The Tribeca Film Festival is around the corner and I have decided to attend this year. The lineup genuinely pulled me in because I am seeing more diversity in the premieres and panels than usual and while I always want more, this year feels like a good year to show up. I already have a list of films, documentaries and shorts I am hoping to catch. Since these are all festival premieres there is not much out there about them yet, but based on what Tribeca has shared, here is a list of 10 films, documentaries and shorts that have me most excited, in no particular order.

1. Sad Girlz

A coming of age drama about two best friends on their high school swim team whose bond is tested after something happens to one of them at a party. One wants to speak up, the other wants to stay quiet. That tension has sparked my curiosity and I wonder which direction the film will take. This is director Fernanda Tovar’s feature debut and based on the description, she handled the subject with real care.

2. Kingston

Set on an Ivy League campus, three storylines collide involving students and faculty all navigating elitism, ambition and what it costs to belong somewhere that was not built for you. One of the central characters is a first generation young woman pushing back against the institution. This one is at the top of my list.

3. Unidentified

Director Haifaa Al Mansour, who gave us Wadjda, is back with a crime thriller about a woman investigating the murder of a teenage girl found in the desert. The film looks at how society’s treatment of women complicates both who gets called a victim and what justice actually looks like. Another top pick.

4. Mutter: The Diary of a Mother

A single mother in Turkey gives birth to a creature that is not quite human and decides to raise it anyway, in a community that offers her zero support. This one is being described as a creature feature but it sounds like it is really about what society does to mothers who do not fit the mold. You have my attention.

5. Documentary: Bang My Box: The Robin Byrd Story

Robin Byrd hosted a sex-positive call-in show on New York public access television from 1977 to 1998 and apparently also had a decades-long marriage nobody knew about. She was advocating for safe sex and queer visibility before it was considered acceptable and fought censorship in federal court. The documentary states that Byrd reflects on her unique legacy, so I am curious to see her take on today’s political climate around women’s rights. Hopefully they touch on that.

6. Deepfake

A thirty-something woman going through a breakup hires a Gen Z consultant to overhaul her life and Instagram in hopes of winning her ex back. A social media satire set in New York that looks at image, influencer culture and what we are actually willing to do to be perceived a certain way. I will admit I have had my fill of influencer culture movies but I still enjoy the concept when it is done well.

7. Recluse

A woman returns to her childhood home to care for her bedridden father and starts uncovering things she was not meant to find, including what actually happened to her mother. Gothic horror with strong sound design and a female lead at the center.

8. One Woman One Bra

A 38-year-old woman in a rural Kenyan village with no knowledge of her own parentage is fighting to claim her land and her identity at the same time. When she spots her own childhood photo on the cover of a book about the Maasai, things get complicated fast. This is a directorial debut and it sounds like it has something real to say about belonging and the drawbacks of nonprofit organizations within rural communities. As an African, this naturally piques my interest.

9. Short: Stand Clear ‘the Closing Doors

A woman on the New York City subway makes a simple request of another passenger and it turns into a whole situation. This is a hilarious concept for a short.

10. Documentary: The Lion Queen

You may not know her name but if you were in New York in the nineties you would have seen her face. Jocelyne Wildenstein was a socialite who became tabloid famous and was not taken seriously by the people who should have been paying attention. Known as “Catwoman,” this documentary sounds like it gives her story more depth.

Honorable Mention: Solange Celebrates the 10-Year Anniversary of A Seat at the Table

This is not a film but I could not leave it off. Solange sits down to discuss the ten year anniversary of A Seat at the Table, one of the most important albums of that decade. If you know, you know. I will be at the festival at some point so expect a follow up on what I actually got to see. If you are going too, let me know what is on your list.