One of the nicest features of the festival is the way that it really celebrates the New York spirit, with “Midnight” appeals to the crazed film students of the many universities right up there with “Family Films” for whatever type of family unit you’ve got. Another bonus is the way that Tribeca stays true to its roots, holding separate competitions for both NY and International films (divided once more into Narrative and Documentary). As if all those films weren’t enough, this NY-grown festival also hosts a Discovery section, which aims to give new directors, controversial subjects, or experimental formats a welcoming audience, along with a Spotlight section for the more established or star-studded features.

The staff operating the festival also goes above and beyond making the festival navigable: their guide (available online at http://www.tribecafilmfestival.org, under “Films and Events”) includes a MyFest selection of other films of interest once you’ve found the ones that sound interesting. The catch, of course, is that almost everything looks and sounds great, with the cinematic selections ranging from 9/11 documentaries to noir thrillers, and covering everything in-between.

And of course, now you have me, as well. I’ll be your friendly neighborhood cineaste, running up and down West Broadway in an attempt to cram in as much as I can while my press pass is still good. Though the best thing you can do is to just experiment with as many different flicks as you can, here are a few highlights that caught my eye and which you may have missed in all those tempting movie summaries.

First off, let’s hit the big budget: “The Promise,” China’s most expensive film ever, promises to be a great epic, almost as exquisite in cinematography as exciting in action, and if the plot is anything more than paper-thin, it’ll be an incredible experience.

In the opposite direction, “Sheitan,” a supposedly ultra-violent film from France, could be a viscerally stunning combination of their country’s notorious beauty and simplicity along with some notoriously bloody influences. How’s that for Asian fusion?

Another blood-boiler is the imaginative “Lunacy” (“Silenci”), a film from the Czech Republic from a director known for pushing the visual envelope into animation, when necessary. Considering that this one’s a philosophical horror film, the possibilities are endless.

Let’s come back to American shores with an American comeback: “Lonely Hearts” not only features one of my favorite actors, Jared Leto, alongside Salma Hayek as the well-known murderous 1940s couple, but has John Travolta and James Gandolfini hot on their trail. The time-period offers director Todd Robinson a lot of opportunity to shine, and he really couldn’t ask for a better cast, and that makes this almost a surefire success.

Another intriguing feature is “Street Thief” which is either really a documentary, or a clever fiction involving a supposed documentary of an elusive Chicagoan thief, Kasper Carr. Either way, it’s bound to be an exciting, gritty, urban film that illustrates the seedier side to the “Ocean” series of high-stakes theft.

It occurs to me that I could keep at this list, but don’t miss the Bill Plympton-hosted “Animated New York,” the crazy musical documentaries, like “Air Guitar Nation” (yes, they do compete), or the mockumentaries, like “Brothers of the Head” (about glam/punk conjoined twins) and “Pittsburgh” (yet another opportunity for Jeff Goldblum to do self-parody, though he hardly needs to).

On a personal note, try not to miss the star-driven performances of “First Snow” (I’ve never seen a bad independent film with Guy Pearce in it) or “Civic Duty” (a chance for Peter Krause to show a wider range). And if you’re looking for catchy premises: “Five Fingers” and “The Free Will (Der Freie Wille)” sound absolutely nuts.

Looking back over all this, it’s clear to me that you don’t need a list, so much as you just need lots and lots of time. Then again, if there were ever a time for the frenetic New Yorker to relax for a moment, or a need to sit back, relax, and enjoy the show, this is it. Grab your tickets now and be a part of the experience.  

Aaron Riccio is a freelance writer and film critic in New York. You can catch up with Aaron at his blogspot: http://thatsoundscool.blogspot.com