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.)

Susan Koch, director of Kicking It

1 Why should someone watch your movie, in 100 words or less? (Don't just paste in your marketing blurb. Persuade our readers.)
It sounds like a crazy idea: having homeless people from all over the world compete in an international soccer competition. But when you think about it, many of the best soccer players in the world come from the streets. Audiences will find themselves on the edge of their seats, rooting for the homeless players featured here—both on the pitch and in the players' lives. From war-torn Afghanistan, the slums of Kenya, the drug rehab clinics of Dublin, the streets of Charlotte, North Carolina, and the unforgiving city of St. Petersburg, Russia, winning takes on a whole new meaning.

2 Without spoiling your plot, describe a scene in your film that audiences will love.
Najib, the handsome 19-year-old goalie from Afghanistan, discovers that the relationship between men and women is far different than it is back home. He starts spending time with a female player from Paraguay who seems to like him, but, lacking experience, he's not quite sure. And he comes up with a way to "test" her feelings about him.

4 What will surprise me about this movie?
How something as simple as a ball can change a life.

5 How would describe your filmmaking style or philosophy? How is that reflected in this project?
Find strong characters and let them tell their stories. Treat them with respect. Don't prejudge or predict what will happen. I've done my job as a filmmaker if a viewer learns something new...sees the world in a different way...is moved in some way...and talks about the film at the dinner table the next night! While the seven homeless soccer players featured in Kicking It hail from every corner of the world, one comes away with a strong sense of our global community and common humanity. You'll see homeless people in a whole new light.

NEXT: The Wild Man of the Navidad »