The panels at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival

The 2011 Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), presented by American Express®, today announced its lineup for the 2011 Special Events and Tribeca Talks® panel series. The component programs are “Tribeca Talks: After the Movie,” “Tribeca Talks: Industry,” “Tribeca Talks: Pen to Paper, hosted by Barnes & Noble,” the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival panel, and new this year, in celebration of the tenth Festival, the “Tribeca Talks: Directors Series,” featuring one-on-one conversations with acclaimed filmmakers, plus the premiere of five new documentary films and a one-of-a-kind videogame-film event.

This year, Tribeca’s annual panel series, a collection of special events, conversations and audience Q&A’s designed to spark a richer dialogue about film, has expanded to include the “Tribeca Talks: Directors Series.” The series invites audiences to join entertainment industry icons from Brian Williams to Alec Baldwin to Martin Scorsese as they moderate discussions with noted industry figures such as actor-producer and Tribeca co-founder Robert De Niro and acclaimed directors Doug Liman and Souleymane Cissé, respectively. The Festival also unveiled five new documentary titles – The Education of Dee Dee Ricks; Love Hate Love; Off the Rez; Grandma, A Thousand Times; and Sing Your Song – which will receive exclusive screenings as part of the “Tribeca Talks: After the Movie” series. Another one-of-a-kind world premiere event will be the screening and examination of L.A. Noire, a new interactive crime thriller being released in the spring by Rockstar Games.

The Tribeca Talks panel series will bring film enthusiasts together with some of the biggest name directors, actors and industry leaders to explore topics from multi-platform filmmaking to financing to the role of women in film. This year’s participants include Academy Award®-winning actors Robert De Niro and Sean Penn, Academy Award®-winning directors Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard and Alex Gibney, filmmaker Doug Liman, Alec Baldwin, Kelly Ripa, war photographer Greg Marinovich, and industry leaders ESPN, Rockstar Games and more. The Tribeca Talks panel series is open to the public and will take place throughout TFF, which will run from April 20 to May 1, 2011 in lower Manhattan.


Also part of “Tribeca Talks: After the Movie” are the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s presentation of the 10th anniversary screening and panel discussion of A Beautiful Mind, Universal Pictures’ Academy Award®-winning masterpiece from director Ron Howard, and an exclusive preview of Rockstar Games’ new digital state-of-the-art crime thriller, L.A. Noire, followed by a special Q&A exploring the cinematic elements of filmmaking that have crossed over into interactive entertainment. The L.A. Noire Q&A will follow a live demonstration of the new detective game where players solve complex, historically-inspired crimes in a beautifully recreated and fully interactive rendition of 1947 Los Angeles. Tribeca’s special events and discussions series is rounded out by the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival screening and discussion on Alex Gibney’s Catching Hell, about notorious Chicago Cubs fan Steve Bartman; the free “Tribeca Talks: Industry” panels, designed for industry professionals to explore the ways they can use new digital platforms to advance their film projects; and free “Tribeca Talks: Pen to Paper” panels hosted by Barnes & Noble, which focus on the artistic process of screenwriting.

“We wanted to celebrate our Tenth Festival by inviting some of the finest filmmakers, media artists and actors of our time to share their insights and experiences through our Tribeca Talks” series said Nancy Schaefer Executive Director of TFF. “We have over the years established a tradition of conversations that both engage audiences in the details and revelations of contemporary film making as well as offer a perspective as to the direction and the future of storytelling and the industry. This is so much a part of what festivals can do to enrich the viewing experience for their audiences and we are proud to present this special series.”

