TFV's Matt Micucci speaks with Carlos Vargas, director of "Hidden Era," which marks his feature directorial debut and was presented in the Viewpoints section of the 2024 Tribeca Festival in New York City, New York. Unfolding in the the vibrant city of Maputo, Mozambique, the film chronicles the artistic and personal evolution of Phambi, a painter working in the region, as he struggles with real-life challenges, including providing an education for his son, and awakens to new ways of thinking, including via the influence of two young feminist women who pose for his artworks. "Hidden Era" offers is a thematically dense film and we speak about some of its main themes with Vargas, who also discusses his work's natural blend of reality and fiction and the interesting way in which it was brought to life. We also discuss the film's characteristic style and the vibrant art scene of Mozambique, which the film provides a rare cinematic glimpse into. Additionally, we talk about his journey and the statement he wanted to make with "Hidden Era," his feature directorial debut after much experience in cinematography and production. (Photo: Carlos Vargas)

TFV's Matt Micucci speaks with Mara Tamkovich, making her feature directorial debut with "Under the Grey Sky," presented in the International Narrative Competition of the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City, New York. Based on a true story, the film talks about a couple of journalists and their resilience, when their cause and love are crushed under the oppression of Belarusian authorities. The film particularly focuses on the aftermath of the mass protests in the country in 2020. In this Showcast episode, Tamkovich shares insights into the true story that inspired her film and its socio-political context, as well as her desire to highlight the human aspect of the story with "Under the Grey Sky." We also find out more about Tamkovich, her earliest memories of cinema, her background in journalism and the journey and challenges she faced in making her feature directorial debut with this film. (Photo: Loco Films)

TFV critic Max Borg joins TFV's Matt Micucci to discuss the inaugural edition of the Immersive Competition at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. The section showcased immersive works, from mixed reality to virtual reality works and beyond, representing a new era of storytelling and embracing new technologies. The winner of the competition was Colored, an augmented-reality, location-based experience by Stephane Foekinos and Pierre-Alain Giraud. Max talks with us about his first-hand experience of the Immersive Competition, and the quality and range of the works presented within this program. He also shares some thoughts and opinions about whether the Cannes Film Festival embracing this form of storytelling will have a resonating impact across the international film festival scene. (Photo courtesy of Festival de Cannes)