Glover, Kimberly Quinn, Danny Pudi.

Another Country (Short Film) / U.S.A. (Directed and written by Sherif Alabede; Produced by Andrea Sastoque, Ariel Navarrete Spahn) — Based on Native Guard by Natasha Trethewey, Another Country tells the story of an interracial couple raising their mixed-race child in the racially polarizing times of 1956 Mississippi. Cast: Taylour Paige, Mark Webber, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Devina Hale, Glen Baggerly.

Beauty / U.S.A. (Directed by Andrew Dosunmu; Written by Lena Waithe; Produced by Lena Waithe, Michael Ellenberg, Rishi Rajani) — A gifted young Black woman struggles to maintain her voice and identity after she’s offered a lucrative recording contract. Cast: Niecy Nash, Aleyshe Shannon, Giancarlo Esposito, Gracie Marie Bradley, Kyle Bary, Michael Ward, Sharon Stone. A Netflix release.

Billion Dollar Babies: The True Story of the Cabbage Patch Kids / U.S.A (Directed by Andrew Jenks; Executive produced by Dan Goodman, Brian Hunt, William H. Masterson III, Neil Patrick Harris) — This is the unbelievable, but true story of the kids who stole America’s heart…the Cabbage Patch Kids and how they set the wheels in motion for modern-day Black Friday. Before Cabbage Patch Kids no one left a K-Mart with a bloody nose, nor could we have imagined a world where police would need to be called in to break up fights over dolls. Narrated by Neil Patrick Harris.

Broadway Rising / U.S.A (Directed by Amy Rice; Produced by Sam Bisbee, Justin Mikita, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Christopher G. Cowen, Amy Rice) — This rousing film documents the Broadway community’s journey, from the almost overnight shut down due to the pandemic, to the paths essential theater workers took on their road back to the stage.

Coming Out with the Help of a Time Machine (Short Film) / U.S.A. (Directed by Naman Gupta; Written by Naman Gupta, Janki Parikh; Produced by Neetu Sharma Gupta, James Orfanos) — When coming out to his traditional Indian parents, Sid uses his time machine to reset the day in an attempt to make sure everything goes perfectly. Cast: Karan Soni, Sangeeta Agrawal, Raghuram Shetty.

Corner Office / Canada (Directed by Joachim Back. Written by Ted Kupper. Produced by David Milchard) — In this office satire, Jon Hamm plays Orson, a straight-laced employee who retreats to a blissfully empty corner office to get away from his lackluster colleagues. But why does this seem to upset them so much? Cast: Jon Hamm, Danny Pudi, Christopher Heyerdahl, Sarah Gadon.

Crimson Ties (Short Film) / U.S.A (Directed by Francesca Scorsese; Written by Savannah Braswell; Produced by Savannah Braswell, Federica Domeneghetti) — When a 10 year old girl is forced to spend the weekend with her older sister, she becomes drawn to a pendant, and the night takes a deadly turn. Cast: Carleigh Johnston, Petra McGregor, Isan Elba, Sophia Ravazzani, Naomi Nelson, Marifé Quesada, Elsa Aitchison.

Don't Make Me Go / U.S.A. ( Directed by Hannah Marks; Written by Vera Herbert; Produced by Donald De Line, Leah Holzer, Peter Saraf) — World Premiere. This stirring drama stars a charming John Cho as a single father who takes his teenage daughter on a road trip to find her estranged mother. Cast: John Cho, Mia Isaac, Mitchell Hope, Jemaine Clement, Stefania LaVie Owen, Kaya Scodelario. An Amazon Studios release.

Employee of the Month (L'Employée du mois) / U.S.A., Belgium (Directed by Véronique Jadin; Written by Nina Vanspranghe; Produced by Sebastian Schelenz) — In this mischievous dark comedy, an employee at a cleaning products company accidentally commits a messily bloody crime – and must figure out how to cover her tracks with the help of her young trainee. Cast: Jasmina Douieb, Laetitia Mampaka, Alex Vizorek, Peter Van Den Begin, Laurence Bibot.

Girls Night In (Short Film) / U.S.A. (Directed by Alison Roberto; Written by Landon LaRue; Produced by Alison Roberto, Landon LaRue, Brian Henderson) — Girls Night In is a satirical horror short based on the Bechdel test. Cast: Jess Adams, Skylar Benton, Brian Henderson, Tolliver.

God Save the Queens / U.S.A. (Directed and written by Jordan Danger; Produced by Cecile Cubilo) — A quartet of drag queens meet on a group therapy retreat that will change their lives forever. Cast: Justin Andrew Honard AKA Alaska Thunderfuck, Jay Jackson AKA Laganja Estranja, Kelly Mantle, Jordan Michael Green, Peter Facinelli, Michelle Visage, Joaquim De Almeida, Lunell, Zack Gottsagen.