“Tribeca Talks: Directors Series” will include one-on-one conversations with:
• Tribeca Film Festival Co-founder and Academy Award®-winning actor Robert De Niro, interviewed by Brian Williams.
• Blockbuster filmmaker Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity) interviewed by Academy Award® nominee and multiple Emmy Award winner Alec Baldwin.
• Souleymane Cissé, Malian filmmaker and first filmmaker of African descent to win a major award at the Cannes Film Festival, interviewed by legendary director Martin Scorsese.
“Tribeca Talks: After the Movie” will include:
• The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation presents a 10th anniversary screening of Universal Pictures’ Academy Award®-winning film A Beautiful Mind from director Ron Howard that examines the life of Nobel Prize-winning mathematician John Forbes Nash Jr.; followed by a conversation that includes director Ron Howard, producer Brian Grazer, screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, the film’s math consultant, Dave Bayer, author Sylvia Nasar, whose book inspired the film, and theoretical physicist and mathematician Brian Greene. Moderated by NPR’s Ira Flatow.
• The world premiere of The Education of Dee Dee Ricks, a documentary showing how a successful businesswoman and mother’s life changed when, after being diagnosed with breast cancer, she set out to make life easier for less fortunate cancer patients; followed by a conversation with Dee Dee Ricks, producer Lisa Cohen, Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention founder Harold P. Freeman MD, and public health advocates. Moderated by the film’s director, Perri Peltz.
• The North American premiere of Grandma, A Thousand Times, a documentary examining a family matriarch as she struggles to cope with the silence of her once-buzzing house and imagines what waits her beyond death. Hosted by the Doha Tribeca Film Festival, where the film captured the Audience Award for Best Documentary Film in 2010, the screening will be followed by a discussion with director Mahmoud Kaabour and others on the experience of making films in the Middle East.
• The world premiere of Love Hate Love, an inspirational documentary that examines the difficult journeys of three families torn apart by three separate acts of terrorism: the attacks on the World Trade Center, the London bus bombing and the Sari Club bombing in Bali; followed by a conversation with executive producer Sean Penn, directors Dana Nachman and Don Hardy as well family members featured in the film: Liz Alderman, Steve Alderman, Esther Hyman, and Ben Tullipan.
• The New York premiere of The Loving Story, a documentary recounting the unknown love story of Mildred and Richard Loving, the couple behind the 1967 Supreme Court ruling overturning anti-miscegenation laws in the United States; followed by a discussion with director Nancy Buirski, attorney Phil Hirschkop, who represented the Lovings, Anthony Romero, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union, and others as they discuss this landmark case and current issues surrounding race and marriage equality.
• The world premiere of Off the Rez, a documentary following Shoni Schimmel, a Umatilla Indian and one of the best high school basketball players in the country, whose hoop dreams of being the first from her tribe to get a college scholarship are threatened after her family leaves the Umatillia Indian Reservation; followed by a conversation with executive producers Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, director Jonathan Hock, Discovery and TLC Networks president Eileen O’Neill, and others. Moderated by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of Friday Night Lights, Buzz Bissinger.
• The world premiere of Revenge of the Electric Car, a look behind the closed doors of Nissan, General Motors and Tesla Motors as they race to develop the world’s first and most economically accessible electric car; followed by a discussion with director Chris Paine, President and Chief Executive Officer, Nissan Motor Co. Carlos Ghosn, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, and Pulitzer Prize-winning Wall Street Journal columnist Dan Neil. Moderated by actor, writer, and director David Duchovny.
• An interactive demonstration from Rockstar Games’ groundbreaking videogame L.A. Noire, to be followed by a Q&A about the videogame, the technology behind it, and narrative and action in this medium, moderated by Tribeca Enterprises chief creative officer Geoffrey Gilmore.
• New York premiere of Sing Your Song, a stirring documentary that examines legendary entertainer Harry Belafonte’s continued humanitarian contributions to the arts, the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, the fight against Apartheid, combating starvation in Ethiopia and more; followed by a conversation with Harry Belafonte. Moderated by noted broadcaster Tavis Smiley.
• Screenings of 11 short films exploring the contributions of women filmmakers in the canon of the American experimental avant-garde. This program also celebrates 15 years of direct financial support for preservation of historically under-recognized films by women through the Women’s Film Preservation Fund of New York Women in Film & Television; followed by a discussion with an eclectic group of women filmmakers who helped shape avant-garde cinema.

