New Docs About T. Rex, Leonard Cohen, Lil Baby to Screen at Tribeca Film Festival

New documentaries on T. Rex, Leonard Cohen, and Lil Baby are among the films set to screen at the 2022 Tribeca Festival (formerly known as the Tribeca Film Festival), taking place June 8 through 19 in New York City.

Angelheaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan and T. Rex, was written and directed by Ethan Silverman, and will get its premiere at Tribeca. The film pairs a deep dive into Bolan’s life and career with a look at the making of the 2020 T. Rex tribute album (also titled Angelheaded Hipster), which was the final tribute compilation spearheaded by Hal Willner. The film will feature appearances from Ringo Starr, Nick Cave, and Joan Jett, as well as Gloria Jones, Bolan’s longtime partner who was driving the car when Bolan was killed in an accident. 

As for the Cohen documentary, Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song, it will screen at Tribeca after premiering at the Venice Film festival last year. Directed by Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine, the film examines Cohen’s life and career specifically through the lens of his renowned song, “Hallelujah” (the project was green-lit in 2014, before Cohen’s death, and the aforementioned Willner also served as the music producer). Following its screening at Tribeca, there will be a Cohen tribute concert featuring Judy Collins, Amanda Shires, Sharon Robinson, and a surprise guest.

Lil Baby will also be on hand for a special performance after the premiere of the new doc about his life, Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby, directed by Karam Gill. And the celebrated Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men will take the stage after the world premiere of Tíu, a new documentary by Dean Deblois, that commemorates the 10th anniversary of the band’s debut album, My Head Is an Animal.

Another film set to premiere at Tribeca this year is God Said Give ‘Em Drum Machines, a long-in-the-works project about the origins of techno in Detroit. Directed by Kristian R. Hill, the film features pioneers like Kevin Saunderson, Juan Atkins, and Derrick May. Following the screening, there will be a performance from Detroit greats Inner City and Model 500 (Atkins’ DJ moniker). 

Other music docs set to screen at the festival this year include Nothing Compares, about Sinéad O’Connor; The DOC, about West Coast hip-hop great the D.O.C.; Music Pictures: New Orleans, about an array of legendary New Orleans musicians; and The Lost Weekend: A Love Story, in which May Pang shares her side of her 18-month relationship with John Lennon.