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It's Tribeca time again!

By Mina Hochberg | amNewYork Movie Critic

April 23, 2008

With more than 200 movies, from timely political documentaries to relationship dramas, this year's Tribeca Film Festival--running from April 23 to May 4-- has more than enough choices to satisfy every taste.

Some films, such as "The Wackness" and "Man on Wire," are slated to open later in the year, which makes this your opportunity to get a sneak peek. Other films are still seeking distribution and have never screened before a public audience. We sorted through the lineup and selected 30 of the festival's most promising pickings.

DOCUMENTARIES

Gunnin' For That #1 Spot Beastie Boy Adam Yauch follows eight of the country's top high school basketball players as they compete in an all-star competition at Harlem's Rucker Park. (Opens June 27)

Man on Wire This Sundance favorite revisits the 1973 stunt of daredevil Philippe Petit, who snuck to the top of the World Trade Center and walked a high wire between the two towers. (Opens Aug. 15)

Chevolution How does an icon of a Communist revolution become an icon in a capitalist market? "Chevolution" traces the path of Che Guevara's face all the way to tees and beer bottles.

Under Our Skin If everything you learned about Lyme disease came from summer camp warnings against ticks, "Under Our Skin" gives you the lowdown on this growing epidemic -- and why insurance companies don't want you to know about it.

Guest of Cindy Sherman Videographer Paul H-O reflects on his romance with artist Cindy Sherman, offering his personal account of the New York art world and being attached to a celebrity within it.

Kassim the Dream A look at the life of Kassim "The Dream" Ouma, whose career as an international middleweight boxing champ is worlds apart from his time as a child soldier in Uganda.

The Chicken, The Fish and The King Crab Watch chefs take their art very, very seriously as a Spanish chef, Jesus Almagro, prepares for the prestigious "Bocuse d'Or" competition in France.

Pray the Devil Back to Hell After a decade-long war in Liberia that killed a quarter-million people, thousands of Liberian women united in a peaceful protest -- to great success.

I Am Because We Are Madonna narrates this documentary about the plight of AIDS orphans in Malawi, the native country of her newly adopted son.

Run For Your Life Meet Fred Lebow, the man who pioneered the New York City Marathon in the 1970s. Without P. Diddy or Katie Holmes, Lebow resorted to more old-school PR tricks.

Secrecy Volumes of information are classified by the U.S. government each year, and "Secrecy" explores the details of the classification process. (Hint: It's not just a guy redacting sentences with a black Sharpie.)

Profit Motive and the Whispering Wind Director John Gianvito visits gravesites around the country to salute social activists of centuries past, from abolitionists and feminists to labor leaders and striking workers.

Theater of War If you missed Meryl Streep in "Mother Courage and Her Children" when it was staged two summers ago in Central Park, see her up close in this behind-the-scenes documentary that follows Streep, Tony Kushner and director George C. Wolfe.

Waiting For Hockney Amateur artist Billy Pappas spent nearly nine years painting a painstaking portrait of Marilyn Monroe, using a magnifying glass and a sling to prop up his aching arms. To top off the challenge, he then tried to catch the attention of renowned pop artist David Hockney.

Bigger, Stronger, Faster Contemplating his childhood obsession with pro wrestlers like Hulk Hogan, director Christopher Bell explores the issue of steroids and how it reflects a common American compulsion to be the best. (Opens May 30)

FEATURES

Katyn Nominated for best foreign film at the Oscars this year, "Katyn" delves into a dark chapter of Poland's history, when 15,000 officers were massacred by Russia in 1940. Anna waits months to discover if her missing husband, a Polish Army captain, was one of the casualties.