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Tribeca Festival

The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by Tribeca Enterprises. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive programming. The festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2002 to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of Lower Manhattan following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. Until 2020, the festival was known as the Tribeca Film Festival.

The festival hosts over 600 screenings with approximately 150,000 attendees each year, and awards independent artists in 23 juried competitive categories.

History

The Tribeca Film Festival was founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro, and Craig Hatkoff, in response to the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the consequent loss of vitality in the Tribeca neighborhood in Lower Manhattan. The inaugural festival launched after 120 days of planning with the help of more than 1,300 volunteers. It opened May 8, 2002 with About A Boy. The first festival was attended by more than 150,000 people and featured several up-and-coming filmmakers. The festival included juried narrative, documentary and short film competitions; a restored classics series; a best of New York series curated by Martin Scorsese; 13 major panel discussions; an all-day family festival; and the premieres of independent and studio films - made independently, the American remake of Insomnia, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

The 2003 festival brought more than 300,000 people. The festival showcased an expanded group of independent features, documentaries and short films from around the world, coupled with studio premieres, panel discussions, music and comedy concerts, a family festival, sports activities, and outdoor movie screenings along the Hudson River. The family festival featured children's movie screenings, storytelling, family panels, workshops, and interactive games culminating in a daylong street fair that drew a crowd estimated at 250,000 people.

At the end of 2003, De Niro purchased the theater at 54 Varick Street which had housed the recently closed Screening Room, an art house that had shown independent films nightly, renaming it the Tribeca Cinema. It became one of the s of the festival.

In an effort to serve its mission of bringing independent film to the widest possible audience, in 2006, the festival expanded its reach in New York City and internationally. In New York City, Tribeca hosted screenings throughout Manhattan as the festival's 1,000-plus screening schedule outgrew the capacity downtown. Internationally, the Festival brought films to the Rome Film Festival. As part of the celebrations in Rome, Tribeca was awarded the first-ever "Steps and Stars" award, presented on the Spanish Steps. A total of 169 feature films and 99 shorts were selected from 4,100 film submissions, including 1,950 feature submissions, three times the total submissions from the first festival in 2002. The festival featured 90 world premieres, nine international premieres, 31 North American premieres, 6 U.S. premieres, and 28 New York City premieres.

In 2009, Rosenthal, Hatkoff, and De Niro were named number 14 on Barron's list of the world's top 25 philanthropists for their role in regenerating TriBeCa's economy after September 11.

In 2011, L.A. Noire became the first video game to be recognized by the Tribeca Film Festival. In 2013, ', featuring Elliot Page and Willem Dafoe, became only the second game to be premiered at the festival.

From 2015, Spring Studios, located a few doors down from the Tribeca Cinema at 50 Varick Street, became the festival's main venue.

In 2016, the festival announced the introduction of separate narrative award categories for U.S. and International films in order to "deepen [their] support of American narrative filmmakers"

The 19th Tribeca Film Festival, originally scheduled for April 15–26, 2020, was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the weeks and months that followed, Tribeca launched several digital offerings to highlight filmmakers and creators who had hoped to premiere their latest works at the spring gathering. It provided a secure digital platform for 2020 Festival films seeking distribution to be viewed by press and industry and hosted a virtual gathering space for Tribeca N.O.W. Creators Market.

In response to the global pandemic, Tribeca organized in partnership with YouTube, a free 10-day digital festival that provided entertainment and connection for audiences at home and raised international COVID-19 relief funds. The program was co-curated by 21 of the top international film festivals including Cannes, Sundance, TIFF and Venice and showcased over 100 hours of shorts, features, talks and music to an audience of 1.9 million people in 179 countries.

In July 2020, Tribeca launched one of the first large-scale pop-up drive-in series across the country to provide audiences with entertainment in a safe, socially-distanced environment. Screenings took place at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA, Dallas Cowboys AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Orchard Beach in the Bronx neighborhood of New York and Nickerson Beach in Nassau County, New York. The series employed local production staff and partnered with small food businesses that had been impacted by the lockdown.

On August 7, 2020, organizers announced that the 20th anniversary edition of the festival was to be held from June 9 to June 20, 2021, with a dedicated space to celebrate films whose premieres were not able to take place in the festival that was cancelled in 2020. In a first for the festival, Tribeca also hosted community screenings — in both indoor and outdoor venues — in all five New York City boroughs.

The festival added a dedicated video games category beginning with the 2021 event. Games nominated are presented in online presentations during the Festival, similar to film screenings. That year, the festival dropped "Film" from its name.

Since 2022, the festival has combined the US and International "Best Actor" and "Best Actress" categories into a US and International "Best Performance" categories.

The Tribeca Festival also presents the Artist Awards, an annual program that selects contemporary artists to offer works to winning creators at the Festival; it is currently sponsored by CHANEL. Its 2024 cohort was curated by Racquel Chevremont, who also curated the Tribeca Festival Artist Awards in 2022 and 2023.