Good Girl Jane / U.S.A. (Directed and written by Sarah Elizabeth Mintz; Produced by Fred Bernstein, Dominique Telson, Lauren Pratt, Sarah Elizabeth Mintz, Simone Williams) — Struggling to fit in at her new school and reeling from the fallout of her parent’s recent divorce, lonely LA high schooler Jane falls in with a rambunctious crowd, and becomes smitten with their charming drug supplier, Jamie. Jane’s thrilling new, drug-fueled popularity soon spirals downward into the dark and ugly, her family helpless to pull her out of a world she’s reluctant to leave. Cast: Rain Spencer, Patrick Gibson, Andie MacDowell, Odessa A'Zion, Olan Prenatt, Eloisa Huggins.

Halftime / U.S.A. (Directed by Amanda Micheli) — A new Netflix documentary film that follows global superstar Jennifer Lopez, as she reflects on her milestones and evolution as an artist, and navigates the second half of her career continuing to entertain, empower, and inspire. Cast: Jennifer Lopez.

Hardboiled (Short Film) / U.S.A. (Directed and written by Peter Sluszka; Produced by Peter Sluszka, Marty Geren) — Food and felonies are inseparable in Hardboiled, a stop-motion animated satire of the classic urban American crime drama. Cast: Edd Hall, Joey Wells, Judy Greer, George S. Irving, Chris Chalk, Lola Glaudini, Anne Heche.

Kylie (Short Film) / U.S.A. (Directed, written, and produced by Master Sterling) — A young Black ballerina from the inner city voices her experiences in the dance industry whilst performing on the streets of LA. Cast: Kylie Jefferson.

Life Rendered (Short Film) / U.S.A. (Directed by Emma Needell; Written by Emma Needell, Ryan Bartonl Produced by Jake Sally, Jonathan Schwartz, Patrick Hackett, Eric Day) — Set in the near future, Mark splits his time between rural Colorado and virtual reality. In rural Colorado, he is his disabled father's caretaker. In virtual reality, he finds romance. Cast: Owen Teague, Luce Rains, Armen Taylor.

Lilith & Eve (Short Film) / U.K. (Directed by Sam de Ceccatty; Written by Sam de Ceccatty, Manon Ardisson; Produced by Manon Ardisson) — This adult comedy animation is a feminist reimagining of the Adam and Eve story, in which Eve bumps into Adam's first wife and equal, Lilith. Cast: Aimee Lou Wood, Susan Wokoma, Conor Kennedy, Jake Graf.

Lynch / Oz / U.S.A (Directed and written by Alexandre O. Philippe. Produced by Kerry Deignan Roy) — Victor Fleming’s 1939 film The Wizard of Oz is one of David Lynch’s most enduring obsessions. This new documentary goes over the rainbow to explore this Technicolor through-line in Lynch’s work. Cast: Amy Nicholson, Rodney Ascher, John Waters, Karyn Kusama, Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead, David Lowery.

Next Exit / U.S.A. (Directed and written by Mali Elfman; Produced by Derek Bishé, Narineh Hacopian) — In a world where ghosts are real and front-page news, a controversial new medical procedure allows people to peacefully kill themselves. In the midst of this breakthrough, two strangers travel cross country together to end their lives, only to unexpectedly find what they’ve been missing along the way. Cast: Katie Parker, Rahul Kohli, Rose McIver, Karen Gillan, Tongayi Chirisa, Diva Zappa.

Official Competition / Spain, Argentina (Directed by Mariano Cohn, Gastón Duprat; Written by Andrés Duprat, Mariano Cohn, Gastón Duprat; Produced by Jaume Roures) — When a billionaire entrepreneur decides to get into the movie business, he commissions international auteur director Lola Cuevas, Hollywood heartthrob Felix Rivero, and titan of the stage Ivan Torres to collaborate on a cinematic masterpiece. Cast: Penélope Cruz, Antonio Banderas, Oscar Martínez. An IFC Films release.

On the Line: The Richard Williams Story / U.S.A. (Directed by Stuart McClave; Produced by Chavoita LeSane, Brit Marling, Brenda Robinson, Duncan Montgomery, Gary Ousdahl, Jack Selby) – Through exclusive interviews and home movies, this film follows the outspoken patriarch of the Williams family who beat impossible odds to help daughters Venus and Serena become two of the greatest athletes of our time.

Rounding / U.S.A. (Directed by Alex Thompson; Written by Alex Thompson, Christopher Thompson; Produced by James Choi, Pierce Cravens, Leah Gaydos, Julianna Imel, Edwin Linker, Alex Thompson) — When a motivated resident doctor transfers to a rural hospital for a fresh start, his demons follow him as he becomes consumed with the case of a young asthma patient, in Alex Thompson’s psychological horror follow up to his highly acclaimed Saint Frances. Cast: Namir Smallwood, Sidney Flanigan, Michael Potts, Max Lipchitz, David Cromer, Cheryl Lynn Bruce.

Somewhere in Queens / U.S.A. (Directed by Ray Romano. Written by Ray Romano, Mark Stegemann. Produced by Albert Berger, Ron Yerxa, Ray Romano, Mark Stegemann) — An Italian-American dad from Queens gets increasingly involved in ensuring his son’s high school basketball success in Ray Romano’s directorial debut. Cast: Ray Romano, Laurie Metcalf, Tony Lo Bianco, Sebastian Maniscalco, Jennifer Esposito.

