TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES FINALISTS FOR INAUGURAL TRIBECA X AWARD

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The Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), presented by AT&T, today announced the finalists for the first ever Tribeca X Award, sponsored by GE, celebrating branded storytelling at the intersection of advertising and entertainment. The eight finalists were chosen from over 100 submissions. The finalists represent the best artist-brand collaboration of the past year and highlight excellence, authenticity, originality and creativity in storytelling that is sponsored or underwritten by a brand.

"Brands have a great tradition as inspired storytellers. As new technologies such as ad-blocking and over-the-top television make it harder than ever for command-and-control-style advertising to succeed, genuine entertainment and authenticity have become increasingly important qualities for cutting through. The Tribeca X was conceived to celebrate brands that aspire to tell engaging stories that add value to people's lives, rather than advertising that creates pollution," said Andrew Essex, CEO of Tribeca Enterprises.

The projects selected come from filmmakers including Michael Rappaport, Brandon Oldenburg, Ariel Schulman and Rob Meyer, many of which are TFF alumni, who partnered with dynamic brands including Derek Lam, American Giant, Samsung, Olympus, The Balvenie, Robert Graham, KENZO and Radio Flyer Wagons, to create exceptional stories that speak to audiences.

The final projects include a mini documentary about an iconic LA boxing gym, a look inside the mind of a paranoid young man as he wanders the streets of Manhattan, an online series with Anthony Bourdain, and a short film inspired by the life and heritage of Antonio Pasin, inventor of the Radio Flyer wagon.

“We saw a mix of narrative and documentary and series of varying lengths in the submissions. This model of story production, if done authentically with the artist empowered, has tremendous potential. The finalists reflect the quality and the spirit of independent storytelling we were looking to find.” said Genna Terranova, Festival Director.

Eligible projects included scripted and documentary work for film, TV, digital, social, and VR/AR, in both feature and short length. The winner will be chosen by the five Tribeca X Award jurors: Laurie Anderson, Scott Carlson, Judy McGrath, Liev Schreiber and Hank Willis Thomas. The winner will be announced at the TFF Awards Night ceremony on Thursday, April 21 at 42 W NY.

The eight finalists for the Tribeca X Award are:

  • 10 Crosby
    Brand: Derek Lam
    Directed by Benjamin Dickinson, Celia Rowlson-Hall, Albert Moya and Andrew Zuchero
    One street, 10 stories – An adventure, A Party, A Secret, A Romance, A Surprise.
  • American Giant X Wild Card Boxing
    Brand: American Giant
    Directed by Michael Rappaport
    American Giant x Wildcard Boxing is a five-minute branded content mini-doc told in a lyrical yet gritty style that complements the look and feel of the gym about the far-reaching influence of Freddie Roach and his iconic Wildcard Boxing Gym in Hollywood, CA., Through interviews with Roach and numerous boxers who train there, viewers get to a sense of both Wildcard’s rich legacy and the community that Roach has sought to create since the gym’s inception.
  • Hearing Colors 
    Brand: Samsung
    Directed by Greg Brunkalla
    The life of Neil Harbisson is like something out of a sci-fi novel. Neil was born with achromatopsia, a rare condition that leaves 1 in 30,000 people completely colorblind. But Neil isn’t colorblind, far from it. After convincing his doctors to implant an antenna into the back of his head, Neil now possesses a new sense—the ability to hear colors. In this short film by Greg Brunkalla, Hearing Colors, Neil takes you through a day in his life and into an entirely new world.
  • The Irrational Fear of Nothing
    Brand: Olympus
    Directed by Paul Trillo
    Follow behind the back of a paranoid, neurotic man named Terry as he wanders through the streets of Manhattan. Past memories and his irrational inner thoughts soon plague his every move. By channeling a form of mental time travel, he attempts to overcome these past anxieties. Executive produced by Vimeo.
  • Raw Craft with Anthony Bourdain
    Brand: The Balvenie
    Directed by Rob Meyer
    Legendary author, TV host and raconteur, Anthony Bourdain brings us Raw Craft—a new original online film series that took viewers on a journey of discovery, unearthing captivating and emotional human stories of true craftsmanship in America. Similar to the rare craft of whisky making, the series introduces audiences to people who still choose to do things the old way—or as Bourdain lovingly describes it, “the slow, stupid way.”
  • Second Sound Barrier
    Brand: Robert Graham
    Directed by David Wain
    Three fastest men in the world with nothing in common are summoned to a mission; save the beautiful recluse—Lady Billionaire—from a mysterious illness. How? By driving faster than anyone has driven before. Why? To break the second sound barrier.
  • Snowbird
    Brand: KENZO
    Directed by Sean Baker
    From acclaimed writer/director Sean Baker (Tangerine), Snowbird stars Abbey Lee in her latest role since appearing in the blockbuster Mad Max: Fury Road. Abbey Lee plays Theo, a young woman living in the remote California desert community, Slab City, a place in which residents live off the grid. The film follows Theo over the course of a day, as she goes door to door, sharing a cake she baked with her colorful neighbors.
  • Taking Flight
    Brand: Radio Flyer Wagons 
    Directed by Brandon Oldenburg
    Taking Flight is a short film inspired by the life and heritage of Antonio Pasin, inventor of the Radio Flyer wagon. In this fictional tribute to Pasin’s legacy, what begins as a small boy’s over-scheduled, over supervised, boring day with Grandpa turns into a larger-than-life journey, narrowly escaping wild monkeys and battling aliens to save the universe. Through the power of imagination and epic adventure, a boy learns to be a kid, a father learns to be a dad, and a grandfather reminds us all what childhood is about.