“Tribeca Talks: Industry” will feature:
• Digital by Design, a conversation with producers, filmmakers, SAP and industry executives about the emergence of online digital platforms and applications that provoke filmmakers to confront technology head-on including funding models, intellectual property management and distribution channels. Sponsored by SAP. Panelists include Richard Whittington, senior vice president of media and entertainment at SAP, and writer/director Edward Burns, and others.
• Shooting Film on a Budget, sponsored by Kodak. One of the most important aspects of realizing your independent feature is determining the right look. How will you capture your images and bring the script to the screen in a meaningful, visual way? Filmmakers and cinematographers must consider many variables: mood of the story, production restrictions, post workflow, etc. Too often these important decisions are determined by the bottom line. However, many filmmakers are able to get the most out of their budgets while still shooting film. Join Kodak and Michael Cuesta, writer/director of Roadie, producer Karen Chien, and others to learn how they create beautiful and cost-effective cinematic narratives on film.
• The Business of Entertainment, sponsored by Bloomberg. This new program will explore the issues and trends that affect the economics of the film business and the broader entertainment industry. This year's panel will convene leading CEOs, producers, financiers, media, and other industry leaders who will focus on how to finance films in the 21st century.
• Are Documentary Films Changing the World? A discussion with filmmakers, distributors and community groups about the new trend in documentary filmmaking of collaboration between filmmakers and NGOs to increase distribution and influence public perception and policy. Panelists include filmmaker and activist Abigail Disney, and director of Give Up Tomorrow Michael Collins, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Impact Partners Dan Cogan, and others.
• Amplify the Message: Social Media, a conversation examining how film producers and directors engage new interactive audiences through such networks as Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, GetGlue and Foursquare, and how much of an impact social networking has on a movie’s success or failure on multiple platforms. Moderated by Marc Schiller, CEO and Founder of Electric Artists. Panelists include Rider Strong, director/screenwriter of The Dungeon Master, Howard Tullman, President & CEO of Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy, and others. The conversation will be streamed live on the Tribeca Online Film Festival website: tribecaonline.com.
• Meet the Documentary Broadcasters, a conversation with industry broadcasters about the type of nonfiction films they’re drawn to and thoughts on where this genre is headed. Panelists include Sheila Nevins, President, HBO Documentary Films; Anna Miralis, Editor, True Stories, Channel 4 Documentaries; Connor Schell, Executive Producer, ESPN Films, and others.

“Tribeca Talks: Pen to Paper hosted by Barnes & Noble” will include:
• Based on True Events, a discussion with writers who turn true events into a screenplay that will explore the line between a great narrative film and the truth of the events. Panelists include director and screenwriter of The Bang Bang Club Steven Silver, photographer and co-author of The Bang Bang Club: Snapshots from a Hidden War Greg Marinovich, Adam Kassen and Mark Kassen, directors of Puncture, and Chris Lopata, screenwriter of Puncture.
• In Conversation with Peter Bart, a conversation looking back to filmmaking in the 1970s between author and Variety editorial director Peter Bart and Tribeca Enterprises chief creative officer Geoffrey Gilmore. From the larger-than-life personalities and conflicts that resulted in some of the most acclaimed films of a generation, to the funny anecdotes that captured the world, Bart and Gilmore will look back at a time that changed how stories were told. Bart will also sign copies of his new memoir Infamous Players: A Tale of Movies, The Mob, (And Sex) about his time running Paramount Pictures alongside Robert Evans and overseeing films such as The Godfather, Love Story and Harold and Maude.
• Writing Documentary, a dialogue with filmmakers about the difficulties of writing a script for a documentary film and the challenges they face once production begins. Panelists include David Gelb, director of Jiro Dreams of Sushi, Maria Ramström, director of Love Always, Carolyn, and others.

In addition, the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival will present:
• The world premiere of Catching Hell, a documentary that explores the relationship between Chicago Cubs fans and Steve Bartman following his infamous near-catch of a foul ball in Game 6 of the 2003 National League Championship Series; followed by a conversation director Alex Gibney, who will discuss the psychology of die-hard sports fans and the phenomenon of scapegoating. Sponsored by Time Warner Cable.