Space Oddity / U.S.A. (Directed by Kyra Sedgwick; Written by Rebecca Banner; Produced by Valerie Stadler, Kyra Sedgwick, Meredith Bagby, Richard Arlook, Jack Greenbaum, Mark Maxey) — A space-obsessed man gets the opportunity of a lifetime thanks to a Mars colonization program but finds his plans compromised by his feelings for a woman who brings him down to Earth. Cast: Kyle Allen, Alexandra Shipp, Madeline Brewer, Carrie Preston, Simon Helberg, Kevin Bacon.

Sparring Partner (Short Film) / U.S.A. (Directed by J.J. Kandel. Written by Neil LaBute. Produced by Tim Harms, J.J. Kandel) — When a long flirtation between two co-workers comes to a head during a revealing lunch break in the park, who gets to walk away with their head held high? Cast: Cecily Strong, KeiLyn Durrel Jones.

Subject / U.S.A. (Directed by Jennifer Tiexiera, Camilla Hall. Produced by Camilla Hall, Jennifer Tiexiera, Joe Caterini) — Subject unpacks the ethics and responsibility inherent in documentary filmmaking by examining well-known documentaries of the past decade and revealing the impact their commercial success has had on the lives of the onscreen subjects. Cast: Arthur Agee, Ahmed Hassan, Margie Ratliff, Michael Peterson, Mukunda Angulo, Jesse Friedman, Elaine Friedman, Lisa Walsh, Susanne Reisenbichler.

Taurus / U.S.A. (Directed and written by Tim Sutton; Produced by Jib Polhemus, Rob Paris, Mike Witherill) — A rising but troubled musician searches for the inspiration to record one last song, pushing himself deep into the void. A work of fiction that explores fame, addiction, the artistic process, and the music industry, Taurus is a soulful and universal cautionary tale. Cast: Colson Baker, Maddie Hasson, Demetrius "Lil Meech" Flenory, Megan Fox, Ruby Rose, Scoot McNairy, Lil TJay, Naomi Wild. Original music by Machine Gun Kelly.

The Black Phone / U.S.A. (Directed by Scott Derrickson. Written by Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill. Produced by Jason Blum, Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill — Locked in a soundproof basement by a masked child killer, a teenage boy finds the possibility of hope through an unexpected and supernatural lifeline: a telephone on which he receives motivational calls from the killer’s past victims. A Universal Pictures release.

The Drop / U.S.A., Mexico (Directed by Sarah Adina Smith; Written by Sarah Adina Smith, Joshua Leonard; Produced by Jonako Donley, Mel Eslyn, Sarah Adina Smith, Joshua Leonard, Shuli Harel, Tim Headington, Lia Buman) — In this clever cringe comedy, a seemingly happy married couple confronts a test of their marriage when one of them drops a baby while at a destination wedding at a tropical island. Cast: Anna Konkle, Jermaine Fowler, Jillian Bell.

The Forgiven / U.K. (Directed and written by John Michael McDonagh; Produced by John Michael McDonagh, Elizabeth Eves, Trevor Matthews, Nick Gordon) — A getaway for a couple visiting Morocco turns deadly after they accidentally kill a local boy, resulting in a volatile chain reaction of events throughout the villa they’re visiting. Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Jessica Chastain, Matt Smith, Saïd Taghmaoui, Caleb Landry Jones, Christopher Abbott. A Roadside Attractions release.

The YouTube Effect / U.S.A., Brazil, Germany, India, Taiwan R.O.C., Chile (Directed and written by Alex Winter; Produced by Alex Winter, Gale Anne Hurd, Glen Zipper) — YouTube has garnered over 2.3 billion users and is worth up to $300 billion dollars. At its center is its algorithm, something that threatens to destroy not only the platform, but the entire Internet. Cast: Caleb Cain, Steve Chen, Carrie Goldberg Loann, Ryan and Shion Kaji, Anthony Padilla, Andy Parker, Susan Wojcicki, Brianna Wu, Natalie Wynn.

Valentine (Short Film) / U.S.A. (Directed and written by Beck Kitsis, Chris McNabb; Produced by Katy Drake Bettner, Zach Fleming, Beck Kitsis) — With gender and identity in flux, Corey and Mia struggle to redefine their relationship. Cast: Jacob Tobia, Sadie Scott.

Vodka (Short Film) / U.S.A. (Directed and written by Roxy Sophie Sorkin; Produced by Brian Niles, Chelsea Eisen, Sophia Loren Heriveaux) — A 16-year-old girl deals with loss, humor, and reincarnation by drinking vodka for the first time on the day of her grandmother’s shiva. Cast: Iris Apatow, Alexis G Zall.

Tribeca Film Festival 2022 takes place from June 8-19 with a wide array of feature and short narrative, documentary, and animated films. See our past Tribeca Film Festival coverage, below: