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The Spinoff
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Spinoff
The shocking truth behind the death of Jaffas
Claire Mabey uncovers a giant Jaffas conspiracy. 'You don't know what you've got til it's gone.' – Joni Mitchell in a song that was later covered by Counting Crows. 'You don't know what you've got til you realise you never had it.' – Claire Mabey Content warning: What I am about to tell you will change everything you think you know. Please continue with care. They're small and round and tinged with citrus. They're like marbles, only opaque, and not made of glass. Some people bite right into them like the cave men before us while others prefer to suck them slowly until the outer shell is compromised and eventually melts away to reveal the chocolate orange centre which also melts and becomes a tiny hot chocolate made with your own spit. I, like many New Zealanders, like to indulge in a Jaffa at the movies. It's a reliable, comfortable habit in a reliable, comfortable place. There's the popcorn, and the Jaffas, and the pineapple lumps and there's the previews and the dark room and the giant screen. In fact that's the only place I have ever eaten Jaffas other than the odd one offered up for free with a long black – a lovely little gesture that felt like something that was just ours. A solitary treat-Jaffa given by the kind of cafe you could take your nana to. When I heard that RJ's was going to stop making Jaffas I discovered I was upset (though it was nothing compared to when Pascall stopped making Snifters). Isn't there enough change in this world? Aren't we losing so much already? The climate? Species? Why take away our movie treats too? This question weighed heavy on my mind when I went to my local cinema, purchased my ticket to Jurassic Park: Rebirth, and a small white bag of Jaffas. As ScarJo and Jonathan Bailey dodged the grotesque mutant dinosaur and told each other that 99.9% of species are now extinct, I took comfort in sucking approximately 12 Jaffas so slowly they lasted almost the whole film. When the film was over I shuffled out of the dark cocoon and into the light with my empty little white paper bag in my hand (screwed up and sweaty thanks to the dinosaurs). I walked it to the rubbish bin closest to the counter and said to the cinema worker who was tidying up some empty water glasses: 'It'll be weird not to have Jaffas soon, eh?' The young woman stared at me with a quizzical look. I'd said something wrong. 'You know, Jaffas?' I said and pointed to the row of plump little white paper bags filled with Jaffas in front of her on the counter. RJ's Jaffas in little white paper bags. 'Oh, yeah well actually we use Choc Orange Balls.' Silence as I stared back, my heart giving odd little skips. 'What are those?' 'Choc Orange Balls? You can get them from Moore Wilson's.' Choc Orange Balls? I stared at the bin. At the sad little paper bag lying there. All this time? I've been eating 'Choc Orange Balls'? Have they always been Choc Orange Balls? Have I ever eaten an actual Jaffa? An actual RJ's Jaffa? Have any of us? I was shaken. Had I just inadvertently uncovered a massive conspiracy? Or was I simply the last one to know that there are off-brand Jaffas out there in the world masquerading as actual Jaffas? Determined to uncover the truth I pulled on my coat, pushed my way through the crowd and out onto the cold Wellington street. Everything looked different. Shop fronts, street signs … the air itself felt … colder. I took my usual shortcut through the carpark and down the side street to where Moore Wilson's sat smugly like Wellington's most Wellingtonian home of fresh produce and fancy breads and Ottolenghi products and freshly squeezed orange juice that people will literally line up for 30mins to get on a Saturday and that you can't get at all when there's flooding in Tairāwhiti. I knew I'd never seen Jaffas at Moore Wilson's before. At least not on the produce side. But what about the bulk purchases side? That's where I once bought a carton of Spacemen and a massive tube of 100 Chuppa Chups. Could that be where these 'Choc Orange Balls' lived? I held my breath as I slipped past the lanes of checkout workers and past the boxes of generically packaged lollies to the tall shelves where the branded bulk lollies were arranged. And there they were. Bold as brass. A huge box of red and brown bags with a small Moore Wilson's product sign below them: 'Confectionary House Chocolate Orange Balls 1kg. $24.70 / Ea.' The lady at the movies was telling the truth. Here they were right in front of me. Choc Orange Balls. I picked up a bag and inspected the contents through the window of clear packaging. Small, orange balls. Like marbles but opaque. I flipped the bag over and read and as I did my world came crashing down. 'Handmade by our artisan confectioners right here in Australia.' Oh. My. GOD. Australians. They hadn't even tried to give them a cool name. Just Choc Orange Balls. Like something out of South Park. As I stood there in front of a wall of lollies in Moore Wilson's, a bag of Choc Orange Balls heavy in my arms, I asked myself how long this had been going on? Who else was slipping into Moore Wilson's to buy pretend Jaffas in bulk and hawking them as the real deal? Maybe this was a one-off. Maybe this cinema just didn't even really know? Maybe there was an Australian in charge with Australian tastes? I grabbed a bag, paid $24.75 for it and got the number 29 home. Wellington has many cinemas. They're part of what makes our city great. When it's windy and shit you go to the movies and you eat Jaffas, real Jaffas, and chew them up with your popcorn so you get sweet-savoury at the same time. I got out my coloured post-its and wrote down the names of all the cinemas I could remember and stuck them on the wall in my office. One by one I phoned them. 'Hi, do you sell Jaffas?' 'Oh pretty sure we sell an off-brand Jaffa,' the guy on the other side said, and laughed. WHAT. 'So, like, what do you sell?' 