10th Annual Tribeca Film Festival

Gerald Wright's Movie Coverage

2011 Tribeca Reviews

10th ANNUAL TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL - 2011 by Gerald Wright

In 2001 Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Halkoff founded the Tribeca Film Festival following the attacks on the World Trade Center. Conceived in part to give Lower Manhattan an economic and cultural boost after the devastation of 9/11, the Tribeca Film Festival has played a major role in the revitalization of its namesake neighborhood. On the 10th anniversary, the film festival has expanded to include the Chelsea and East Village communities, and has generated $600 million for the city. Once characterized by crumbling industrial architecture and neglected streets, all these areas have become hot spots, brimming with exceptional places to see.

This year's line-up headed by Jane Rosenthal founder and Chief Creative Officer Geoffrey Gilmore at TFF has competitive categories, including World Narrative Feature, World Documentary Feature, and the new Viewpoints section which highlights eleven independent features and nine documentaries. As TFF expands its awards scope to 88 feature length and 61 spotlight films, it will offer free online screenings for viewers nationwide. The Heinekin Audience Award is a $25, 000 cash prize to the filmmaker of the audience's favorite feature film, along with various other cash prizes for different categories.

A diverse and talented group of 38 individuals, including award-wining filmmakers and screenwriters, celebrated actors, respected journalists and media pioneers will serve as jurors. David O. Russell, David Gordon Green, Dianne Wiest, Souleymane Cisse, Whoopi Goldberg, Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Rainn Wilson, Anna Kendrick, Michael Cera, Denis Leary, Atom Egoyan and Fran Lebowitz are among the festival's 38 jurors in respective categories.

This year's opening film is The Union directed by Cameron Crowe which will be held free to the public at an outdoor screening.. A U.S.A. world premiere 90 minute documentary, this is a captivating and exhilarating real life experience of musical creation and generosity. It is an unprecedented look at the creative life of Elton John and Leon Russell never before filmed. The two collaborate and have a great time in the process of making music.

The centerpiece film is a sports oriented movie called Catching Hell directed by Alex Gibney. This is U.S.A. world premiere 102 minute documentary. When Chicagoan Steve Bartman fatefully deflected a foul ball in Game 8 of the 2008 NLCS, the city's long suffering Cubs fan found someone new to blame for their cursed century without a World Series title.

The closing night film will be Newlyweds directed by Edward Burns. This is a U.S.A. world premiere 92 minute narrative. A drama with humor and sharp insights into modern relationships. Aiming to root out the reality and bypassing the Hollywood sentimentality of love and marriage this film takes a documentary on-the-fly approach .

My selective previews and reviews of films will be posted soon.

FOR MORE INFORMATION go to: www.TribecaFilmFestival.com