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.)

Dori Berinstein, director of Gotta Dance

1 Why should someone watch your movie, in 100 words or less? (Don't just paste in your marketing blurb. Persuade our readers.)
Do you want to see a brilliant but devastating doc that confronts man's inhumanity to man? If your answer is yes...do not come see Gotta Dance. This movie is a non-stop dance party. It's Bad News Bears meets the flip side of Mad Hot Ballroom. It's fiercely inspiring, endlessly funny and relentlessly charming. You'll fall in love with Fanny (81), Marge (83), Peggy (74), Audrey (60) and Betty/Betsy (64). It will make you leap out of your seats and dance in the aisles.

2 Without spoiling your plot, describe a scene in your film that audiences will love.
After their premiere performance on center court, the Nets Senior Dance Team is on top of the world. Every morning show wants them, they're on the cover of USA Today, they're even spoofed on Saturday Night Live. As they get caught up in the swirl of fame and glory, reality suddenly hits. Only one week to go before their next performance and their new hip-hop routine is brutal. They just can't get it together. Will the team rise to the occasion or will they be scratched (asked not to perform) as their routine is deemed sub-standard, which would be devastating for everyone?

3 If your protagonist were an animal, what would he/she be and why?
Our stars, the Nets Senior Dance Team members, would be the singing and dancing Lemurs in Madagascar who like to "move it, move it". Those merry lemurs gotta dance too!

4 What will surprise me about this movie?
You'll be surprised at how depressed you'll be when you realize you're too young to audition for the Nets Senior Dance Team!

5 How would describe your filmmaking style or philosophy? How is that reflected in this project?
I'm passionate about telling stories of everyday people who take on a dream...who throw themselves into the pursuit of something seemingly unobtainable and give it their all, no matter the risks or struggles along the way. It's their adventure that captivates me. It's how they grow, change and become unexpected heros, surprising, most of all, themselves. These people inspire me and I'm thrilled to be able to tell their stories and to challenge audiences to go for it, to take on life, to be the best they can be. I could ask for no better cast than the New Jersey Nets Senior Dance Team to do all that and so much more.

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