'Hold on, I'll just go check.' My heart was pounding, my pits were oozing, and I was shovelling Choc Orange Balls while I waited like they're the ones going out of fashion. 'You there?' 'Yup.' 'We sell Choc Orange Balls.' 'Do you put them in little white paper bags?' 'Yes.' 'What do you call them?' 'Ah. Um … why do you ask?' 'Do you call them Jaffas?' Suddenly he was suspicious. He knew I was investigating. 'Why are you asking?' I slammed the phone down. I pulled the post-it with the name of that cinema off my wall and screwed it up and tossed it into the bin just like that little white paper bag that had never seen a Jaffa. I called up the next cinema, trying to keep calm while my mind raced. 'Hi, do you sell Jaffas?' 'Yep.' 'RJ's Jaffas that are Jaffas? Or do you sell something else?' 'We get Choc Orange Balls from Dandy Candy in Petone.' Dandy Candy? 'What's Dandy Candy?' 'A distributor.' 'Thanks,' I said, scribbling it down. 'And before I let you go can I just ask if you sell your Choc Orange Balls in little white paper bags?' 'Yes we do.' God damn it. I put the phone down and stared at my notes. Dandy? Candy? It sounded like an off brand version of that terrifying Candyland board game where the gingerbread man has to run through lolly streets to escape certain death. I turned to Google. 'Dandy Candy NZ lollies distributor'. And there it was. Not Dandy but Dandi. Of course. There were rows and rows of branded treats: Cadbury, Pascall, The Natural Confectionary Company. I gingerly clicked into the search bar and typed, 'Choc Orange Balls'. An image of bright red-orange balls burst onto my screen. Not even any packaging, just naked balls spilling everywhere, some broken into rubble with their innards exposed like they'd been chewed and callously spat out. It was true. Everything the cinema people had told me was true. At the top of the screen was a phone number. Just a cell number, not even an 0800. Who knows where this string of digits would lead me next. I took a deep breath, dialled it and waited with my heart hammering in my ears. Ilesh Patel answered and what I didn't know then was that this conversation would fundamentally change me as a person. What Patel told would transform my understanding of how lollies worked in this country; in this world. DandiCandy is a family-owned and run licensed candy wholesaler that has been operating in the Wellington region for nearly 25 years. Patel has 480 customers including supermarkets, dairies, Air New Zealand, Kiwi Rail, and yes, cinemas. And Patel distributes 30 brands including RJ's and its Jaffas. 'It's a big loss,' he told me, 'but there's always someone bringing in something else.' 'Like the Choc Orange Ball?' I asked. Patel confirmed that they sell a lot of Choc Orange Balls but what he told me next blew my mind and made the decimated Choc Orange Ball now acidifying in my belly start to riot. 'The difference between Choc Orange Balls and Jaffas is that Choc Orange Balls are made out of compound chocolate.' What in the fresh hell?? I flipped over the Choc Orange Balls packet in front of me and read the ingredients list: 'Compound Dark Chocolate' was the first item. It's not even buried – it's just right there. God Damn It! Is this like the friends episode where Monica has to make recipes out of Mocklit? I put Patel on speaker and frantically googled. 'Compound chocolate is a product made from a combination of cocoa, vegetable fat and sweeteners. It is used as a lower-cost alternative to pure chocolate ('whole chocolate' is natural raw chocolate that contains cocoa butter) as it has less-expensive hard vegetable fats such as coconut oil or palm kernel oil in place of the more expensive cocoa butter,' says Wikipedia. 'So it's not even real chocolate?' I asked. No, he said. No it's not. What Patel explained to me next I can only relay in fragments and I'm sorry about it but I was reeling. I felt sick from all the compound chocolate in the Choc Orange Balls. But what he told me was that in essence we are just too small to sustain the Jaffa, or the Snifter, or the solitary packaged Chocolate Fish, or the god damn Toffee Milk! (I cried out as a core memory of buying five Toffee Milks for 50 cents from my local dairy shunted forth and stabbed me with its nostalgia.) Australian companies like The Confectionary House are just too big. They're too powerful and what they dictate, we have to follow. Patel then told me that RJ's was sold to an Australian company in 2015 and what could be going on is actually it's the Australian parent company that doesn't want the Jaffa and we're just too small to … WHAT? I put my head in my hands (Patel was still on speaker). Not. Even. Locally. Owned? RJ's is Australian? What ISN'T Australian? When is this going to stop? When are they going to stop? God damn it! 'Are you there?' I apologised to Patel and explained I just needed a second to compute the enormity of what he'd told me. He asked me then if I remembered the giant Jaffa. And I don't. I don't remember it because maybe it was too brief. Or maybe there never really was a giant Jaffa, just a giant Choc Orange Ball sold in a white paper bag. Have I ever even eaten an actual Jaffa with its real chocolate and expensive fat? Will Australia ever stop taking stuff we really like even if we don't actually buy it that often? All I know is that I have been eating Choc Orange Balls for a long time. I think a lot of us have been eating Choc Orange Balls for a long time. 'That's so much for your time, Ilesh,' I say. I put my phone down and stare at the packet in front of me. I glance up at my post-it wall. There is one cinema left. I pick up my phone once more, unsure if I am emotionally ready for whatever might come next, and dial the number. 'Hi, do you sell Jaffas?' 'Yes! Jaffas are the bomb!' I'm wary. 'OK, but are they RJ's Jaffas called Jaffas by RJ's?' 'Yes! I'm going to really miss them. I love them.' Bless you, angel. 'When they're gone, will you go for an alternative, like… the Choc Orange Ball, have you heard of those?' 'No, but we probably won't replace them.' 'Why not? Don't people buy Jaffas?' 'Nah not really. They just get M&Ms.'
