Tribeca Film Festival 2009 Mini-Preview: Documentaries

Racing Dreams goes behind the scenes at the World Karting Association's national championship, in which kids age 11 to 13 compete in what's perceived as a huge stepping stone to auto racing's big show: NASCAR. "None of them can legally drive on a city street, but they each masterfully zip around a course at nearly 80 mph. Yet driving fast may be the easiest challenge facing these ambitious kids. Throughout the course of an entire WKA season, they each encounter not just the trials of adolescence but also the realities of a sport requiring great amounts of money to even compete."

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Last week Executive Director Nancy Schafer talked us through some of the fun events happening during the festival, which include free stuff like the drive-in movies and the family street fair, the post-screening Q&A's with directors such as Spike Lee and Steven Soderbergh, and a "work in progress" premiere screening of the documentary, Bon Jovi: When We Were Beautiful.

Tickets went on sale Tuesday for American Express Cardmembers, who get first dibs on tickets through Saturday because Am Ex is a major festival sponsor. On Sunday, single tickets go on sale to downtown residents (below Canal) at the Tribeca Cinemas ticket outlet only, and on Monday they go on sale to the general public. All ticket details are here. Click on the film stills above for details on some of the intriguing documentary features at this year's festival.