Tribeca Film Festival

New York's Tribeca Film Festival is an absolute institution when it comes to the world of art and, more specifically, film. It has helped revitalize the area of Tribeca since 2002, showcasing thousands of films and generating hundreds of millions of dollars. You can find everything from hard-hitting independent films through to cutting-edge documentaries presented on display, and 2017 was no exception. Here are just three of the films that caught the eye of audiences:

I Am Heath Ledger 

The 2008 death of the iconic Heath Ledger absolutely shook the world. The Australian actor had already made quite the impressive name for himself so, despite the award-winning actor passing away too young at 28, his glittering career speaks volumes to the man he was. I Am Heath Ledger pays tribute to a talented man and tells his story through excerpts of his most brilliant work. The 94-minute piece directed by Derik Murray and Adrian Buitenhuis also features plenty of interviews and even Ledger's own footage. The Tribeca Film Festival says that he was "one of the great artists of his generation", and it's certainly worth a watch.

The screening of the documentary even featured a panel afterwards, with audience members able to watch those involved in its production talking about their work. 

The Last Poker Game

This touching 90-minute film, directed by newcomer Howard Weiner, comes from a place of experience. The director himself is a Harvard professor, author and expert in MS, and so he brings his extensive medical knowledge to the table. The plot follows a doctor who moves into a nursing home with his very sick wife. He befriends a gambling man and soon embarks on a journey he never imagined before. The story tells of new beginnings and follows some unexpected twists and turns when their friendship is challenged. The men - who are both childless - want to prove they have fathered a child when a nurse confesses that her biological father resides at the home. 

While the neurologist certainly knew what he was talking about when dealing with the complexities of medical issues dealt with in the film, you don't need to be an expert as well. The story is cut with more jovial scenes of the men bonding over poker games, which are increasingly easy to relate to due to the popularity of poker playing online; the casino game has taken on all manner of different forms over the years, finding a home on smartphones and evolving new rulesets, like 888poker's fast-fold SNAP poker.

Dare To Be Different

If you love music and all things eighties, this is the film for you. Whether you lived the decade or simply pine for it, this is a fantastically nostalgic look back at one of the most quirky radio stations of the day, the WLIR 92.7. The Long-Island based station's dedication to international imports was astounding, rushing back and forth to airports to get tracks from the likes of Blondie, Joan Jett, and U2.

Dare To Be Different features interviews and rare footage from the archives of all of the above, in addition to Duran Duran, The Cure and many more. Director Ellen Goldfarb brings to life the story of its unique rise (and ultimate fall), and how it's responsible for introducing an entire generation to punk, new wave, and new romantic culture. Audiences were even lucky enough to see live performances, right after the film first aired!

The Tribeca Film Festival doesn't just present movies, it allows their cinematography to be fully explored in the context of both society and their art form. That's what keeps critics keep coming back, and that's what helps cement each film as equally credible and commendable.