Tribeca Film Festival 2019 winners were announced last night. And Geetanjali Thapa made her mark with Stray Dolls. Full list of winners inside.

Tribeca Film Festival was founded in 2002 in New York by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff and now holds a prominent place on the film festival calendar. Running from 24 April – 5 May this year, the winners were announced last night at the ceremony at Stella Artois Theatre at BMCC TPAC. Amongst them, Geetanjali Thapa stood out and received a Special Jury Mention in the Best Actress Category for the film Stray Dolls.

The Indian-American director Sonejuhi Sinha’s Stray Dolls made its world premiere at the festival, with Geetanjali Thapa in the lead role, in the USA Narrative Competition. The 18th Tribeca Film Festival had a few films with Indian talent playing at it. For all the Indian talent that was part of the festival this year, click here.

Stary Dolls is the film is the story of Riz, a recent South Asian immigrant, who takes a job at a seedy motel in a bid to start over in America. The motel’s other employees and guests pull her back into a life she preferred to leave behind.
The Jury’s official comment on her Special Mention win was – “For her always surprising and deeply engaging work in Stray Dolls, Geetanjali Thapa.”

The really talented and grounded actress has an enviable filmography to boast of and has already won a National Film Award for her performance in Liar’s Dice. Just no PR machinery to put out articles on her work or which man held her heels, tied her laces, or carried her bag (sorry, had to!).

Just an overview of it –
I.D., premiered at Busan Film Festival 2012
Monsoon Shootout, premiered at Cannes Film Festival 2013
Liar’s Dice, premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2014
Tigers, premiered at Toronto International Film Festival 2014
Trapped, premiered at Mumbai Film Festival 20146
More recently she has been seen in Kuchh Bheege Alfaaz, Bioscopewala and in a small appearance in Sacred Games.

​We need to see more of her all around. For ex. The Mary Kom biopic would have been a far more authentic experience with her in it.​ Congratulations to the incredible lady on this win! And to Sonejuhi Sinha. Sonejuhi born in India moved to New York at 13. This is her debut feature film and she has already been named in the 25 rising female directors to know in 2019 by Indiewire. 

​Coming back to the 18th Tribeca Film Festival, the festival saw big winners in the films – Burning Cane, Blow The Man Down, House of Hummingbird, Noah Land and Scheme Birds. ​Find the full list of winners below.

U.S. NARRATIVE COMPETITION
Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature
Burning Cane, Directed by Phillip Youmans

Best Actress
Haley Bennett, Swallow
Special Jury Mention: Geetanjali Thapa, Stray Dolls

Best Actor
Wendell Pierce in Burning Cane

Best Cinematography
Phillip Youmans for Burning Cane
Special Jury Mention: Todd Banhazl, Blow the Man Down

Best Screenplay
Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy, Blow the Man Down
Special Jury Mention: Ani Simon-Kennedy, The Short History of the Long Road

INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE COMPETITION
Best Feature
House of Hummingbird (Beol-sae) (South Korea, USA), Directed and written by Bora Kim

Best Actress
Ji-hu Park, House of Hummingbird (Beol-sae) (South Korea, USA)

Best Actor
Ali Atay, Noah Land (Nuh Tepesi) (Germany, Turkey, USA)

Best Cinematography
Kang Gook-hyun, House of Hummingbird (Beol-sae) (South Korea, USA)

Best Screenplay
Cenk Ertürk, Noah Land (Nuh Tepesi) (Germany, Turkey, USA)

DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Best Feature
Scheme Birds (Scotland, Sweden), Directed and written by Ellen Fiske, Ellinor Hallin

Best Cinematography
Yang Sun, Shuang Liang, Our Time Machine (China)

Best Editing
Jennifer Tiexiera, 17 Blocks (USA)
Special Jury Mention – Rewind

BEST NEW NARRATIVE DIRECTOR COMPETITION
The Gasoline Thieves (Huachicolero) (Mexico, Spain, UK, USA), Directed by Edgar Nito

BEST NEW DOCUMENTARY DIRECTOR COMPETITION
Albert Maysles New Documentary Director Award
Scheme Birds (Scotland, Sweden), Directed by Ellen Fiske and Ellinor Hallin

NORA EPHRON AWARD
Rania Attieh for Initials S.G. (Iniciales S.G.) (Argentina, Lebanon, USA), Directed by Rania Attieh, Daniel Garcia

SHORT FILM COMPETITION
Maja (Denmark), Directed by Marijana Jankovic
Special Jury Mention: The Dishwasher, written and directed by Nick Hartanto and Sam Roden