Passes and tickets for the 2016 Festival 
Passes, including the Hudson and Festival Hub Passes, are on sale now at tribecafilm.com/festival/tickets. The Festival Hub Pass provides access for one to all public events at the Festival Hub at Spring Studios throughout the Festival, including interactive and virtual reality installations: the Virtual Arcade, presented by AT&T, Storyscapes, presented by AT&T, and DEFCON exhibits, Interactive Day and Imagination Day, select Tribeca Talks events, special screenings, live music and performances, as well as Pass Holder Lounges with food and drinks. It also provides access to the Disruptive Innovation Awards, two screening vouchers redeemable for evening/weekend or matinee-priced tickets, discounted rates on festival screening tickets, and an invitation to a Tribeca Film Festival Filmmaker Party. The Festival Hub Pass costs $550. 
The Hudson Pass provides access for one to all public events at the Festival Hub, as well as Pass Holder Lounges with food, and drinks. It also provides access to all evening/weekend and matinee screenings, all Tribeca Talks, the Disruptive Innovation Awards, and a Tribeca Film Festival Filmmaker Party. The Hudson Pass costs $1,250.

Advance selection ticket packages are now on sale. All advance selection packages can be purchased online at tribecafilm.com/festival/tickets, or by telephone at (646) 502-5296 or toll free at (866) 941-FEST (3378).

Single tickets cost $20.00 for evening and weekend screenings, $10.00 for weekday matinee screenings, and $40.00 for Tribeca Talks panels and special screenings. Single tickets are now on sale and can be purchased online, by telephone, or at one of the Ticket Outlets, located at Bow Tie Cinemas Chelsea (260 W. 23rd Street), and Brookfield Place (250 Vesey Street). The 2016 Festival will offer ticket discounts on general screenings and Tribeca Talks panels for students, seniors and select downtown Manhattan residents. Discounted tickets are available at Ticket Outlet locations only.

About the Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival, now in its 15th year, brings together visionaries across industries and diverse audiences to celebrate the power of storytelling. A platform for independent filmmaking, creative expression and immersive entertainment, Tribeca supports emerging and established voices, discovers award-winning filmmakers, curates innovative and interactive experiences, and introduces new technology and ideas through panels, premieres, exhibitions, and live performance.

Founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff in 2001, following the attacks on the World Trade Center, Tribeca has evolved from an annual event to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan to a gathering place for filmmakers, artists, innovators, and the global creative community. Through programs that embrace storytelling in all of its expansive forms – from film and music to video games and online work, TFF reimagines the cinematic experience and explores how art can unite communities.

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