Tribeca Film Festival

In the months following 9-11, the Tribeca Film Festival was created to "revitalize" Manhattan both culturally and economically. Like other film festivals, Tribeca showcases feature, short and documentary films, including those made by A-list actors. The 2009 Tribeca Film Festival began on April 22, 2009, and concludes on May 3, 2009. Early ticket sales begin on April 14 for American Express cardholders and general public tickets will be available on April 20 at 11:00 a.m. local time.

Racing Dreams and About Elly won top honors at the festival on April 27, 2009.

2009 Jurors

Brian Williams, Meg Ryan, Uma Thurman, Whoopi Goldberg, Bradley Cooper, Todd Haynes and Henry Louis Gates Jr.

2009 Winners

Ciaran Hinds won best actor for his role in The Eclipse.
Zoe Kaza won "Best Actress" for her role in The Exploring Girl.
Rune Denstad Langlo won "Best New Narrative Filmmaker Award" for North.
Ian Olds won "Best New Documentary Filmmaker" for Fixer.

Community Impact

With actor Robert DeNiro as one of its co-founders, the first festival in 2002 attracted over 150,000 people and generated $10 million to the local economy. The second brought in double the previous year's attendance, and $50 million to area's businesses.

Showcased Films

Tribeca has since grown to being both a reputable indie showcase as well as a launching pad for some studio films like Star Wars Episode II and About A Boy.

Additional Events

In addition to the film screenings, the festival features the Tribeca ESPN Sports Film Festival, the Tribeca Family Festival Street Fair as well as other special events including panels and special presentations with actors and filmmakers. The festival also holds a drive-in style event each night at the World Financial Center Plaza, featuring free screenings starting at 6:00 p.m.