Tribeca 2012: Events Preview

Yesterday I posted a PREVIEW of some of our most anticipated films at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. Since there are a lot of other things going on besides movie screenings, I thought I’d share with you some of the coolest events also taking place as part of TFF. Unfortunately I will be unable to attend nearly all of these events but hopefully some of you will be able to check them out!

100 Years of Universal

In celebration of 100 years of Universal Pictures, join us for a conversation with iconic actors and directors Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep and Judd Apatow as they share their favorite moments and memories from Universal’s extraordinary history. Moderated by Film Editor for Deadline Hollywood Mike Fleming.

****This event will be streamed for FREE at TribecaFilm.com today at 3 PM! ***

MEET THE FILMMAKERS AT APPLE

The SoHo and 14 St. Apple stores will be hosting a series of Meet the Filmmaker events with people like Jenna Fischer, Lynn Shelton, Morgan Spurlock & many more. These events are usually recorded and available for free download via itunes. They are also free for the public to attend but space is usually very limited. For a full schedule of Apple events, visit http://www.apple.com/retail/tribeca/.

DRIVE-IN SCREENINGS

Yes, I know I said this article is meant to focus on events & not screenings. Trust me, these two film screenings are EVENTS. And they are FREE!

JAWS

With the summer beach season in full swing, a bloodthirsty great white shark begins terrorizing the small island community of Amity. A police chief, a marine scientist, and a grizzled fisherman set out to hunt it down… but they’re going to need a bigger boat. Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw lead the cast of this groundbreaking Academy Award-winning thriller. Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece returns to the big screen! See the movie that thrilled a generation, launched the summer blockbuster, and has become one of the most enduring action-suspense films of all time. Come early to celebrate Universal Studios’ 100th Anniversary with trivia contests, live music from Afro-jazz pioneers Nomo, and surprise special guests, courtesy of the upcoming New York Downtown Jazz Festival. Later this year, fans can own Jaws for the first time ever on Blu-ray featuring an all-new, fully restored and digitally remastered picture from original 35mm film elements. Fans of John Williams’ iconic score will also love the Blu-ray’s DTS-HD Master 7.1 sound, which optimizes the film for the home screening environment.

THE GOONIES

When their Oregon neighborhood—affectionately dubbed “the Goon Docks”—is threatened by real estate developers, a group of pre-teen friends needs to find enough money to halt the demolition. Lucky for them, they’ve discovered an old treasure map, sparking an adventure to unearth the long-lost fortune of 17th-century pirate One-Eyed Willie. Sean Astin, Corey Feldman, Martha Plimpton, Josh Brolin, and Joe Pantoliano star in the movie that captured a generation’s imagination. Relive the adventure with Mikey, Mouth, Stef, Data, Chunk, and all the unforgettable characters in this beloved classic. Come early to take part in the “truffle shuffle” contest and win prizes in the first-ever Tribeca Treasure Hunt. Live music from afro-jazz pioneers NOMO, courtesy of the upcoming New York Downtown Jazz Festival.

These panels are always fun and informative. They are filled with great information and usually are a must for filmmakers attending the fest. Here are some of the most interesting panels at this year’s fest:

Film and Brands

Brands and filmmakers are increasingly collaborating on film projects to achieve a range of objectives from marketing and public relations to corporate storytelling and philanthropy. As the number of projects as well as the platforms for distribution increase, the bar has been raised for how to make these projects effective corporate storytelling pieces as well as quality filmmaking. Join producer and director Brett Ratner, American Express’ Vice President of Global Media, Sponsorship and Experiential Marketing Rich Lehrfeld, GE’s Global Executive Director of Advertising and Branding Judy Hu, the Norman Lear Center’s Managing Director and Director of Research Johanna Blakley; and Chief Marketing Officer of Chipotle Mexican Grill Mark Crumpacker for a conversation about how they are collaborating and where this increasingly complex and sophisticated world is heading. Moderated by Jon Patricof, President and Chief Operating Officer of Tribeca Enterprises.

Imagine More

Project Imagin8ion was the first photo contest to inspire a Hollywood film, resulting in the Ron Howard production when you find me, shot using Canon cameras. Join us for a screening of this short film, followed by a discussion with Canon representatives and filmmakers about the versatility of shooting with Canon cameras and creating films through collaborative storytelling. Panelists include Canon USA Technical’s Chuck Westfall, The Russian Winter director Petter Ringbom, CatCam director Seth Keal, and others.

Sponsored by Canon

The Business of Entertainment

Now in its second decade as a signature sponsor of TFF, Bloomberg returns with its Business of Entertainment program at the Festival. This year’s discussion, entitled “Going Global: Will Co-Production Save the Film Industry?” will focus on the recent rise of international co-production, exploring the benefits and obstacles of this often complex but rewarding strategy. Bloomberg convenes major producers, financiers, and other key industry decision-makers who play leading roles in financing today’s film and entertainment industries. Panelists include co-producer of The Girl and CEO of Bonita Films Tania Zarak, Chairman and CEO of Endgame Entertainment James D. Stern, and Director of European Film and TV Group, Exclusive Media, Ben Holden. Moderated by Bloomberg News entertainment reporter Michael White.

