Tribeca 2026: Cotton Fever, Via Negativa, Memorizu, Mumford & Sons: The House Band | Reviews
With its 25th anniversary edition, the Tribeca Film Festival continued to showcase a wide range of voices, unforgettable performances, and films that left a lasting impression.
The celebrated and historic 25th year of the Tribeca Film Festival continued to honor a wide range of films. Among the festival’s biggest winners were Cotton Fever, directed by Daniel Blake Schwartz, which took home three awards, including Best International Narrative, and Labrador – Autopsy of Silence, which took home Best Performance in an International Narrative Feature. Jail Time Records won top documentary honors. Overall, it was a solid year for the festival, and here’s my full recap.
Inspired by Schwartz’s real-life experiences, Cotton Fever had its world premiere as part of the U.S. Narrative Competition. Directed and written by Schwartz, Cotton Fever delivers a striking, raw, and authentic story portraying addiction. The story is set around several lives interconnected by battling addiction, recovery, and poverty. Schwartz crafts a harrowing story of various storylines that collide, but who stand out in particular are James (Kyle Gallner) and his girlfriend, Dina (Sosie Bacon), whose focus is to stay sober while dealing with Dina’s pregnancy and the realities of providing for a family. Gallner and Bacon previously starred together in the horror film Smile (2022), but this film is very different from that. While their performances offer a compassionate look at addiction, the characters themselves are underdeveloped, making it a struggle to connect with or resonate with any of them. The film also follows a young queer couple, Sam (Chabely Ponce) and Manny (Ari Mora), and a teenager, Harely (Colton Osorio), who is trying to find his place in the world, while his brother, Akil (Ronald Emile), is doing street outreach. It is clear to see that it is a personal story, but it has uneven pacing and is not nearly as engaging.
Adapted from Daniel Hornsby’s 2020 novel of the same name, Via Negativa explores grief, faith, and human connection. A young priest, Father Dan (Young Mazino), embarks on a road trip across the West, struggling with the loss of his friend. On his journey, he picks up a wounded coyote and encounters various strangers along the way. Directed and written by Hannah Peterson, Via Negativa had its world premiere as Peterson returned to the festival, but her film The Graduates was also selected in 2023. Her film showcases Mazino’s strong performance as he portrays a man in a faith crisis and a search for redemption, carrying the film and adding complexity to the character. Though the supporting cast isn’t especially memorable, characters like Beth and Anna contribute to the film’s emotional depth. Peterson presents audiences with a slow-burn character study that, despite its thoughtful themes, leaves little lasting impact, even with a compelling story. Filmed in Oregon, the film captures the beauty and quiet rural setting that showcases Dan’s emotional journey. Overall, Peterson makes for a meditative watch, but it felt narratively dry. Via Negativa was selected for the U.S. Narrative Competition.
Director Mikku Sakanishi marks his feature film debut with the poetic film Memorizu. Also written by Sakanishi, the film follows Yuta (Tasuku Emoto), who leaves his family in Tokyo to care for his father-in-law, Makoto (Issei Ogata), after Makoto injures his leg. He travels to the countryside of Kyushu to help Makoto’s photo shop. With Yuta separated from his wife, Yuki (Moeka Hoshi), and daughter, Hana (Masayo Umezawa), he maintains a close, connected relationship with them by sharing videos and photos despite the distance between them. Despite its slow pacing, Memorizu captures a realistic, beautiful story about memory and emotional closure through digital media and an appreciation of everyday beauty. Sakanishi directs a quiet, meditative narrative with layered performances by Ogata and Emoto, who share an organic, moving chemistry. Memorizu was selected for the International Narrative Competition, and with Sakanishi’s striking direction, he would go on to win the Best New Narrative Director Award at the festival, marking a strong debut and possibly a bright future for him.
Mumford & Sons: The House Band
This isn’t the average tour documentary; director Sam Jones and British folk-rock band Mumford & Sons embark on a cross-country train tour, the Railroad Revival Tour. The tour reimagines the concert experience as taking place in August 2025 and features four stops with a rotating lineup of special guest artists, including Darius Rucker, Lainey Wilson, Noah Kahan, and Maggie Rogers. Jones’ film is unlike any tour documentary, offering audiences a rare and intimate look at a unique experience. The film is similar to the band’s previous documentary, Big Easy Express (2012), directed by Emmett Malloy. He has also appeared in other documentaries, but this is a different, honest look at one of their most ambitious tours. The film, which also unfolds as a road trip, illustrates a deeply collaborative experience, even as ideas clash. As the band rehearses, they eventually come together to build their setlist and strive to stay in harmony. Jones also incorporates interviews and, of course, jam sessions during the train ride. When it comes to showtime, everything comes together like a well‑oiled machine. There are outstanding live musical performances of cover songs, including “Wildflowers and Wild Horses”, “Wagon Wheel,” and fan favorite Mumford & Sons songs like “I Will Wait.” Visually and in its editing, it’s crafted like a standard tour documentary, but audiences will surely become invested in Marcus and the entire band’s adventurous musical train journey. Jones was the right fit for the project, having previously collaborated on projects, including directing one of the music videos, “Hopeless Wanderer,” a personal favorite. He clearly understood their vision, which emphasizes the importance of live music that showcases the band’s authentic side. It’s a necessary watch for any Mumford and Sons fan. Mumford & Sons: The House Band had its world premiere as part of the Spotlight+ selection.
Our team is on site for the 25th Tribeca Film Festival, from June 3 to 14, 2026.