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Buddy Guy from 'Sinners': 14 big Delaware concerts in July 2025
This summer concert season continues to draw big stars to Small Wonder, including blues legend Buddy Guy from the new horror film "Sinners," starring Michael B. Jordan. Here are 14 big acts that will hit stages around Delaware in July. The rockers Counting Crows are touring in support of their new album, "Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets!," released this spring. Rocking out with them on "The Complete Sweets!" tour will be The Gaslight Anthem. Freeman Arts Pavilion (31806 Lakeview Dr., near Selbyville) at 6:30 p.m. July 8. Tickets are $74 to $159, plus fees. Visit or call (302) 436-3015. Right before Buddy Guy's 89th birthday, he'll demonstrate why he's a living legend and master bluesman as he headlines the Freeman Arts. Buddy Guy has lots of songs in his bag, including "Ain't No Sunshine," "What Kind of Woman is This?" and "Feels Like Rain." The bluesman has been making headlines lately for landing a role in the new horror movie "Sinners," starring Michael B. Jordan. Freeman Arts Pavilion (31806 Lakeview Dr., near Selbyville) at 7 p.m. July 10. Tickets are $54 to $99, plus fees. Visit or call (302) 436-3015. Jakob Dylan's band The Wallflowers are coming back to Selbyville. Jakob is the son of the iconic singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, and Sara Dylan of Wilmington. The Wallflowers are known for jams like "One Headlight" and "6th Avenue Heartache." Freeman Arts Pavilion (31806 Lakeview Dr., near Selbyville) at 7 p.m. July 15. Tickets $39, plus fees. Visit or call (302) 436-3015. If you missed the 'soulrockers' Michael Franti & Spearhead when they were in town last year, you can have another bite of the apple when they're back this summer. Additionally, R&B singer Allen Stone will perform as a special guest. Franti has released classics such as "The Sound of Sunshine," "Hey Hey Hey" and "Life Is Better With You." New concert venue: Catch me outside? Delaware's new $100K-plus concert stage adds more 'professional' vibe Freeman Arts Pavilion (31806 Lakeview Dr., near Selbyville) at 6:30 p.m. July 16. Tickets are $64, plus fees. Visit or call (302) 436-3015. Country star Riley Green is popular for tunes like "There Was This Girl," "If It Wasn't for Trucks" and "I Wish Grandpas Never Died." He'll be joined by the opener Preston Cooper. Delaware State (18500 S. Dupont Highway, Harrington) at 7:30 p.m. July 19. Tickets are $83 to $108, plus fair admission. Visit or call (302) 398-3269. Folks will have a blast with the Blues Traveler, Gin Blossoms and Spin Doctors, three bands that will take you back in time to the '90s. Delaware State (18500 S. Dupont Highway, Harrington) at 7:30 p.m. July 21. Tickets are $58 to $93, plus fair admission. Visit or call (302) 398-3269. CeCe Winans is recognized as the best-selling and most award-winning female gospel artist of all time. She has won 17 Grammy Awards. For context, that's three more than superstar Taylor Swift. Delaware State (18500 S. Dupont Hwy., Harrington) at 7:30 p.m. July 22. Tickets are $38 to $73, plus fair admission. Visit or call (302) 398-3269. Adding more country vibes to this concert lineup is Gavin Adcock, the man behind notable songs like "Run Your Mouth, "Deep End" and "A Cigarette." His opener is Austin Snell. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $43 to $78. Country star Russell Dickerson has a deep song bag of favorites such as "Yours," "Blue Tacoma" and "Love You Like I Used To." His opener is Niko Moon. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $38.50 to $73.50. Sam Hunt is one of the hottest country artists playing Delaware this year, and not just during the summer. He's hog-tied major songs like "Body Like a Back Road," "Leave The Night On" and "Take Your Time." Freeman Arts Pavilion (31806 Lakeview Drive, near Selbyville) at 7 p.m. July 24. Tickets are $84 to $139. Visit After Atlanta rapper Ludacris headlined the Delaware State Fair last year, organizers are following that up with another ATL legend who some consider the rap king of the south: "T.I." He's released songs like 'Live Your Life," "About the Money" and "What You Know." Delaware State (18500 S. Dupont Hwy., Harrington) at 7:30 p.m. on July 25. Tickets are $58 to $93, plus fair admission. Visit or call (302) 398-3269. Over the last couple of summers, country star Justin Moore has played back-to-back shows at the Bottle & Cork where at least one concert has sold