Never mind splashy screenings for the likes of Baby Mama and Speed Racer. Tribeca '08 will largely be a forum for the Little Films That Can. And many won't. Some projects may have the money for a reasonably slick marketing push; some won't have enough coin to fly the director's family out for the premiere. Regardless of the camp into which they fall, we thought it only fair to allow the people in charge of these films, the directors, to appeal to our readers themselves.

We posed the same five questions to every filmmaker accepted into the festival and offered them the chance to reply. Below are the responses we've received, virtually unedited. (We've made a few snips for clarity; that's it.)

Justin Meeks and Duane Graves, co-directors of The Wild Man of the Navidad

1 Why should someone watch your movie, in 100 words or less? (Don't just paste in your marketing blurb. Persuade our readers.)
Seventies horror is often referenced in contemporary fright films, but rarely do you see a film you could call a true homage to the period. The idea behind Wild Man was to create an intelligent throwback picture that could possibly pass as a vintage horror tale you might have actually missed. It's more about linear storytelling and trapping audiences in an unsettling atmosphere for 90 minutes, and less about gratuitous violence, unnecessary plot twists and dizzying editing. So some may watch it for nostalgic reasons, while others may want to experience a taste of 70's horror for the first time.

2 Without spoiling your plot, describe a scene in your film that audiences will love.
We enjoy surrounding our professional actors with real people in the supporting roles. It adds such an authentic texture to the movie that just can't be reproduced. I think audiences will enjoy the scenes inside the local cafe/tavern, which is chock full of colorful characters from the region of Texas we shot in.

3 If your protagonist were an animal, what would he/she be and why?
Dale S. Rogers would likely be a gazelle who has slipped away from its pack. Slender and overly cautious, his predator has chased him to the brink of exhaustion, and he now faces an uncertain future.

4 What will surprise me about this movie?
I think the most surprising thing about the movie will be how much was done with so little. Making a period picture on a low budget is extremely challenging - especially when shooting on weekends over six months, traveling four hours round trip to the set with borrowed props and no more than a handful of crew persons at a time. It becomes a labor of love very quickly.

5 How would describe your filmmaking style or philosophy? How is that reflected in this project?
With less of a narrative thread, some of our early short films could easily be interpreted as experimental. For Wild Man, our first feature, we wanted to find a more comfortable medianbetween arthouse and grindhouse. Our directing style employs more of a fluid, steady camera than you might see in today's overly handheld world. We strive to be thorough with the use of our frames, often times working with familiar icons and toying with the psychology of ourcharacters within their own environments. These are some of our more noticeable themes.

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