Awards

U.S. Narrative Competition

Best U.S. Narrative Feature

Best Actor in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film

Best Actress in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film

Best Performance in a U.S. Narrative Feature

Best Cinematography in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film

Best Screenplay in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film

International Narrative Competition

Best International Narrative Feature

Best Actor in an International Narrative Feature

Best Actress in an International Narrative Featurem

Best Performance in an International Narrative Feature

Best Cinematography in an International Narrative Feature

  • 2025 - Lev Predan Kowarski for Little Trouble Girls
  • 2024 - Constanze Schmitt for Some Rain Must Fall
  • 2023 - Linga Acácio for A Strange Path
  • 2022 - We Might As Well Be Dead
  • 2021 – Elisabeth Vogler for Roaring 20's
  • 2020 – Daniella Nowitz for Asia
  • 2019 - Kang Gook-hyun for House of Hummingbird (Beol-sae)
  • 2018 - Albert Salas for Obey
  • 2017 – Elvira Lind for Bobbi Jene
  • 2016 - Kjell Vassdal for El Clasico

Best Screenplay in an International Narrative Feature

  • 2025 - Happy Birthday, written by Mohamed Diab and Sarah Goher
  • 2024 - The Freshly Cut Grass, written by Celina Murga, Juan Villegas, and Lucía Osorio
  • 2023 - A Strange Path, written by Guto Parente
  • 2022 - The Visitor, written by Martín Boulocq
  • 2021 – Brighton 4th, written by Boris Frumin
  • 2020 – Tryst with Destiny, written by Prashant Nair
  • 2019 - Noah Land (Nuh Tepesi), written by Cenk Ertürk
  • 2018 - The Saint Bernard Syndicate, written by Lærke Sanderhoff
  • 2017 – Ice Mother (Bába z ledu), written by Bohdan Sláma
  • 2016 - Perfect Strangers, written by Filippo Bologna, Paolo Costella, Paolo Genovese, Paola Mammini, and Rolando Ravello

Global Awards

Best Narrative Feature

Best Actor in a Narrative Feature Film

Best Actress in a Narrative Feature Film

Best Cinematography in an Narrative Feature

  • 2015 – Magnus Jønck for Bridgend
  • 2014 – Damian García for Gueros
  • 2013 – Marius Matzow Gulbrandsen for Before Snowfall
  • 2012 – Trevor Forrest and Shlomo Godder for Una Noche
  • 2011 – Lisa Tillinger for Artificial Paradises

Best Screenplay in a Narrative Feature

Best Narrative Editing

  • 2015 – Oliver Bugge Coutté for Bridgend
  • 2014 – Keith Miller for Five Star

Best New Directors

Best New Narrative Filmmaker

Best New Documentary Filmmaker

  • 2025 - Augusto Zegarra for Runa Simi
  • 2022 - Edward Buckles Jr. for Katrina Babies
  • 2020 – Jessica Earnshaw for Jacinta
  • 2017 – Sarita Khurana and Smriti Mundhra for A Suitable Girl
  • 2016 – David Feige for Untouchable
  • 2015 – Ewan McNicol and Anna Sandilands for Uncertain
  • 2014 – Alan Hicks for Keep On Keepin' On
  • 2013 – Sean Dunne for Oxyana
  • 2011 – Pablo Croce for Like Water
  • 2010 – Clio Barnard for The Arbor
  • 2009 – Ian Olds for '
  • 2008 – Carlos Carcass for Old Man Bebo
  • 2007 – Vardan Hovhannisyan for A Story of People in War and Peace
  • 2006 – Pelin Esmer for The Play
  • 2005 – Jeff Zimbalist and Matt Mochary for Favela Rising
  • 2004 – Paulo Sacramento for The Prisoner of the Iron Bars: Self-Portraits

Documentary

Best Documentary Feature

Best Cinematography in a Documentary

  • 2025 - Chance Falkner and Johnny Friday for The Last Dive
  • 2022 – Boris Levy for The Wild One

Best Documentary Editing

  • 2025 - Soren B. Ebbe and Hayedeh Safiyari for An Eye for an Eye
  • 2020 – Amy Foete for Father, Soldier, Son
  • 2017 – Adam Nielson for Bobbi Jene

Shorts

Best Narrative Short

  • 2025 - Beyond Silence, directed by Marnie Blok
  • 2020 – No More Wings, directed by Abraham Adeyemi
  • 2017 – Retouch, directed by Kaveh Mazaheri
  • 2015 – Listen, directed by Hamy Ramezan and Rungano Nyoni
  • 2014 – The Phone Call, directed by Mat Kirkby
  • 2013 – The Nightshift Belongs to the Stars, directed by Edoardo Ponti
  • 2010 – Father Christmas Doesn't Come Here, written by Bongi Ndaba, Sibongile Nkosana directed by Bekhi Sibiya
  • 2009 – The North Road, directed by Carlos Chahine
  • 2008 – New Boy, directed by Steph Green
  • 2007 – The Last Dog in Rwanda, directed by Jens Assur
  • 2006 – The Shovel, directed by Nick Childs
  • 2005 – Cashback, directed by Sean Ellis
  • 2004 – Shock Act, directed by Seth Grossman
  • 2002 – Bamboleho, directed by Luis Prieto

