Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on March 2012

The Tribeca Film Festival has announced nominees for this year’s installment, to be held April 18- 29 in New York. Interestingly, two of the works in the lineup were made in Japan by non-Japanese directors. In the short documentary competition is Scenes From A Visit To Japan (pictured), by NYC-based experimental filmmaker Joel Schlemowitz, who eschews the digital trend and shoots his works on super-8 film. In the “Viewpoints” program is the Japanese-language drama Cut by acclaimed Iranian director Amir Naderi, who spent over a year in Tokyo to plan, shoot and promote his film. Other highlights from Asia include the docs High Tech, Low Life about outlaw Chinese bloggers and Planet of Snail, a Korean love story between two people suffering from disabilities. Tribeca was started in 2001 by veteran actor Robert De Niro and film-producing couple Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff to encourage filmmakers to stay in the Big Apple following 9/11, and has since screened more than 1,300 films from more than 80 countries. The fest promotes New York as a film center by hosting not only the normal screenings and parties, but panel discussions and even a drive-in theater on the Hudson river.

Award winners will be posted at www.tribecafilm.com