out. He's already sold out the second night at this point. The platinum-selling artist has served up hits like "You, Me, and Whiskey," "If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away" and "Til My Last Day." Bottle & Cork (1807 Highway One, Dewey Beach) on July 24 and 25. Both shows start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $70 for each show. Visit or call (302) 227-7272. After showing out with a Super Bowl performance in his hometown earlier this year, NOLA star Trombone Shorty will serve up a night of musical gumbo in the Small Wonder on his "Might Not Make It Home" tour. Trombone Shorty's popular tunes include "Hold Up" and "Fire and Brimstone." Freeman Arts Pavilion (31806 Lakeview Drive, near Selbyville) at 7 p.m. July 26. Tickets are $59, plus fees. Visit or call (302) 436-3015. The duo Big & Rich will paint the town red, white and blue when they close out the final night of the State Fair. The duo has served up country jams like "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)" and "Fake ID." The opener is Bryan Martin. Delaware State (18500 S. Dupont Highway, Harrington) at 7:30 p.m. July 26. Tickets are $59 to $94, plus fair admission. Visit or call (302) 398-3269. More concerts in July: Rocking the Docks: National bands headline Delaware summer concert series. Tickets on sale If you have an interesting story idea, email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at alamar@ Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Buddy Guy from 'Sinners': 14 big Delaware concerts for summer 2025
CBC
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Adam Duritz of Counting Crows wrote a song about wanting to be famous — and it came true
In 1993, Michael Jordan retired from basketball for the first time, Jurassic Park was making a killing at the box office, and Counting Crows released their debut single, Mr. Jones. That song became an inescapable radio hit that catapulted Counting Crows into the cultural zeitgeist. For lead singer Adam Duritz, the success of Mr. Jones came as a total surprise, but there was also something prophetic about the song, seeing as he wrote it about his desire to be famous. "We all wanna be big stars," he sings on the track. "But we don't know why and we don't know how." In a new interview with Q 's Tom Power, Duritz looks back on his breakout hit and shares why overnight fame maybe wasn't a dream come true for him after all. WATCH | Adam Duritz's full interview with Tom Power: It all started when Duritz spent a fun night out in San Francisco with his friend Marty Jones, whom he'd played with in his old band, The Himalayans. Jones's dad, a flamenco guitarist, was in town, so they went to check out his gig before eventually heading to a bar called New Amsterdam. "We went to a lot of bars that night, trailing around after this flamenco troupe and getting hammered," Duritz recalls. "Just feeling like this is really cool: basking in someone else's spotlight and kind of wishing it was me in the spotlight." Duritz says a lot of the lyrical details in Mr. Jones are based on things that actually happened that night, like when his friend started flirting with an older woman named Maria — a beautiful "black-haired flamenco dancer" who "dances while his father plays guitar," as the song goes. WATCH | Official video for Mr. Jones: The Counting Crows frontman penned Mr. Jones when he got home later that night, but he didn't expect it to be a hit. By the time the band released the song in December of 1993, they had already been hustling as musicians for years. "I was 27 before anyone from any record company came to see any band I was in, and it wasn't Counting Crows," Duritz tells Power. "I was 28 when we got signed and I was 29 when that record came out. And we had been on the road for about three or four months as an opening band, opening for Midnight Oil, opening for Suede, opening for Cracker. And after two or three months, some TV shows started calling us — Letterman first and then SNL." When Counting Crows performed on Saturday Night Live, the band wasn't even in the top 200. After appearing on the show, Duritz says their debut album, August and Everything After, "jumped 40 spots a week for five or six weeks." Then, in April of 1994, there was a major turning point when Counting Crows returned back to the U.S. from a European tour. "We flew into New Orleans, and we'd been out of the country for a while, so whatever had happened back here, we weren't here to experience it," Duritz says. "The first morning after we got there, I went out to the [Tipitina's Jazz Festival], as I always did, and got mobbed. And that's when I realized, 'Oh, what the hell happened?'" With hundreds of thousands of people mobbing him at festivals, fans hounding him everywhere he went and his privacy being invaded by tabloids, Duritz learned the hard way that fame isn't all it's cracked up to be. These days, he rarely plays Mr. Jones.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
