Tribeca Film Festival Opening Day News Conference Coverage

The Tribeca Film Festival is in it’s 9th year. Begun in 2002 following the 9/11 attacks, it was meant to serve as a way to get people back to the World Trade Center neighborhood of Tribeca. And now, nearly a decade later, it, is coming to them.


The 2010 Tribeca Film Fest is marked most notably by it’s “virtual” or “video on demand” offerings through cable partners like Time Warner and Direct TV. With a full slate of films that will be released online simultaneous to their Festival release, the move ensures that everyone who wants to, can take a bite out of this iconic New York event.

At today’s opening news conference, co-founders Robert DeNiro and Jane Rosenthal were joined by newly de-“Sundanced” Chief Creative Officer Geoffrey Gilmore and the Festival’s Executive Director Nancy Schafer. All gave props to American Express for their continued festival sponsorship – which this year is notable not just for its financial support but for the new ways in which that support is helping independent and foreign Festival films reach new audiences online. Shafer notes the reach is up to 40 million viewers.

Rosenthal talked about the Festival’s roots in the neighborhood, and how it’s really a community festival. With special outdoor “drive-in” showings of family favorites like “Big” alongside other kid-friendly fare like the BMX Jams tour and Family Street Fair with performances from Broadway stars.

Filmmaker Alex Gibney has three movies at this year’s festival, including an untitled Eliot Spitzer movie sure to draw New Yorkers, as well as ”My Trip to Al Queda,” which harkens back to the festival’s roots. Comedies, however, also abound, which can be unusual – says Executive Director Nancy Shafer – in a Film Festival that highlights independent film. Out of the over 5,000 film submissions, there are several that were chosen including the “revenge of the teenagers” flick, “Beware the Gonzo.”

Still, the 3-D movement that splashed towards us with Avatar will now open the festival with Shrek’s final installment, the premiere of “Shrek Forever After.”

Whether you’re in town or not, check out all of our film reviews and interviews here on Film Slate… and hit the Tribeca site too, at www.tribecafilm.com. $45 buys you a “premium pass” enabling you to stream eight full-length 2010 Tribeca feature films. They kick off April 23rd with Edward Burns’ “Nice Guy Johnny.” You can also watch filmmakers discuss various issues on live panels, and even see shorts.


So… Stay tuned… There’s much more to come!
-written 4/20/10 for/originally published in Film Slate Magazine