Chris Moukarbel's film 'Cypher' wins big at Tribeca Festival

Chris Moukarbel's film Cypher emerged as the winner of the prestigious best U.S. narrative feature prize at the Tribeca Festival. 

The film, which Moukarbel wrote and directed, made its world premiere at the festival last week. The jury commended the film for its innovative use of music, captivating visuals, and incorporation of found materials to explore the themes of celebrity, conspiracy culture, and the nature of narrative reality.

Another notable winner in the U.S. narrative category was Smoking Tigers, which received the Best Performance award for Ji-Young Yoon and Best Screenplay for So Young Shelly Yo. Yo also made her directorial debut with the film, which revolves around a Korean-American girl grappling with her parents' separation. 

"The Graduates," directed by Hannah Peterson, earned Caroline Costa the Best Cinematography award. The film follows a high school senior who confronts the tragic anniversary of a school shooting that claimed the life of her boyfriend.

The 22nd annual Tribeca Festival is scheduled to run from June 7 to June 18. The award ceremony, held at Racket NYC, announced the winners in various categories, honoring outstanding storytellers.

In the international narrative feature category, Guto Parente's A Strange Path from Brazil emerged victorious, claiming the Best International Narrative Feature award. The film revolves around David, an experimental filmmaker, who returns to Brazil after a decade to premiere his latest work at a local festival. Carlos Francisco, one of the stars of the film, was recognized with the Best Performance award, while Linga Acácio's cinematography in the film was honored with the Best Cinematography award.

The Best Documentary Feature award went to Andrew H. Brown and Moses Thuranira for their film Between the Rains. The documentary chronicles the journey of a young man adapting to the challenges posed by the rapidly changing climate and prolonged drought in the Turkana-Ngaremara community in Northern Kenya. The jury praised the film for its craftsmanship, impactful storytelling, and its raw, elegant portrayal of resilience, which left a lasting impression on all the jurors. Brown also received the Best Cinematography award for his exceptional work in the documentary.

Cara Cusumano, the festival director and VP of programming, expressed great pride in recognizing the diverse and groundbreaking works and creators of this year's festival. Cusumano stated that the award recipients serve as a compelling testament to the vibrant and inspiring trajectory of storytelling across different genres and platforms.

In addition to the aforementioned categories, awards were also presented for immersive experiences, games, and audio storytelling.