The Tribeca Film Festival began April 19

With screenings of more than 250 films from around the world, celebrity panel discussions, a drive-in, community fair, and other special events, the Tribeca Film Festival will electrify the downtown neighborhood for the fourth year. The festival opened Tuesday, April 19 with the premiere of Sydney Pollack's The Interpreter starring Sean Penn and Nicole Kidman, and runs through May 1.

On Thursday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined Tribeca Film Festival co-founders Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff to kick off the festival in Lower Manhattan.

"Since it began in 2002, the Tribeca Film Festival has generated tremendous excitement and economic activity throughout Lower Manhattan," Mayor Bloomberg said in a statement. "The Festival has helped solidify New York's place as one of the world's great movie cities by taking advantage of our cultural vitality and creating a premier showcase for exciting and innovative filmmaking."

Highlights from this year's festival include the world premieres of Fierce People starring Diane Lane and Donald Sutherland and Danny Leiner's The Great New Wonderful starring Maggie Gyllenhaal, Edie Falco, Tony Shalhoub, and Olympia Dukakis, which follows the post-9/11 lives of five New Yorkers. The Tribeca Talks Panel Series will feature discussions by leading filmmakers, directors, actors, producers, and entertainment writers.

The festival draws large crowds downtown

"So much goes into making this Festival happen," Craig Hatkoff said in a statement. "We are grateful to all of our corporate partners, the more than 2000 volunteers and tireless film festival staff, the generous Tribeca community and artists worldwide who have identified Tribeca as the platform from which to share their work. We look forward to expanding and strengthening these relationships in the years to come."

In 2002, the Tribeca Film Festival was founded in response to the attack on the World Trade Center. The Festival's mission is to promote New York City as the world's independent film capital and foster the economic and cultural revitalization of Lower Manhattan through an annual celebration of film, music and culture. Festival organizers estimate that the first three festivals attracted nearly one million visitors and created in excess of $125 million in economic activity for Lower Manhattan.   

For the official 2005 Tribeca Film Festival schedule and program of events, visit www.tribecafilmfestival.org or call 1-866-941-FEST (3378).

On Saturday, April 30, the Tribeca Film Festival will host a family street fair along Greenwich Street. Click here to find out how this effects traffic and parking in the area.