And a special Tribeca Talks event:

• Youth Radicalization Redefined: With 60 percent of the world under the age of 30 and a majority of those “at risk” —either socially, economically, or both—there is an oversupply of young people susceptible to recruitment by extremist, religious, or ideological groups. Violent extremism is one of the world’s most vexing challenges. TFF, Google Ideas, and the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) will present a discussion involving six former extremists who have renounced violence and are working together to promote a sense of community and youth education. The aim is to provide a forum for high school students and their parents to identify signs of recruitment and the subsequent dangers of radicalization The conversation will be moderated by Jared Cohen, director of Google Ideas and a CFR adjunct fellow.


The full schedule for the 2011 Tribeca Talks series follows:

“Tribeca Talks: Directors Series”

Robert De Niro with Brian Williams
Tribeca Film Festival Co-founder and Academy Award®-winning actor Robert De Niro will be interviewed by Brian Williams

DATE: Saturday, April 23
TIME: 3:00 PM
LOCATION: BMCC

Doug Liman with Alec Baldwin
Blockbuster filmmaker and television producer Doug Liman will be interviewed by Alec Baldwin

DATE: Tuesday, April 26
TIME: 6:00 PM
LOCATION: SVA Theater 1

Souleymane Cissé with Martin Scorsese
Souleymane Cissé, Malian filmmaker and first filmmaker of African descent to win a major award at the Cannes Film Festival, will be interviewed by Academy Award®-winning director Martin Scorsese

DATE: Friday, April 29
TIME: 4:00 PM
LOCATION: SVA Theater 1

“Tribeca Talks: After the Movie”

Revenge of the Electric Car
Directed by Chris Paine. (USA) – World Premiere.
Behind the closed doors of Nissan, General Motors, and Tesla Motors, the race is on to develop the world’s first, and most economically accessible, electric car. Director Chris Paine’s energetic and beautifully shot follow-up to Who Killed The Electric Car? follows the innovative business models engineered by CEOs and independent entrepreneurs looking to jump-start the global resurgence of electric cars and win over a skeptical public.
After the Movie: Join director Chris Paine, President and Chief Executive Officer, Nissan Motor Co. Carlos Ghosn, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, and Pulitzer Prize-winning Wall Street Journal columnist Dan Neil for a conversation about the global resurgence of electric cars. Moderated by actor, writer, and director David Duchovny.

DATE: Saturday, April 23
TIME: 5:00 PM
LOCATION: SVA Theater 2

Grandma, A Thousand Times
Directed by Mahmoud Kaabour. (United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Lebanon) – North American Premiere.
Teta Fatima is the 83-year-old matriarch of the Kaabour family and the sharp-witted queen bee of an old Beiruti quarter. This playful magical-realist documentary looks at Fatima’s larger-than-life character as she struggles to cope with the silence of her once-buzzing house and imagines what awaits her beyond death. Hosted by the Doha Tribeca Film Festival.
After the Movie: Doha Tribeca Film Festival is pleased to invite New York audiences to celebrate Arab cinema with a special screening of the 2010 DTFF Audience Award Winner for Best Documentary followed by a panel discussion on the experience of making films in the Middle East with director Mahmoud Kaabour and others.

DATE: Monday, April 25
TIME: 3:30 PM
LOCATION: SVA Theater 1

L.A. Noire
Produced and developed by Rockstar Games and Team Bondi (Australia, UK, USA) – World Premiere.
L.A. Noire is a violent crime thriller that blends breathtaking action with true detective work to deliver an unprecedented interactive experience. Interrogate witnesses, search for clues, and chase down suspects as you struggle to find the truth in a city where everyone has something to hide.
After the Movie: Join us for a conversation about the video game, the technology behind it, and narrative and action in this medium. Moderated by Rockstar Games and Geoffrey Gilmore, Chief Creative Officer of Tribeca Enterprises.

