This year’s Tribeca Film Festival lineup was announced today in New York City.   The film festival will showcase 85 feature-length films and 47 short films from 38 countries.   46 of those are world premieres.   Most film festivals run an average of 120 feature-length films but this year at Tribeca, they decided to scale down the exhibition and competition.

According to Nancy Schafer, the festival’s executive director who spoke with Daily Variety, “We decided to go smaller.   This is New York City, so 120 films was overwhelming.   We feel our program reflects harder choices being made.   I’m energized by the strong lineup.”

The Tribeca Film Festival was started by Jane Rosenthal, Craig Hatkoff and Robert DeNiro in a response to the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center.   As a way to celebrate the multi-cultural power and experience of film.   And also a way to showcase New York City as a major filmmaking center during the recovery of lower Manhattan.

I’m actually getting really excited for this film festival.   I don’t have to travel too far to cover a film fest.   I just have to hop on a downtown 6 train.   We are still waiting to get word if we got our press credentials.   Rest to sure, The CriterionCast will cover the festival for all of our listeners and readers.

The Tribeca Film Festival will run between April 21st to May 2nd 2010.

Source:    Variety

The List of Films Being Showcased At The 9th Annual Tribeca Film Festival:

World Narrative Feature Competition:

“Buried Land,” Geoffrey Alan Rhodes, (U.S., U.K., Bosnia and Herzegovina)

“Dog Pound,” Kim Chapiron, (France)

“Loose Cannons,” Ferzan Ozpetek, (Italy)

“Lucky Life,” Lee Isaac Chung, (U.S.)

“My Brothers,” Paul Fraser, (Ireland)

“Open House,” Andrew Paquin, (U.S.)

“Paju,” Chan-ok Park, (South Korea)

“Gainsbourg, Je t’Aime… Moi Non Plus,” Joann Sfar, (France)

“Snap,” Carmel Winters, (Ireland)

“When We Leave,” Feo Aladag, (Germany)

“The White Meadows,” Mohammad Rasoulof, (Iran)

“William Vincent,” Jay Anania, (U.S.)

World Documentary Feature Competition:

“American Mystic,” Alex Mar, (U.S.)

“The Arbor,” Clio Barnard, (U.K.)

“Budrus,” Julia Bacha, (U.S., Palestine, Israel)

“Earth Made of Glass,” Deborah Scranton, (U.S.)

“Feathered Cocaine,” Thorkell Hardarsson and O ¨rn Marino Arnarson, (Iceland)

“Freetime Machos,” Mika Ronkainen, (Finland, Germany)

“Into Eternity,” Michael Madsen, (Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Italy)

“Monica & David,” Alexandra Codina, (U.S.)

“Sons of Perdition,” Jennilyn Merten, Tyler Measom, (U.S.)

“Thieves By Law,” Alexander Gentelev, (Israel, Germany, Spain)

“The Two Escobars,” Jeff Zimbalist, Michael Zimbalist, (U.S., Colombia)

“The Woodmans,” C. Scott Willis, (U.S., Italy, China)

Showcase (not in competition):

“Blood and Rain,” Jorge Navas, (Colombia, Argentina)

“A Brand New Life,” Ounie Lecomte, (South Korea, France)

“Heartbreaker,” Pascal Chaumeil, (France)

“Lola,” Brillante Mendoza, (Philippines, France)

“Metropia,” Tarik Saleh, (Sweden, Denmark, Norway)

“Moloch Tropical,” Raoul Peck, (Haiti, France)

“Road, Movie,” Dev Benegal, (U.S., India)

Special Events (not in competition):

“Doctor Zhivago,” David Lean, (U.S., U.K., 1965)

“Untitled Eliot Spitzer Film,” Alex Gibney (U.S.)

“The Western Front,” Zachary Iscol, (U.S.)