Best Documentary Short

  • 2025 - I hope this email finds you well, directed by Asia Zughaiar
  • 2022 – Heart Valley, directed by Christian Cargill
  • 2021 – Coded, directed by Ryan White
  • 2020 – My Father The Mover, directed by Julia Jansch
  • 2017 – The Good Fight, directed by Ben Holman
  • 2015 – Body Team 12, directed by David Darg
  • 2014 – One Year Lease, directed by Brian Bolster
  • 2013 – Coach, directed by Bess Kargman
  • 2010 – ', directed by Travis Senger
  • 2009 – Home, directed by Mathew Faust
  • 2008 – Mandatory Service, directed by Jessica Habie
  • 2007 – A Son's Sacrifice, directed by Yoni Brook
  • 2006 – Native New Yorker, directed by Steve Bilich
  • 2005 – ', directed by Dan Krauss
  • 2004 – Sister Rose's Passion, directed by Oren Jacoby
  • 2003 – Milton Rogovin: The Forgotten Ones, directed by Harvey Wang
  • 2002 – All Water Has a Perfect Memory, directed by Natalia Almada

Best Animated Short

  • 2025 – Playing God directed by Matteo Burani
  • 2023 – Starling directed by Mitra Shahidi
  • 2017 – Odd is an Egg (Odd er et egg) directed by Kristin Ulseth

Viewpoints

Viewpoints is dedicated to discovering the most boundary-pushing, rule-breaking new voices in independent film. Starting in 2024, films selected in the Viewpoints section were presented in competition.

Student Visionary Award

  • 2021 – Six Nights, directed by Robert Brogden
  • 2020 – Cru-Raw, directed by David Oesch
  • 2017 – Fry Day, directed by Laura Moss
  • 2015 – Catwalk, directed by Ninja Thyberg
  • 2014 – Nesma's Bird, directed by Najwan Ali and Medoo Ali
  • 2013 – Life Doesn't Frighten Me, directed by Stephen Dunn
  • 2010 – some boys don't leave, directed by Maggie Kiley
  • 2009 – Small Change, directed by Anna McGrath
  • 2008 – Elephant Garden, directed by Sasie Sealy
  • 2007 – Good Luck Nedim, directed by Marko Santic and Someone Else's War, directed by Lee Wang
  • 2006 – Dead End Job, directed by Samantha Davidson Green
  • 2005 – Dance Mania Fantastic, directed by Sasie Sealy
  • 2004 – Independent Lens' (American Made), directed by Sharat Raju

<span class="anchor" id="Nora Ephron Prize"></span> Nora Ephron Prize

Storyscapes Award

  • 2017 — TREEHUGGER : WAWONA created by Barnaby Steel, Ersin Han Ersin and Robin McNicholas

Audience Awards

Narrative Award

Documentary Award

  • 2021 – Blind Ambition, directed by Warwick Ross and Robert Coe
  • 2019 – Gay Chorus Deep South, directed by David Charles Rodrigues
  • 2018 – United Skates, directed by Dyana Winkler and Tina Brown
  • 2017 – Hondros, directed by Greg Campbell
  • 2016 – The Return, directed by Kelly Duane and Katie Galloway

Audio Storytelling Awards

In 2022, Tribeca added an audio storytelling awards category.

Fiction Audio Storytelling Award

  • 2024 &ndash; The Skies Are Watching by Jon Frechette and Todd Luoto
  • 2023 &ndash; The Very Worst Thing That Could Possibly Happen by Alex Kemp
  • 2022 &ndash; The Hollowed Out by Brit and Nick Kewin

Narrative Nonfiction Audio Storytelling Award

  • 2024 &ndash; Delejos by Julie Piñero and Cristal Duhaime
  • 2023 &ndash; Free From Desire by Aline Laurent-Mayard
  • 2022 &ndash; Mother Country Radicals by Zayd Ayers Dohrn

Independent Fiction Audio Storytelling Award

  • 2024 &ndash; Red for Revolution by Jana Naomi Smith
  • 2023 &ndash; Aisha by Cory Choy and Feyiá¹£ayo Aluko

Independent Nonfiction Audio Storytelling Award

  • 2024 &ndash; Back to the Water: More Than One by Catherine Jaffee, Pippa Ehrlich, and Zolani Mahola
  • 2023 &ndash; Shalom, Amore by David Modigliani

Tribeca Games Award

The Tribeca Games Award honors an unreleased video game, "recognizing its potential for excellence in art and storytelling through design, artistic mastery and highly immersive worlds."

See also

References

External links