10 Must-See Movies at the 2025 Tribeca Festival
From spring into the start of summer, the festival season keeps on rolling. Cannes just gave a jumpstart to the movie year ahead, but the 24th edition of the Tribeca Festival, happening all over New York City June 4 through 15, is here with another ambitious, genre-crossing lineup. This year's festival — celebrating film, television, immersive storytelling, music, audio storytelling, iconic movie revivals, and more — boasts nearly 120 features across narrative and documentary forms. Tribeca also boasts a massive shorts program. The festival, which understandably dropped 'Film' from its name in 2022 two decades after starting in 2002 from Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff as a way to boost Lower Manhattan after September 11, offers its most musically inclined programming yet this year. Tribeca launches Wednesday, June 4 with the world premiere of opening nighter 'Billy Joel: And So It Goes,' an ode to the hit-making piano man. Elsewhere, Miley Cyrus' visual album 'Something Beautiful' also premieres (fun fodder for IndieWire readers: It's produced by 'Mandy' director Panos Cosmatos). Additional music documentaries include films about Counting Crows and Culture Club, while Billy Idol, Becky G, and Eddie Vedder will also perform following the world premieres of their documentaries. More from IndieWire 'John Candy: I Like Me' Documentary to Open 2025 Toronto International Film Festival Tom Cruise to Be Celebrated at MoMI with 'Above and Beyond' Retrospective Festival 'She Dances' First Look: Ethan Hawke Helps Steve Zahn Navigate Being a Girl Dad in Tribeca Feature Tribeca this year closes with the world premiere of Richard Ladkani's documentary 'Yanuni,' produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and centered on Indigenous chief Juma Xipaia, who has survived six assassination attempts as she leads the fight to defend her people's land. On the narrative side come new features led by Ethan Hawke ('She Dances'), Rose Byrne and Octavia Spencer ('Tow'), Bryce Dallas Howard and Orlando Bloom ('Deep Cover'), Bryan Cranston and Allison Janney ('Everything's Going to Be Great'), Maika Monroe ('In Cold Light'), Guy Pearce and Cosmo Jarvis ('Inside'), Molly Gordon and Logan Lerman ('Oh, Hi!'), Logic ('Paradise Records'), Riz Ahmed ('Relay'), Nick Offerman ('Sovereign'), Finn Wittrock ('Westhampton'), and many more indie and blockbuster names. As for documentaries, highlights include 'Andy Kaufman Is Me,' a deep-dive into the comedy legend; the needs-no-explaining journalism documentary 'Barbara Walters Tell Me Everything'; Berlin winner 'Holding Liat,' produced by Darren Aronofsky; 'It's Dorothy!,' a portrait of the iconic 'Wizard of Oz' character through culture and history; 'Kerouac's Road: The Beat of a Nation,' about the influence and legacy of Jack Kerouac's 'On the Road'; and many more. Meanwhile, the festival features competitions for U.S. Narrative, International Narrative, Documentary, Best New Narrative Director, Viewpoints, and Shorts, with a starry lineup of jurors from in front of and behind the camera. Plus, join talent for in-person Q&As with reunions and retrospectives for films including 'American Psycho,' 'Casino,' 'Best in Show,' 'Kundun,' 'Meet the Parents,' 'Requiem for a Dream,' 'Shivers,' and more. IndieWire's staff has picked 10 films we've deemed must-sees or that we're most looking forward to — though the festival, of course, has much more to offer. Samantha Bergeson, David Ehrlich, Kate Erbland, Ryan Lattanzio, and Christian Zilko contributed to this story. Best of IndieWire The Best Thrillers Streaming on Netflix in June, from 'Vertigo' and 'Rear Window' to 'Emily the Criminal' All 12 Wes Anderson Movies, Ranked, from 'Bottle Rocket' to 'The Phoenician Scheme' Nightmare Film Shoots: The 38 Most Grueling Films Ever Made, from 'Deliverance' to 'The Wages of Fear'
CBS News
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
At Tribeca Festival 2025, music rules on screen and on stage. Here's a guide to this year's lineup.
