Touting its five-year anniversary, the Tribeca Film Festival is currently screening more than 274 films throughout Manhattan. Since the festival’s rapid initiation in 2002 headed by actor Robert De Niro and producer Jane Rosenthal, the Tribeca Film Festival has both prided and promoted itself on dedication to revitalizing lower Manhattan, which experienced both an economic slump and a surge of residents relocating following the events on September 11th, 2001. 2006 marks the first year Tribeca has expanded its locations for exhibition, now screening films on the Upper West Side, Midtown, and the East Village in anticipation of the large draw the festival has for both New York City residents and tourists. Although the Tribeca Film Festival still maintains a strong focus on the events and aftermath of September 11th, specifically this year with the premiere of United 93, along with documentaries such as The Falling Man, the festival often feels as though it has somewhat of an identity crisis, with a hodgepodge of screening selections that often baffle (such as the inclusion of the Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen film New York Minute in 2004) and frustrate, considering the dizzying amount of films available to the public. With lower Manhattan’s economic status now stable and still growing, it will be interesting to see how Tribeca continues to develop in the next several years and how it will continue to relate itself to the ever-changing isle of Manhattan. With the barrage of films available for review we have chosen a select few works not only premiering stateside at this year’s festival, but in certain cases unavailable for viewing again in the near future. The Tribeca Film Festival runs for ten days throughout Manhattan, and will be closing on Sunday, May 7th.
Introduction by Jenny Jediny
The Case of the Grinning Cat | 01 May |
Lunacy | 04 May |
Colour Me Kubrick | 08 May |
The Bridge | 09 May |
We don’t do comments anymore, but you may contact us here or find us on Twitter or Facebook.