2019 Tribeca Film Festival® Announces Feature Film Lineup For 18th Edition

The 2019 Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, unveiled its feature film lineup. Continuing its tradition of elevating exceptional storytelling rooted in today's global film communities, the 18th annual Festival will showcase debut works from emerging talent and new works from notable filmmakers.

The program includes discoveries, comedies, music-centered, political and social films. The 2019 Tribeca Film Festival takes place April 24 - May 5.

The feature program includes 103 films from 124 filmmakers. The films selected in the three competition sections consist of 50% women directed films. The lineup includes 81 World Premieres, 3 International Premieres, 8 North American Premieres, 1 U.S. Premiere and 10 New York Premieres.


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This year's program includes 42 first time filmmakers, with 19 directors returning to Tribeca with their latest projects. 40% of the feature films have one or more women directors, 29% of the feature films are directed by people of color and 13% of the feature films are by individuals who identify as LGBTQIA. The 2019 Festival was programmed from more than 9,295 total submissions.

"Our goal each year is to strike a balance between discovering new talent and showcasing new projects by notable filmmakers and storytellers. At Tribeca, we believe in amplifying fresh voices as well as celebrating the continued success of artists in the industry," said Paula Weinstein, Executive Vice President of Tribeca Enterprises. "The art of filmmaking is displayed across the program in both narrative and documentary films."

"Every festival is shaped by and reflective of its community, and we are fortunate that our hometown just happens to be the most diverse city on Earth. So our curatorial mandate is to bring to the screens a cinematic celebration- in only 100 features- whose breadth of stories and storytellers is as prismatic and adventurous, local and global, diverse and inclusive as our incredible city," said Festival Director Cara Cusumano.


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"There are many factors we consider each year when selecting films for the Festival program," said Frédéric Boyer, Artistic Director. "We look at styles, approaches, tones, perspectives; we examine storylines and character development; we search for uniqueness and untold stories. Most importantly, we also pay attention to what stirs emotions, sparks inspiration and makes us think. It's an exciting process for us, and we look forward to sharing this year's original films with audiences."

Tribeca will introduce Tribeca Critics' Week, the first for a North American film festival, a section with a slate of 5 feature films curated by New York-based film critics.

Special for this year is the curated section 'This Used To Be New York,' reflecting quintessential New York cultural eras that shaped and have come to define the city today.

Fifty-two narratives and 51 documentaries will debut throughout the 12-day festival. The Competition section features 12 Documentaries, 10 U.S. Narratives, and 10 International Narratives; 15 Spotlight Narratives, 16 Spotlight Documentaries; 5 Midnight, 17 Viewpoints selections; 5 Tribeca Critics' Week, 3 This Used to Be New York, and 11 Movies Plus selections.


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The films in competition will compete for cash prizes totaling $165,000, as well as artwork from the Art Awards program, offering work from acclaimed contemporary artists in select categories.

For the 7th year, the Nora Ephron Award, presented by CHANEL, will award $25,000 to the female filmmaker in this year's program who embodies the spirit and boldness of the late filmmaker.

As previously announced, the Festival will open at New York's iconic Apollo Theater with the world premiere of Academy Award-winning director Roger Ross Williams' documentary, The Apollo from HBO Documentary Films.

In addition to Cusumano and Boyer, the programming team includes VP of Shorts Sharon Badal; Senior Programmers Liza Domnitz (features, TV, and online work), Loren Hammonds (immersive and features), Senior Programmer Lucy Mukerjee (features); Programmer Ben Thompson (shorts); and program advisors Paula Weinstein and Tammie Rosen, alongside a team of associate programmers.

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