Music is the star attraction at the 2025 Tribeca Festival, which opens Wednesday evening in New York City. The subject of numerous documentary and narrative films, music will also be a live feature at this particularly festive festival, with some artists performing mini-concerts in conjunction with film premieres. This year's Tribeca, the 24th edition of the festival, showcases nearly 120 feature-length narrative and documentary films — many of them world or New York premieres — along with shorts, revivals, filmmaker Q&As, immersive art installations, video games, audio storytelling, and music performances. Screenings and events will be held at venues across Manhattan and at the Brooklyn Bowl. The festival's opening night feature is the documentary "Billy Joel: And So It Goes," a portrait of the quintessentially New York piano man. Blending archival footage with new interviews, the film — which will stream later this year on HBO Max — tracks the career of the 76-year-old musician and 23-time Grammy Award-winner, who recently suspended his performance schedule for health reasons. The film also screens June 5, 11 & 15. Other music subjects include: "Depeche Mode: M" (June 5, 6 & 14), which uses the British electronic band's Mexico City concerts as the framework of meditations on mortality. Depeche Mode will participate in a Q&A following the premiere screening. "Counting Crows: Have You Seen Me Lately?" (June 5, 7 & 9) traces the turbulent path of the San Francisco indie rock band Counting Crows and its front man Adam Duritz. "Boy George & Culture Club" (June 5, 6, 8 & 12) explores the '80s British glam rock group. "Something Beautiful with Miley Cyrus" (June 6) is a pop opera comprised of songs from Cyrus' album "Something Beautiful." She'll chat about it afterwards). "Billy Idol Should Be Dead" (June 10, 12 & 13) is a portrait of the punk rocker, past and present. Idol will perform following the premiere. "Sun Ra: Do the Impossible" (June 10, 11, 12 & 14) is a biography of the free-form jazz pioneer, poet and activist. "Metallica Saved My Life" (June 11, 12 & 14) examines the special relationship between the heavy metal band and its fans. Director Jonas Åkerlund and members of Metallica will discuss the film after the premiere. Among the films featuring musicians bowing at the 2025 Tribeca Festival are (clockwise from top left): "Billy Joel: And So It Goes"; "Something Beautiful with Miley Cyrus"; "Sun Ra: Do the Impossible"; "Metallica Saved My Life"; "Rebecca," featuring Becky G; and "Depeche Mode: M." Tribeca Festival The documentary "Matter of Time" (June 12, 13, 14 & 15) features a solo performance by Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, dedicated to raising research funds for Epidermolysis Bullosa. Vedder will play an acoustic set following the premiere. Mexican star Becky G, the focus of the documentary "Rebecca (a.k.a. Becky G)" (June 12, 13 & 14), will perform following the world premiere at the United Palace. The South Korean band The Rose is front-and-center of "The Rose: Come Back to Me," and will make an appearance at the premiere (June 6, 7, 12 & 15). "Still Free TC" (June 13, 14 & 15) follows the divergent paths taken by rapper and producer Ty Dolla $ign, seen during the production of his new album, and his brother, Gabriel, who is serving a 67-year-sentence for murder. "The Sixth Borough" traces the Long Island roots of hip-hop (June 11, 12 & 14), while 2025 Sundance entry "Move Ya Body: The Birth of House," about Chicago's role in the popularization of house music, will have its New York City premiere (June 13, 14 & 15). And you don't always need instruments; "Just Sing" (June 6, 7, 11 & 13) follows members of the VoCals, a University of Southern California a capella group. There are also fiction films whose stories are centered in the worlds of K-pop ("K-Pops!"), indie record labels ("Paradise Records," directed by Logic), classical music (Isabel Hagen's "On a String"), and music therapists (Libby Ewing's "Charliebird"). And among the guests at this year's Tribeca Talks is music producer Mark Ronson (June 7). A world of non-fiction On June 14 the festival's closing night attraction is the documentary "Yanuni," in which an Indigenous woman, Juma Xipaia, leader of an Amazonia tribe in the Middle Xingu, evolved from an environmental warrior facing police tear gas to becoming a member of government. Directed by Richard Ladkani and produced by Leonardo DiCaprio. Other documentary subjects making their bows at Tribeca include the world premiere of "Surviving Ohio State" (June 9, 10 & 13). Co-produced by George Clooney and directed by Eve Orner, the long-awaited exposé examines the sexual abuse scandal involving Ohio State athletics doctor Richard Strauss and the trauma inflicted upon young athletes. It will later be streamed on HBO Max. The comedian/performance artist Andy Kaufman, whose skyrocketing career careened from indescribable standup — he claimed to never tell jokes — to impersonating bad lounge singers and wrestling women on stage, until his death from cancer in 1984, is captured in the intimate documentary "Andy Kaufman Is Me" (June 6, 7 & 12). Making fulsome use of Kaufman's personal trove of audio and video recordings, interviews and puppetry, it seeks to answer the question: Who really was Andy Kaufman? We may never know. "Jimmy & the Demons" (June 8, 10, 13 & 15) profiles graphic artist and sculptor James Grashow as he completes a remarkable, religious-themed