New York City’s Tribeca Film Festival is growing in stature and public awareness. This year, it runs from 25 April to 6 May, and hosts the premiere of Spider-Man 3 as well as the documentary Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Life. Both films fit very neatly within this specific film festival, since in both, New York City itself is a major character.
Speaking of the festival and his film’s role in it, Will Eisner director Andrew D. Cooke said “it’s a testament to what the Tribeca Film Festival has come to stand for. They’re not afraid to embrace the duality of filmmaking—the popcorn event picture on one hand and the low budget labor of love, which our documentary is, on the other.” In addition to the setting, there are some other noteworthy similarities between the two films: both enjoy the support of Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee. In Will Eisner, Lee is among an eclectic mix of people who share their stories about Eisner, an impressive cast that also includes Michael Chabon, Kurt Vonnegut, Jules Feiffer, Frank Miller, and many more.
Also screening at the Tribeca Film Festival will be the North American premiere of Brave Story (directed by Koichi Chigira, written by Ichiro Okouchi; cast includes Takako Matsu, Yo Oizumi, Takako Tokiwa, Eiji Wentz, Miki Imai). “When eleven-year-old Wataru is told he can change his destiny by entering a magic gateway into another world, he jumps at the chance. But on his quest to find the Tower of Fortune and be granted any wish, he must conjure up all his bravery to battle a world of demons, his own friends and ultimately himself. In English.”
There will be special screenings of Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 at midnight Tuesday 1 May and Wednesday 2 May (respectively) at the Clearview Chelsea West Theater, and then a double-feature of those two films at 5PM on Thursday 3 May at the BMCC TribecaPAC Theater. Each of these screenings will feature “an exclusive sneak peek at Spider-Man 3 plus other fun surprises.”
Will Eisner will be screened on 26 April at 7:30PM at the AMC Village VII Theater, on 28 April at 6PM at the Tribeca Cinemas Theater, 1 May at 4PM at the Clearview Chelsea West Theater, and 6 May at 11:30AM at the AMC Village VII Theater.
Brave Story will be screened on 28 April at 10:30AM at the Regal Cinemas Theater, on 29 April at 3:30PM and 2 May at 7:30PM at the AMC Kips Bay Theater, 5 May at 10AM at the Regal Cinemas Theater, and 6 May at 11AM at the AMC Village VII Theater.
The Tribeca Film Festival also features talks and panels about films and filmmaking. Some of interest to the genre community include:
* “The Kid Slays in the Picture: If it bleeds, it leads. Blood, guts and severed limbs have historically been box office cash cows, but as Capitol Hill turns up the heat on television and violence, studios and filmmakers wonder… will the big screen be next on the chopping block?” Speaker: Jim Steyer, on 26 April at 7 PM.
* “2.0: Me, Myself and iPod: Today, you are the master of your own domain, the creator, the conjurer. Whether in Beirut, Bangkok or Brooklyn, your audience is a webcam away. Our panel of web-celebs and content creators step out from behind their laptops to take a look at the revolution and responsibility of this socio-technological phenomenon and what it means for the future of creativity.” Panelists: Charles Leadbeater, Brent Weinstein, Kathleen Grace, Jonathan Lethem, Jerry Paffendorf, and Georg Szalai (moderator), 30 April at 7PM.
* “Does Whatever A Spider Can: It’s a super-sized superhero Tribeca Talks event! Join the people who bring our favorite webbed hero to the big screen—filmmakers Avi Arad, Laura Ziskin, Kevin Feige and Grant Curtis as they discuss stretching the limits of imagination with the newest installment of the Spider-Man franchise, opening 4 May—a wild and dramatic ride for Peter Parker.” on 1 May at 4PM.
* “Heroes for Hire: Here I come to save the… oh, just forget it. For a genre of entertainment originally devised with children in mind, superhero movies have found real success among bigger babies—adults, to be specific. We unleash the power of some superhero creators to explore why the vulnerable, conflicted, reluctant and more… well… human superhero is a sure-fire way to a colossal opening weekend. Featuring a sneak peek at original illustrations from the highly anticipated Amazing Spider-Man: One More Day comic book storyline.” Panelists: Zak Penn, Joe Quesada, and Lev Grossman (moderator) on 3 May at 4PM.
All events are open to the public. The full schedule for the festival, ticket prices, ordering information, and all sorts of other information are available on the Tribeca Film Festival’s web site.