GALA PREMIERE OF THE TRIBECA/ESPN SPORTS FILM FESTIVAL

“Straight Outta L.A. gives us an entertaining, firsthand account of how a professional sports team captivated a city and ultimately changed the culture of L.A.,” said Nancy Schafer, Executive Director of the Tribeca Film Festival.  “For the past three years, the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival program has been an audience favorite at our Festival, and this year’s line-up will continue that tradition.”

“We are thrilled to launch this year’s Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival with a film that shows how sports are intertwined in so many other cultural arenas,” stated Keith Clinkscales, senior vice president, ESPN content development and enterprises.  “All of the sports documentaries in this year’s Festival truly illustrate that the reach of sports in society extends far past solely athletics and into such disciplines as music, language, art and of course, film.”

In Straight Outta L.A., director Ice Cube explores the unlikely marriage between the NFL's rebel franchise, the Raiders, and America's glamour city, Los Angeles.  In 1982, Raiders owner Al Davis beat the NFL in court and moved his team from Oakland to Los Angeles. With a squad as colorful as its owner, the Raiders captivated a large number of black and Hispanic fans in L.A. at a time when gang warfare, immigration and the real estate boom were rapidly changing the city. The L.A. Raiders morphed into a worldwide brand as the team's colors, swagger and anti-establishment ethos became linked with the hip-hop scene that was permeating South Central Los Angeles. Rapper-turned-filmmaker Ice Cube was not only witness to this revolution, he was also a part of it. As a member of the notorious rap group N.W.A., Ice Cube helped make the silver and black culturally significant to a new generation and demographic.

Straight Outta L.A. will be televised Tuesday, May 11, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Now in its fourth year, the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival has become the premier showcase for independent films about sports and competition.  The previously announced titles that will screen as part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival include documentary films that explore the rise of BMX superstar Mat Hoffman, an extreme adventurer’s quest to reach the North Pole, a struggling rugby team’s ambitions to win a single game and the cultural significance of a stadium to a city, team and popular musician.

All of this year’s Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival films will screen at Tribeca Cinemas on Saturday, May 1. The films also screen prior to May 1 throughout the Festival.

In addition to the film series, the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival will present Sports Day as part of the Tribeca Family Festival Street Fair.  Sports Day, which will take place on Saturday, May 1, offers fans a day of interactive, sports-related games and activities, as well as appearances by some of New York’s most popular athletes.  Sports Day is free and open to the public and will take place on Duane Street, between Greenwich and Hudson Streets, in Manhattan.

The following are the films featured in the 2010 Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival.  All titles have been previously announced in their respective sections as part of the 2010 TFF film program.

Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival Line-Up

    * The Birth of Big Air, directed by Jeff Tremaine. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. In 1985, at the tender age of 13, Mat Hoffman entered into the BMX circuit as an amateur. By 16, he had soared to the top of the sport. Throughout his prodigious career, Hoffman has ignored conventional limitations; instead focusing his efforts on the purity of the sport and the pursuit of “what’s next.”  Academy Award® nominee Spike Jonze and extreme sport fanatic Johnny Knoxville, along with director Jeff Tremaine, showcase the inner workings and exploits of the man who gave birth to “Big Air.” An ESPN Films “30 for 30”Presentation.

    * Freetime Machos, directed by Mika Ronkainen. (Finland, Germany) – North American and Tribeca Film Festival Virtual Premiere, Documentary. Matti and Mikko play for Finland’s worst amateur rugby team. Overworked and domesticated, the two men long for a space to revel in their masculinity and bond with other men. Following the two friends and their teammates on a quest to end the season with just a single win, award-winning writer/director Mika Ronkainen (Screaming Men) crafts a genuine and disarmingly funny love story of modern male friendship. In Finnish with English subtitles.

    * Into the Cold, directed by Sebastian Copeland. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. The absolute top of the earth is a place few try to reach on foot. Even fewer succeed. With the vast arctic ice vanishing rapidly, photographer, extreme adventurer, and environmental advocate Sebastian Copeland sets out to reach the North Pole on the centennial of Admiral Peary’s reach in 1909. This inspiring documentary follows their tumultuous two-month trek—not just through piercing cold and merciless terrain, but straight into the depths of the soul.

    * Keep Surfing, directed by Bjoern Richie Lob. (Germany) – International Premiere, Documentary. This kinetic and fast-paced documentary will put you right on the Eisbach in the heart of Munich, where river-surfing was invented 35 years ago. Stunningly shot with cameras literally on the surfboards, you can sense the exhilaration as they take to their boards. With cameos by surfing legends like Nick Carroll and Kelly Slater, Keep Surfing will make you want to hit the waves! In English, German with English subtitles.

    * Last Play at Shea, directed by Jon Small and Greg Whiteley. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. The intersecting histories of a city, a team, and a music legend are examined in Last Play at Shea, a documentary that charts both the ups and downs of the New York Mets and the career of Long Island native Billy Joel—the last performer to play Shea Stadium before its demolition in 2008. Set to the soundtrack of Joel’s final Shea concert, Last Play pays loving tribute to one of America’s most significant venues for both music and sport.

    * Straight Outta L.A., directed by Ice Cube. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. For rapper-turned-filmmaker Ice Cube, the emergence of gangster rap will be forever linked to the Oakland Raiders’ move to Los Angeles in 1982. Ice Cube turns the camera on himself to tell how his genre-defining group N.W.A forged an unlikely relationship with the Raiders, a team whose swagger and style captivated L.A. during their troubled 13-season stay.  An ESPN Films “30 for 30” Presentation
.

    * The Two Escobars, directed by Jeff Zimbalist, Michael Zimbalist. (Colombia, USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Born in the same city in Colombia but not related, Andrés Escobar and Pablo Escobar shared a fanatical love of soccer. Andrés grew up to become one of Colombia's most beloved players, while Pablo became the most notorious drug baron of all time. While adeptly investigating the secret marriage of crime and sports, Michael Zimbalist and Jeff Zimbalist (Favela Rising, TFF ’05) reveal the surprising connections between the murders of Andrés and Pablo.  An ESPN Films “30 for 30” Presentation.

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 for American Express Cardmembers and go on sale today for the general public. 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/ESPN Sports Film Festival
The Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival is a partnership between Tribeca Enterprises, the parent company of the Tribeca Film Festival, and ESPN Inc.  The Festival, founded in 2006, is the premiere showcase for independent sports films.

About ESPN Films
Part of the ESPN Content Development group, ESPN Films presents quality scripted and documentary film projects for television and theatrical release, including "30 for 30," a celebration of the last three decades of sports timed with ESPN's 30th anniversary and the recently announced motion picture project "Lombardi" to be produced in conjunction with the NFL, Andell Entertainment and Tribeca Productions. For more on ESPN Films: http://www.espnmediazone3.com/us/media-kits/espn-films/

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 filmmaking, 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 Sponsor: Stolichnaya Vodka.