commission on mortality — and then faces staging a career-spanning exhibition of his own life's work. "Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything" looks back at the life and work of the trailblazing broadcast journalist, whose stamp on television spanned more than seven decades (June 12, 13 & 15). "Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print" (June 10, 11, 12, 14 & 15) chronicles the history and cultural impact of Ms. Magazine. "The Inquisitor" is a profile of Barbara Jordan, the first Southern Black woman in Congress (June 8, 13 & 14). "State of Firsts" (June 7, 8 & 11) tracks the rise of Delaware's U.S. Representative Sarah McBride, the first transgender person to be elected to Congress. The Netflix documentary "Titan: The OceanGate Disaster" profiles Stockton Rush, the OceanGate CEO whose submersible descending to the wreck of the Titanic in 2023 imploded, killing Rush and four others on board (June 6, 7, 9 & 12). "Bodyguard of Lies" (a CBS Studios/Paramount production, co-produced by Alex Gibney) is an exposé of government deception and lack of accountability over the war in Afghanistan (June 8, 10, 11 & 13). The antebellum homes of Natchez, Mississippi, are a tourist magnet, and a source of civic pride for the town. But as "Natchez" explores, they're more than just pretty buildings — they're an evocation of a racist past that some aren't ready to let go of (June 9, 10 & 14). Choreographer and performer Jenn Freeman, diagnosed later in life with autism, prepares a solo dance that confronts her life's challenges in "Room to Move" (June 11, 12 & 13). Comedian and podcaster Marc Maron is the subject of "Are We Good?" (June 14 & 15). "Just Kids" (June 7, 8 & 13) follows the challenges facing parents seeking gender-affirming care for their children in states where such treatments have been banned. "Saturday Night Live" actress Julia Sweeney's androgynous character Pat is the subject of "We Are Pat" (June 8, 9 & 10), which looks at gender identity and trans visibility. "Holding Liat" (June 9, 10, 11 & 12) follows the ordeal of the family of Israeli-American Liat Atzili, who was kidnapped from his kibbutz during Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack. "An Eye for an Eye" (June 6, 7, 8 & 9) examines sharia law and revenge as an Iranian woman, convicted of murdering her husband, faces possible execution based on the wishes of the dead man's family. Hollywood bombshell Jayne Mansfield, who died tragically at age 34, is the subject of "My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay" (June 13, 14 & 15), a personal film by the star of "Law & Order: SVU." One of the most memorable of pop culture icons, Dorothy Gale, the witch-killer from "The Wizard of Oz," is dissected in "It's Dorothy!" (June 7, 8 & 9). Alex Ross Perry's "Videoheaven" (June 10, 11 & 12) makes its case for the once-ubiquitous video store as a vital pillar of film culture — one we're sad to see gone. If you were to put the tabloid Weekly World News and notoriously incompetent filmmaker Ed Wood in a blender, you might come up with Staten Island underground filmmaker Andy Milligan, a '60s director who reveled in gore, violence and sex in exploitation films like "Gutter Trash." Well, Tribeca is not so stuffy that it wouldn't celebrate his oeuvre with the documentary "The Degenerate: The Life and Films of Andy Milligan" (June 11, 12 & 14). In many places, one may struggle to latch onto Wi-Fi or complain about cellphone reception. In the town of Green Back, West Virginia, home of the world's largest radio telescope, Wi-Fi and phone signals are not allowed. "The End of Quiet" (June 7, 8 & 11) explores a life of silence in the so-called "Quiet Zone." Hungry after all that? "Nobu" is a portrait of sushi chef and restaurateur Nobu Matsuhisa (June 11, 13 & 15). He appears in conversation with Robert De Niro after the film's premiere. Fiction Many American and international narrative films are having their world or U.S. debuts prior to their announced theatrical releases or streaming runs. Among them: Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon bring their natural chemistry to "Best You Can," about the blossoming friendship between a security guard and a urologist. With Judd Hirsch and Brittany O'Grady (June 7, 8, 9 & 15). In the comedy-drama "Everything's Going to Be Great," Bryan Cranston and Allison Janney star as theater managers whose dire circumstances force their family into uncomfortable and messy tensions (June 9, 10, 12 & 15). Molly Gordon and Logan Lerman are a young couple on a romantic getaway in a farmhouse in the comedy "Oh, Hi!" (June 13 & 14). In the comedy "A Tree Fell in the Woods" (June 8, 9, 10 & 13), two couples on a trip to the woods actually experience said tree. Lies and psychedelic drinks ensue. With Alexandra Daddario, Daveed Diggs, Josh Gad and Ashley Park. In "Esta Isla (This Island") (June 7, 8 & 14), young lovers in Puerto Rico escape to the mountains to evade a local drug dealer. Nick Offerman ("Civil War") stars as an extremist whose son (played by Jacob Tremblay, of "Room") questions his father's allegiance to the sovereign citizen's movement, in the based-on-true-events thriller "Sovereign." Co-starring Dennis Quaid and Martha Plimpton (June 8, 9, 11 & 12). In "Rosemead," Lucy Liu stars as a Chinese immigrant who fears her son has become dangerously fixated on mass shootings (June 6, 7, 12 & 14). Guy Pearce (an Oscar-nominee