Tribeca Film Festival Experimental Film Selections Receive Theatrical Distribution

In his capacity as Experimental-Film Programmer for the Tribeca Film Festival,

Jon Gartenberg selected two films for TFF 2011 that, we are proud to announce,

have received U.S. distribution and are currently playing around the country - 

Bill Morrison's THE MINERS' HYMN from Icarus Films &

Marie Losier's THE BALLAD OF GENESIS AND LADY JAYE from Adopt Films. 

Bill Morrison's THE MINERS' HYMNS (2011)

The ill-fated coal mining communities in North East England are the subject of this inspired documentary by multi-media artist Bill Morrison. Their story is told entirely without words, yet the film is far from silent: it features a remarkable original score by the Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson.

Using rarely-seen footage from the British Film Institute, the BBC, and other archives, THE MINERS' HYMNS celebrates social, cultural, and political aspects of the extinct industry. Focusing on the Durham coalfield located in northeastern England, it depicts the hardship of pit work, the role of Trade Unions in organizing and fighting for workers' rights, the years of increased mechanization and the annual Miners' Gala in Durham.

• In U.S. Distribution through ICARUS FILMS.

• Theatrical Run begins on February 8th, 2012 at New York's FILM FORUM.

• US Release / DATE AND THEATRES.

Marie Losier's THE BALLAD OF GENESIS AND LADY JAYE (2011)

An intimate, affecting portrait of the life and work of ground-breaking performance artist and music pioneer Genesis Breyer P-Orridge (Throbbing Gristle, Psychic TV) and his other half and collaborator, Lady Jaye, centered around the daring sexual transformations the pair underwent for their “Pandrogyne” project.

• In U.S. Distribution through ADOPT FILMS.

• Theatrical Run begins on March 8th, 2012 in NYC at the CHELSEA CINEMAS.

• US Release / DATE AND THEATRES.

The Wall Street Journal Spotlights Jon Gartenberg's Tribeca Film Festival (TFF) Programming

NY CULTURE  |  MARCH 12, 2011

Tale of Two Festivals: Tribeca vs. SXSW

By STEVE DOLLAR  [Excerpt]

Austin, Texas

Tribeca devotes half its roster to works by less-known filmmakers, with a wide spectrum of international titles that haven't been a significant part of SXSW's mission. But it also boasts high-wattage star power, with a healthy portion of its schedule devoted to marquee names and genre entertainments. "They really filled a void in New York," said Bill Morrison, a New York avant-garde filmmaker who will premiere "The Miners' Hymns," his first feature-length film at Tribeca, after four previous visits with short efforts. "They had a lot of corporate sponsorship and were able to make it a destination festival in a hurry."

Underneath the gloss, the festival has long championed experimental work like Mr. Morrison's, through one of its programmers, Jon Gartenberg. "If you can find someone like that in any festival, it's a great boon to bringing in different types of work," says Mr. Morrison.

Mr. Morrison, an East Village resident whose investigations into the nature of cinema have shown world-wide, also is happy to avoid JFK airport. When his movie premieres next month, "I can just ride my bike."                                                                                                                                     

Bill Morrison's THE MINERS' HYMNS (2011)  -  Miners’ Gala Day, Durham, 1963 

 Read the entire WSJ article by following this link:  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703597804576194702429879220.html