The 2025 Tribeca Festival, closing on Sunday, has brought together a dynamic mix of emerging voices and established talent, showcasing stories that inspired, challenged, and surprised. From gripping feature debuts to bold documentaries and genre-bending narratives, this year’s lineup proved that the festival remains a vital platform for original storytelling. Among the dozens of noteworthy premieres, five titles stood out for their artistic vision, emotional impact, and potential to shape conversations long after the closing credits. Here are the standout selections that captured the spirit of this year’s Tribeca Festival.
Honeyjoon
This winning debut feature by writer-director Lilian T. Mehrel—awarded last year’s AT&T Untold Stories game-changing $1 million prize—is a funny, sexy story about, improbably, a mother-daughter trip. Perhaps it’s not so unlikely considering Ayden Mayeri’s impressive comedic performance, the ever-luminous Amira Casar as the extremely alluring mother, and the breathtakingly gorgeous backdrop of the Azores—not to mention José Condessa as their hunky tour guide.
The Scout
In writer-director Paula González-Nasser’s polished directorial debut, a key behind-the-scenes role finds itself in the spotlight: the location scout, who is tasked with finding the right homes and businesses in which to film a TV show. Mimi Davila shines in the titular role as a character who briefly tiptoes into various New Yorkers’ lives over the course of one trying day, observing everything around her with quiet patience and endeavoring to do her job (and keep her cool) against all odds.
Happy Birthday
This well-crafted film, exploring class and privilege in today’s Cairo, won three awards at this year’s festival, including best international narrative feature, best screenplay in an international narrative feature, and the Nora Ephron award for first-time writer-director Sarah Goher. In it, an eight-year-old (an exceptional Doha Ramadan) working as a maid for a wealthy family makes extraordinary efforts to see that her best friend, the young daughter of the house, has a successful birthday party.
Lemonade Blessing
Writer-director Chris Merola’s debut feature tells the story of an awkward teen (Jake Ryan) sent to Catholic school by his devout mother. There, he falls for a devious young atheist who’s ready to test his devotion to his faith and to her with a series of increasingly eyebrow-raising actions. It’s by turns sweet and raunchy—as teenage years often are.
The Last Guest of the Holloway Motel
How did a 1970s British soccer star disappear without a trace at the peak of his career and, years later, end up managing a down-at-the-heels West Hollywood motel in obscurity? Directors Ramiel Petros and Nicholas Freeman valiantly attempt to unravel the tale of Tony Powell—with only begrudging help from its protagonist. It’s a twisty tale that meanders to unexpected conclusions, offering up surprises right until the closing credits.