DATE: Monday, April 25
TIME: 5:30 PM
LOCATION: SVA Theater 2

Love Hate Love
Directed by Dana Nachman and Don Hardy. (USA) – World Premiere.
Countless lives were shattered by three separate acts of terrorism: the attacks on the World Trade Center and bombings in the London Underground and Bali. This inspirational documentary tracks the difficult journeys of three families torn apart by these events as they struggle to pick up the pieces, build legacies of loved ones lost, and make sure love triumphs over hatred.
After the Movie: Join us for a conversation with executive producer Sean Penn and directors Dana Nachman and Don Hardy along with family members featured in the film: Liz Alderman, Steve Alderman, Esther Hyman, and Ben Tullipan as they discuss the importance of making movies that lead to social action.

DATE: Tuesday, April 26
TIME: 5:30 PM
LOCATION: BMCC

Off the Rez
Directed by Jonathan Hock. (USA) – World Premiere.
Shoni Schimmel, a Umatilla Indian and one of the best high school basketball players in the country, dreams of being the first from her tribe to get a college scholarship. Shoni and her mother/coach Ceci battle together to redeem generations of struggle for their family and their people, but her hoop dreams are threatened after her family leaves the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
After the Movie: Join director Jonathan Hock, executive producers Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, and Eileen O'Neill, Group President of Discovery & TLC Networks, and others for a discussion about the pressures on elite high school athletes and Shoni Schimmel's challenging journey as a Native American female athlete into the college sports arena. Moderated by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of Friday Night Lights, Buzz Bissinger.

DATE: Tuesday, April 26
TIME: 6:30PM
LOCATION: SVA Theater 2

The Loving Story
Directed by Nancy Buirski. (USA) – New York Premiere.
Nancy Buirski’s moving, evocative documentary recounts the unknown love story of Mildred and Richard Loving, the couple behind the 1967 Supreme Court ruling overturning anti-miscegenation laws in the United States. Drawing from a wealth of stunning archival footage, The Loving Story recreates a seminal moment in history in uncommon style, anchoring a timely message of marriage equality in a personal, human love story.
After the Movie: Join director Nancy Buirski, attorney Phil Hirschkop, who represented the Lovings, Anthony Romero, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union, and others as they discuss this landmark case and the current issues surrounding race and marriage equality.

DATE: Wednesday, April 27
TIME: 5:30 PM
LOCATION: SVA Theater 2

Sing Your Song
A Film by Susanne Rostock. (USA) – New York Premiere.
Most people know the lasting legacy of Harry Belafonte, the entertainer. But, as Sing Your Song proves in a most stirring way, Belafonte has had a significant and lasting impact on the ongoing worldwide struggle for human rights. This powerful documentary reveals Belafonte’s multifaceted contributions to the arts, the U.S. Civil Rights movement, the fight against Apartheid, ending starvation in Ethiopia, and much more.
After the Movie: Join us for a conversation with Harry Belafonte. Moderated by noted broadcaster Tavis Smiley.

DATE: Friday, April 29
TIME: 6:00 PM
LOCATION: BMCC

A Beautiful Mind
Ten years ago, Universal Pictures’ A Beautiful Mind made Nobel Prize-winning mathematician John Forbes Nash Jr. a household name. This stunning portrait of a brilliant but troubled man won four Academy Awards® and gave audiences an insider’s look into the unique world of mathematics. On its 10th anniversary, we salute A Beautiful Mind for its powerful filmmaking, fine performances, and intriguing subject. Sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
After the Movie: Join us for a conversation moderated by NPR’s Ira Flatow featuring special guests from science and screen including A Beautiful Mind’s Oscar®-winning filmmakers—director Ron Howard, producer Brian Grazer, and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman—as well as its math consultant, Dave Bayer, author Sylvia Nasar, whose book inspired the film, and theoretical physicist and mathematician Brian Greene. Panelists will discuss the film’s exploration of scientific and mathematical concepts and the challenges and rewards of portraying them on-screen.

