Tribeca Film Festival Explores and Expands April 19th – May 1st. Written by Elias Stimac Photographed by Evan Sung

Film buffs are eagerly anticipating the 4th annual Tribeca Film Festival, set to unspool April 19th through May 1st in downtown New York City. Founders Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff and executive director Peter Scarlet are lining up an extended slate of features, documentaries, short films, and special events for the fest, which is quickly gaining in popularity as a must-see movie marathon.

According to its mission statement, the Tribeca Film Festival "was founded in 2002 as a response to the attacks on the World Trade Center. Now in its fourth year, the Festival's mission is to create platforms for filmmakers to reach the best possible audience for their work. It strives to promote New York City as the world's independent film capital and to foster the economic and cultural revitalization of Lower Manhattan through an annual celebration of film, music and culture. The first three festivals attracted nearly one million visitors and created in excess of $125 million in economic activity for Lower Manhattan.”

Over fifty world premieres will make their bow at the downtown fest this year, in venues spreading out between Canal Street and the WTC. All in all, approximately two hundred and fifty big screen offerings will be shown during the two-week event. Features such as Fierce People (with Diane Lane and Donald Sutherland), The Interpreter (with Sean Penn and Nicole Kidman), and House of Wax (with Paris Hilton) will be spotlighted at the fest.

Rachael Roberts and Josh McLane

Star turns in other feature-length competitors include Maggie Gyllenhaal, Edie Falco, Tony Shalhoub, and Stephen Colbert (The Great New Wonderful); Tom Cavanagh, Sarah Chalke, Illeana Douglas, and Celeste Holm (Alchemy); Tovah Feldshuh and Daphne Rubin-Vega (Life on the Ledge); Malcolm Gets, Parker Posey, and Chris Kattan (Adam & Steve); David Arquette, Thora Birch, and Julianna Margulies (Slingshot).

Some of the flashier names among the list of filmmakers include Rosanna Arquette, Griffin Dunne, Peter Greenaway, Bill Plympton, Sydney Pollack, Martin Ritt, and 90210’s own Tiffani Thiessen.

The two-week schedule is chock-full of diverse projects, including special categories such as:

Tribeca All Access (TAA) Connects is a program that helps foster relationships between US-based filmmakers of color and the film industry. There are twenty-nine projects on the roster this year, including a select number of unrepresented screenwriters. Meetings will be set up between the screenwriters and directors with representatives of over eighty film industry companies and organizations. Cash prizes for exceptional entries will be presented at the Tribeca All Access Awards and Closing Night Party sponsored by the Playboy Foundation at the Tribeca Grand on April 28th. 

The Tribeca Family Festival will run the entire two weeks this year, with daily screenings of new family films. Notable names include Pierce Brosnan narrating the sea adventure Deep Blue and Kenneth Branagh and Eddie Izzard heading up a magical tale called Five Children and It. The family comedy Lucky 13 boasts an ensemble cast of Jeremy Piven, Doris Roberts, Cheryl Hines, Jami Gertz, Daryl Hannah and Garry Marshall. Also being held is the free Family Festival Street Fair, taking place on Saturday, April 30th from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Greenwich Street (between Beach and Duane Streets).

The Shorts Film Program consists of ninety-five films selected from twenty-four countries; these range from experimental to animation. They are programmed thematically in the Festival shorts programs as well as screened before feature films. The shorts selection features films by well-known feature filmmakers, veteran animators, and new works by experimental film artists. Lending some star power to the proceedings are actors Tim Roth, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Eric Roberts and Alan Cumming.

An intriguing series entitled Wide Angle promises some eye-opening ventures including George Michael: A Different Story. The film intends to show the former Wham! frontman in a candid and personal light. With George himself as our guide, we get a behind-the-scenes look at his private and public lives, and view concert footage of his collaborations with Elton John, Mariah Carey, Sting, and Boy George. Also highlighted is the first on-camera interview in two decades with singer and fellow Wham!-ster Andrew Ridgeley.

Also showcased at the fest will be midnight movies, surprise screenings, restored works, panel talks, and an encore of two Downtown Plays by Paul Rudnick and Jon Robin Baitz. The Tribeca Film Festival certainly has something for everyone. To find out what it has for you, visit: www.tribecafilmfestival.org