Tribeca Festival Awards Charliebird, Happy Birthday, Natchez Top Honors

At the 24th annual Tribeca Festival, Libby Ewing's "Charliebird" won the Founders Award for Best U.S. Narrative Feature, while Sarah Goher's "Happy Birthday" from Egypt took Best International Narrative Feature, and Suzannah Herbert's "Natchez" won Best Documentary Feature. The festival celebrated a strong presence of women, first-time directors, and Latin American cinema, with Andrea Riseborough and Brenda Blethyn sharing the Performance Award for "Dragonfly." Jury statements praised "Charliebird" for its grounded and complex performances and lauded "Esta Isla" for its compelling depiction of place and themes of class, love, and history. Additional honors included Best Screenplay for Isabel Hagen's "On a String" and Best Cinematography awarded to Cedric Cheung-Lau for "Esta Isla." Festival director Cara Cusumano emphasized the event's commitment to spotlighting diverse, global independent storytelling voices. The festival concluded in New York City, highlighting breakthrough achievements and the vibrancy of contemporary cinema.