DATE: Saturday, April 30
TIME: 3:00 PM
LOCATION: SVA Theater 1

Independent Women: 15 Years of NYWIFT-Funded Film Preservation
Dating from 1950 to 1984, these 11 short films contain experimental narratives, personal documentaries, and abstract animation from the likes of Mary Ellen Bute, Storm de Hirsch, Faith Hubley, and Marie Menken, as well as contemporary voices of living female artists. Asserting the contributions of women filmmakers in the canon of the American experimental avant-garde, this program also celebrates 15 years of direct financial support for preservation of historically under-recognized films by women through the Women’s Film Preservation Fund of New York Women in Film & Television.
After the Movie: Join us for a conversation with an eclectic group of women filmmakers who helped shape avant-garde cinema. Panelists to include: directors Liane Brandon, Lisa Crafts, Barbara Hammer, Jane Aaron, Bette Gordon, Caroline Mouris, as well as Cecile Starr, Bute films curator/collector, animator Emily Hubley, and Tribeca Film Festival Experimental Film Programmer Jon Gartenberg. Moderated by Drake Stutesman, Co-Chair of The Women’s Film Preservation Fund and Editor, Framework: The Journal of Cinema and Media

DATE: Saturday, April 30
TIME: 7pm
LOCATION: SVA Theater 1

The Education of Dee Dee Ricks
Directed by Perri Peltz. (USA) – World Premiere
Dee Dee Ricks was living her dream—she had a successful business, two beautiful kids, and a whirlwind social life as one of New York’s elite. Then, at age 39, breast cancer changed her world. Director Perri Peltz candidly tracks the emotional rebirth of a survivor determined to help make life easier for less fortunate cancer patients even as she undergoes her own grueling treatment.
After the Movie: Join Dee Dee Ricks, producer Lisa Cohen, president and founder of the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention Harold P. Freeman M.D., and public health advocates as they discuss the issue of breast cancer treatment for the poor and uninsured. Moderated by Perri Peltz.

DATE: Sunday, May 1
TIME: 3:00 PM
LOCATION: SVA Theater 1

“Tribeca Talks: Industry”

Amplify the Message: Social Media
Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, GetGlue, Foursquare. Social media has changed the way we interact with the world around us. These days, filmmakers don’t just need a press kit and a Web site; they need a social media presence. How should producers and directors engage with this new interactive audience and how much of an impact does this audience have on a movie’s success or failure on multiple platforms? Join us for a candid discussion on the importance of this growing medium. Moderated by Marc Schiller, CEO and Founder of Electric Artists. Panelists include Rider Strong, director/screenwriter The Dungeon Master, Howard Tullman, President & CEO of Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy, and others. Panel will be streamed live on the Tribeca Online Film Festival website: tribecaonline.com

DATE: Friday, April 22
TIME: 2:30 PM
LOCATION: SVA Theater 2

Meet the Documentary Broadcasters
Documentaries are more popular than ever. Today they are being watched on every platform and networks are filling up their slots with a wide array of topics to meet with the demands of a growing audience. Hear from Sheila Nevins, President, HBO Documentary Films; Anna Miralis, Editor, True Stories, Channel 4 Documentaries; Connor Schell, Executive Producer, ESPN Films, and others as they discuss the type of films they’re drawn to and thoughts on where this genre is headed.

DATE: Saturday, April 23
TIME: 2:30PM
LOCATION: SVA Theater 2

Are Documentary Films Changing the World?
Documentary films unveil important truths, challenge assumptions, and often compel audiences to take action. Many of today’s filmmakers are faced with an additional challenge—how do they ensure their film will have a significant impact on the public and on the policies their story highlights? The collaboration of filmmakers with NGOs and community groups has created a new distribution model, and the measure of success now reaches beyond sales to changes in public perception and policy. Join filmmaker and activist Abigail Disney, director Michael Collins Give Up Tomorrow, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Impact Partners Dan Cogan, and others for an insightful discussion on the new paths of distribution for nonfiction films and the ways filmmakers and their subjects are making their voices heard.

