FREAKONOMICS TO CLOSE TRIBECA

From the innovative documentary filmmakers behind “Super Size Me,” "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room," “Jesus Camp,” “Why We Fight” and “The King of Kong,” comes "Freakonomics," a dynamic adaptation of the smash bestselling book, “Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Exposes the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. The groundbreaking book spent more than 2 years on the New York Times Bestseller list and is now one of the most highly anticipated films of the year. Directed by Academy Award® winner Alex Gibney, Academy Award® nominee Morgan Spurlock, Academy Award® nominees Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing, Eugene Jarecki and Seth Gordon, "Freakonomics" will have its world premiere at TFF as the closing gala of the Festival and is produced by Chad Troutwine  ("Paris Je T'aime") and Green Film Company's Chris Romano and Dan O'Meara ("By the People: the Election of Barack Obama") with financial services by Cold Fusion Media.

“Letters to Juliet,” a Summit Entertainment (“The Hurt Locker,” “Twilight Saga”) release, will have its world premiere at the Festival.  Directed by Gary Winick, it is a charming romance starring Amanda Seyfried (“Mamma Mia!”) and Vanessa Redgrave.  Seyfried plays a young American who travels to Verona, home of Romeo and Juliet, where she joins a group of volunteers who respond to strangers’ letters to Juliet seeking love advice.  After answering one letter dated 1957, she inspires its author (Redgrave) to travel to Italy in search of her long-lost love, setting off a chain of events that will bring them both a love unlike anything they ever imagined.
 
“My Own Love Song” – the first English language film from Olivier Dahan, director of the two-time Academy Award® winning film “La Vie En Rose” – will have its international premiere as a special presentation at the Festival.  Written and directed by Dahan, the film is an unassuming story about an ex-singer that blossoms into a whimsical road movie.  Jane and Joey (Academy Award® winners Renée Zellweger and Forest Whitaker) couldn’t be more different. She¹s a take-charge kind of woman who never needs help from anyone, despite being paralyzed from the legs down, and he's a lovable oddball. When Joey convinces Jane to embark on a cross-country road trip, they stumble into one hilarious disaster after another in a heartwarming tale of redemption. With supporting performances by Madeline Zima, Nick Nolte and Elias Koteas, “My Own Love Song” also features original music by Bob Dylan.

“This trio of films embodies the spirit of diversity that has defined Tribeca through the years,” said Nancy Schafer, Executive Director of TFF.  “Audiences will be charmed by ‘Letters to Juliet,’ moved by Jane’s emotional journey to redemption in ‘My Own Love Song’ and glued to their seats during the riveting ‘Freakonomics,’ which marks the return of some of today’s best documentary filmmakers to Tribeca. We are truly honored that they’ve once again chosen our Festival as a platform to share their work.”

Visit www.tribecafilm.com for more information about these films, and the entire TFF line-up.

Tickets for 2010 Festival

Tickets for the Festival will be $16.00 for evening and weekend screenings and $8.00 for daytime weekday and late night screenings.

Advance selection ticket packages are now on sale and all advance packages can be purchased online at www.tribecafilm.com, or by telephone, toll free, at (866) 941-FEST (3378).

Single ticket and discounted ticket package sales begin for American Express Cardmembers on April 13, 2010, for downtown residents on April 18, 2010, and for the general public on April 19, 2010. Single tickets can be purchased online, by telephone, or at one of the Ticket Outlets, located at the Tribeca Cinemas Ticket Window at 54 Varick Street and an additional location to be determined. The 2010 Festival will continue ticket discounts for evening and weekend screenings for students, seniors and select downtown Manhattan residents. Discounted tickets are available at Ticket Outlet locations only. Discounted packages can only be purchased online and by phone. Additional information and further details on the Festival can be found at www.tribecafilm.com.

About the Tribeca Film Festival:
Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff founded the Tribeca Film Festival in 2001 following the attacks on the World Trade Center to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of the lower Manhattan district through an annual celebration of film, music and culture.

The Festival’s mission is to help filmmakers reach the broadest possible audience, enable the international film community and general public to experience the power of cinema and promote New York City as a major filmmaking center. Tribeca Film Festival is well known for being a diverse international film festival that supports emerging and established directors.

The Tribeca Festival has screened over 1100 films from over 80 countries since its first festival in 2002. Since its founding, it has attracted an international audience of more than 2.3 million attendees and has generated an estimated $600 million in economic activity for New York City

About the 2010 Festival Sponsors:
As Founding Sponsor of the Tribeca Film Festival, American Express is committed to supporting the Festival and the art of film making, bringing business and energy to New York City and offering Cardmembers and festival-goers the opportunity to enjoy the best of storytelling through film.

The Festival is pleased to announce the return of its Signature Sponsors: Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Apple, Bloomberg, Brookfield, Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), Delta Air Lines, Heineken USA, NBC 4 New York, NCM Media Networks, New York Nonstop, The New York Times, RR Donnelley, and Vanity Fair.  The Tribeca Film Festival is also honored to welcome the following new Signature Sponsors:  Caesars Atlantic City, Stolichnaya Vodka, and Time Warner Cable.