by Larry Richman
May 10, 2008 5:14 PM

Narrative features make up the majority of the lineup at all film festivals. Tribeca is no exception. While I saw nine documentaries at this year's festival, documented earlier, the number of narratives I saw total 38. These scripted, fictional films (although some are based on true stories) form the bulk of the independent films around which my life revolves.

The 2008 Tribeca Film Festival was jam-packed with World Premieres, including the following 18 films I saw. All were US films except the four indicated (links connect to previously posted reviews):

The Auteur
The Caller
Idiots and Angels
Newcastle (Australia)
The Wild Man of the Navidad
Trucker
The Objective
Bart Got a Room
Love, Pain, & Vice Versa (Mexico)
Ramchand Pakistani (Pakistan)
From Within
Lake City
Tennessee
The 27 Club
Life in Flight
Speed Racer
Killer Movie
Bitter & Twisted (Australia)

One, Idiots and Angels, was animated. The Caller went on to win the "Made in N.Y." Award.

The remaining 20 narrative features I saw were all International Premieres (first time seen outside their country of origin), North American Premieres, US Premieres, or New York Premieres. Only two were from the United States. Countries of origin are indicated in parentheses:

Let the Right One In (Sweden)
Katyn (Poland)
Toby Dammit (France, Italy)
My Winnipeg Canada)
Sita Sings the Blues (USA)
Fermat's Room (Spain)
Seven Days Sunday (Germany)
57,000 km Between Us (France)
The Secret of the Grain (France)
Elite Squad (Brazil)
Somers Town (UK)
Charly (France)
Strangers (Israel)
Lost Indulgence (China)
Eden (Ireland)
Baghead (USA)
Worlds Apart (Denmark)
Boy A (UK)
Days in Sintra (Brazil)
The Cottage (UK)

One, Sita Sings the Blues, was animated. Toby Dammit was a newly restored 1968 film. There were several films on my list which went on to win jury awards. Let the Right One In was chosen as Best Narrative Feature, the Best Actor Award went to both Thomas Turgoose and Piotr Jagiello of Somers Town, and Eileen Walsh of Eden was awarded Best Actress.

I'll continue to post reviews of my Top Picks from among the 38 narrative features I saw during the festival (several are already published).