DATE: Sunday, April 24
TIME: 2:30 PM
LOCATION: SVA Theater 2

Digital By Design
The emergence of online digital platforms and applications provokes filmmakers to confront technology head-on. Join SAP and industry executives for a down-to-earth discussion about how the digital age aids today’s filmmaker in three key areas: Funding models, intellectual property management, and distribution channels. Richard Whittington, senior VP of media and entertainment at SAP, joins and writer/director Edward Burns and others to discuss these critical components of filmmaking and how they affect the filmmaker’s new marketplace. Sponsored by SAP.
DATE: Tuesday, April 26
TIME: 2:30 PM
LOCATION: SVA Theater 2

THE BUSINESS OF ENTERTAINMENT
Securing the funds to get a film made has historically always been a challenge, and today producers are also faced with a tough economic climate. Hear stories and advice from producers and financiers who have a flair for getting the funds they need by any means necessary. Sponsored by Bloomberg

DATE: Wednesday, April 27
TIME: 2:30 PM
LOCATION: SVA Theater 2

Shooting Film on a Budget
One of the most important aspects of realizing your independent feature is determining the right look. How will you capture your images and bring the script to the screen in a meaningful, visual way? Filmmakers and cinematographers must consider many variables: mood of the story, production restrictions, post workflow, etc. Too often these important decisions are determined by the bottom line. However, many filmmakers are able to get the most out of their budgets while still shooting film. Join Michael Cuesta, writer/director of Roadie, producer Karen Chien, and others to learn how to create beautiful and cost-effective cinematic narratives on film. Sponsored by Kodak.

DATE: Thursday, April 28
TIME: 2:30 PM
LOCATION: SVA Theater 2

“Tribeca Talks: Pen to Paper”
Hosted by Barnes & Noble

Based on True Events
Writers who turn true events into films must grapple with how much truth to include or embellish to meet their cinematic ambition. If your source material is based on true events, who is the writer responsible to? From what to dramatize to what to omit, writers and filmmakers face the inevitable question: Where is the line between a great narrative film and the truth of the events. Join Steven Silver, director and screenwriter of The Bang Bang Club; Greg Marinovich, photographer and co-author of The Bang-Bang Club: Snapshots from a Hidden War; Adam Kassen and Mark Kassen, directors of Puncture; and Chris Lopata, screenwriter of Puncture; about how far over the line writers are allowed to go.

DATE: Saturday, April 23
TIME: 1:00 PM
LOCATION: Barnes & Noble Union Square

In Conversation with Peter Bart
In the past few years, film conversation has consumed itself with how digital innovation is reshaping our industry. As discussions constantly look to the future of filmmaking, we turn the discussion back. Join author, television host and Variety editorial director Peter Bart and Tribeca Enterprises chief creative officer Geoffrey Gilmore for a chat about filmmaking in the New Hollywood era of the late-1960s and early-1970s. From the larger-than-life personalities and conflicts that resulted in some of the most acclaimed films of a generation, to the funny anecdotes that captured the world, we take a look back at a time that changed how stories were told. Bart will also sign copies of his new memoir Infamous Players: A Tale of Movies, The Mob, (And Sex).

DATE: Sunday, April 24
TIME: 1:00 PM
LOCATION: Barnes & Noble Union Square

Writing the Documentary
Whether you’re following the story of a little league team struggling to win a championship or diving into the story of how the television was invented, the term “writing the documentary” might not occur to you as you watch the drama unfold before your eyes. What most people don’t realize is that documentaries also begin with the blank page and an idea. Join David Gelb, director of Jiro Dreams of Sushi,
Maria Ramström, director of Love Always, Carolyn, and others for a discussion about how that idea is turned into a narrative.

DATE: Monday, April 25
TIME: 1:00 PM
LOCATION: Barnes & Noble Union Square

Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival

Catching Hell
In just a few years ESPN Films has become an industry heavyweight, breaking away from what was traditionally thought of as sports film. They’ve reinvented the genre, and by showcasing stories of passion, triumph and loss, the resurgence of sports-themed films has never been stronger. Sponsored by Time Warner Cable.

After the Movie: Join us for an intimate conversation with director Alex Gibney about the psychology of die-hard sport