Manhattan is a long way from Miami, but this week, plenty of Florida filmmakers are bridging the gap.
The Tribeca Film Festival kicks off its 12-day run today, gathering celebrities, movie buffs, and other culture-seekers to Lower Manhattan for screenings and lectures. There's plenty of representation from New York City and Hollywood, of course. But the Sunshine State minority is also making waves, especially in the documentary arena.
Check out this year's Tribeca films from Florida after the jump.
Broke
If it's a documentary tied to South Florida, there's a pretty good chance Rakontur is involved. Such is the case with Broke, the next ESPN 30 For 30 production from Billy Corben and Alfred Spellman, which addresses the high instances of poverty among retired professional athletes.
Sexy Baby
Kids these days are not okay. Hot on the heels of Bully, Miami Beach writer Jill Bauer and former Miami Herald photographer Ronna Gradus present Sexy Baby, which addresses the problems with children "sexting," as well as a host of other problems created by our increasingly sexualized culture.
Finding Benjamin
Florida State student John Wikstrom presents this short documentary about Benjamin Kyle, who was found unconscious outside of a Burger King seven years ago. He had no clothes, no ID, and no memory of who he was -- and still doesn't.
Journey to Planet X
It's not often that filmmakers come out from behind the camera. So it's all the more impressive that Florida filmmakers Eric Swain and Troy Bernier allowed an outside documentary crew to film their trials and tribulations as they shot their low-budget sci-fi film Planeto Descondido. If the idea of a film about filmmaking strikes you as unbearably meta, take heart: It'll be well-balanced by low-budget special effects and adorably amateur acting.
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