for "The Brutalist") returns as a long-term prisoner who becomes a mentor for an incarcerated young man in "Inside" (June 7, 8, 12 & 13). Oscar nominees Andrea Riseborough and Brenda Blethyn star in "Dragonfly," about a woman takes upon herself the care of an elderly neighbor — possibly with not-entirely-altruistic intentions (June 6, 7, 11 & 13). In 1996, French filmmaker Sophie Toscan Du Plantier was murdered while on vacation in Ireland. A suspect was tried in abstentia by a French court and convicted. What if he had stood trial in Ireland? Directors Jim Sheridan ("My Left Foot") and David Merriman ("Rock Against Homelessness") present "Re-Creation," a fictitious take on that potential trial's jury deliberation, starring Vicky Krieps and Colm Meaney (June 8, 9 & 12). "Kites" is a magical-realist view of life in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, in which a young man's guardian angel seeks to direct him from a life of crime. From first-time director Walter-Thompson Hernández (June 6, 7 & 13). The horror-comedy "Queens of the Dead" answers the question: what do you get when you mix drag queens with flesh-eating zombies? (June 7, 8, 13 & 15.) Finn Wittrock ("American Horror Story") stars as a failed filmmaker who returns to his Long Island hometown to confront the actions of his past in "Westhampton" (June 7, 8, 11 & 14). A struggling filmmaker fears losing his free-travel perk when his roommate, an airline employee, begins dating someone in "The Travel Companion" (June 5, 6, 11, 14 & 15). "Honeyjoon" explores matters of grief and a young woman re-gaining an appreciation of life during a trip the Azores (June 7, 8, 12 & 13). In the growing tradition of live-action remakes of animated films, Mason Thames plays the young Viking lad who tames and befriends Toothless, a young dragon, in "How to Train Your Dragon" (June 11, prior to its theatrical release June 13). Retrospectives and reunions Tribeca will host a 30th anniversary screening of "Casino" (June 5), followed by a talk with star Robert De Niro and director Martin Scorsese. There are also 25th anniversary screenings of the Christopher Guest mockumentary "Best in Show" (with Guest and cast members, June 12), "Requiem for a Dream" (with director Darren Aronofsky and actor Ellen Burstyn, June 10), "American Psycho" (June 12), and "Meet the Parents" (with De Niro, stars Ben Stiller and Teri Polo, director Jay Roach and producer Jane Rosenthal, June 7). Sen. Cory Booker attends a 20th anniversary screening of the Oscar-nominated documentary "Street Fight" ( June 13). It took 50 years, but the 1975 body horror flick "Shivers" will play Tribeca, followed by a talk with director David Cronenberg (June 14). And in honor of the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday, Martin Scorsese's 1997 biography "Kundun" will be screened (June 6). A 20th anniversary 4K remaster of the Japanese musical comedy "Linda Linda Linda," a cult favorite about an all-girl high school band, with music by Smashing Pumpkins' James Iha, unspools on June 8. TV Episodic television is also featured, with screenings of new seasons of the MGM+ series "Godfather of Harlem" (June 11), HBO Max's "The Gilded Age" (June 12), and Paramount+'s "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" (June 14). Novelist Dennis Lehan is the writer-producer behind "Smoke" (Apple TV+), about an arson investor and detective tracking serial arsonists (June 12). From Britbox comes "Outrageous," about six scandalous, aristocratic sisters (June 5). Also screening are "We Were Liars," a Prime Video adaptation of the E. Lockhart bestseller (June 10), and the Hulu documentary "Call Her Alex" about podcaster Alex Cooper (June 8). Tribeca Talks Artist and newsmaker interviews include talks with Jim Gaffigan and Michael Ian Black (June 5); Sean Penn, interviewed by Kaitlan Collins (June 8); Rep. Jasmine Crockett in conversation with Whoopi Goldberg (June 13); and actress Ellen Pompeo, interviewed by Katie Couric (June 14). There are also panel discussions with creatives about the industry, from storytelling to funding. Immersive storytelling programs at the Tribeca Festival include (clockwise from top left): "Uncharted VR," a cosmic merging of the human body with pan-African languages and AI data sculpture; "Scent," a game in which the player (as a dog) roams a war-torn city; Boreal Dreams," a simulation of the Boreal Zone and the relationship between climate and consciousness; and "A Father's Lullaby and Lullabies Through Time," an interactive installation featuring formerly incarcerated fathers. Tribeca Festival Immersive art and games The festival's immersive storytelling program, titled "In Search of Us," features 11 projects by artists working via VR, augmented and mixed reality, and multimedia installations. Pier 57, open to the public June 11-15, will feature playable demos of this year's games selections, including the fantasy game "Absolum"; "Cairn," in which you try to survive reaching the summit of Mount Kami; "Mixtape," a nostalgic look back on high school; "Take Us North," with is built on the stories of real-life migrants; and the horror games "Sleep Awake," in which the player must evade death cults, and "Possessor(s)," where you must escape a flooded city. Festival Guide The festival runs from June 4-15. For more information about films, immersive exhibits, special events and ticketing (single tickets and passes), visit the Tribeca Festival website.