Sponsored by Bloomberg

The Future is Short: Storytelling in the Digital Age

As the Internet and other platforms like Hulu, Netflix, Yahoo!, and the New York Times become more commercially viable as distribution outlets for good stories told through film, the opportunities for creating original short-form content have never been bigger, or more lucrative. What do content producers want from original episodic or serial programs, and how do filmmakers who’ve dipped their toes in short-form storytelling, even as brief as three minutes, feel about the work they’ve done? Where might it all be headed? Join CINELAN co-founder Morgan Spurlock (Mansome), filmmaker Annie Sundberg (Knuckleball!), Jason Spingarn-Koff of the New York Times Op-Docs series, and others to discuss the power, art, and business of short-form storytelling. Moderated by Jason Wishnow, Director of Film and Video at TED.

Sponsored by GE / FOCUS FORWARD – Short Films, Big Ideas

New Filmmakers on Film

Panavision’s New Filmmaker Program has helped young directors and cinematographers break into the industry for the past 25 years, supporting films such as Requiem for a Dream and Napoleon Dynamite. While a growing number of filmmakers turn to digital technology, Panavision’s grant program still offers artists the chance to shoot on film by providing them with exclusive camera packages with legendary Panavision lenses, as well as a wide range of digital cameras. Join Una Noche director Lucy Mulloy, Kodak’s US Account Manager of Features and Post-Production Bob Mastronardi, cinematographer Guy Godfree, and other film artists as they discuss the program and new opportunities for emerging talent. Moderated by Panavision’s New Filmmaker Program Manager, Mike Dallatorre.

Sponsored by Panavision

The Pen Versus the Sword

Social change can be implemented through a variety of creative methods—from artists who write and create work that makes people look at society from a new perspective, to bloggers spreading information, opinions, and images to those who need it most, to regular individuals speaking out. Hear from TFF filmmakers Antonino D’Ambrosio (Let Fury Have the Hour), Raymond De Felitta (Booker’s Place: A Mississippi Story), and Stephen Maing (High Tech, Low Life) on how writing and action can make an impact in the world. Moderated by film and culture critic Caryn James.

All descriptions come from the official Tribeca website. There are many more events taking place throughout the festival so be sure to visit http://TribecaFilm.com for more info!

Jerry Cavallaro – @GetStuckJerryCavallaro.com

Watch STUCK LIKE CHUCK for FREE Right Now!

4 years ago, I attended a screening of SUPERBAD the day it came out. Immediately after that screening, I was inspired. The film was a series of long conversations. The story had been done a million times. But it worked because the dialogue was brilliant and everyone could relate to the characters. I have been a fan of CLERKS. & Kevin Smith for years prior to this but something just clicked. It had gone mainstream. So I started thinking about what the simplest idea for a story could be that would showcase the characters and the dialogue. I immediately came up with the age old idea of people stuck in a room. I began to realize that this was actually something I could do so I started working on the idea. A week later I started writing the script. 6 months later we started shooting. A year and a half after that, we premiered at our first film festival and went home with Audience Choice Comedy. And now, exactly 4 years after the idea was born, the film is now available for free online. Watch it. Enjoy it. And get inspired!

If you like the film and would like to help out, you can make a donation of $1 or more right HERE. As a token of appreciation, everyone who contributes will received access to nearly 10 hours of bonus features including deleted scenes, a feature length making of, behind the scenes videos, a commentary track and more. You can also help out by purchasing a t-shirt from DIRECTOR’S CAMEO. Several of the shirts featured in the film are available on that site, as well many more shirts designed specifically for filmmakers, movie geeks & pop culture junkies.

Now that it is finally available, what did you think of the film?

Jerry Cavallaro – JerryCavallaro.com

Watch STUCK LIKE CHUCK for FREE Starting August 17th

Although I don’t get to contribute nearly as much as I’d like to, I have been a part of WAMG for almost 3 years now. During that time, one film that I always liked to talk about was STUCK LIKE CHUCK and the reason why is simple. It is an awesome film… and I also happen to be the writer & director. In the past, I’ve posted stories about new trailers and festival screenings. Our very own Travis Keune even wrote a fantastic (and non-biased) review that you can read RIGHT HERE. But this news is much bigger.

I’m very excited to let you all know that starting August 17th, STUCK LIKE CHUCK will be available to watch for free. Free streaming. Free download. FREE. It will launch on StuckLikeChuck.com but the player is embeddable so hopefully it will pop up on websites and blogs all over.

To celebrate the free release, on August 17th I will host 3 separate “live-tweets” of the film. Just start watching the film at 8 PM, 10 PM or Midnight EST & tweet about it using #LiveChuck. You can also just tweet me anytime (@GetStuck) and I’m usually pretty good about responding.

Since no future DVD or Blu-Ray release is planned, I will also be releasing nearly 10 hours of bonus features. This includes a version of the film with audio commentary from myself and Nic Baisley from FilmSnobbery.com, an 88 minute fly on the wall behind the scenes documentary, the original 2 hour rough cut of the film, over 30 minutes of deleted scenes and much more. In order to access all these extras, just make a donation of $1 or more on StuckLikeChuck.com starting August 17th.

Check out our newest teaser trailer below to see what you can expect in less than two weeks…

So who’s excited?

– Jerry Cavallaro, JerryCavallaro.com

Want to watch Tribeca 2011 films online for FREE?

Since Friday, I have been raving to people about RABIES (review here), which is my favorite film of the Tribeca Film Festival so far. I’ve also been telling everyone how it is available to watch for free as part of the festival’s online screening room. Pretty much no one knew what I was talking about. It occurred to me that I should write a post to explain a little bit about Tribeca’s online festival and how you can watch some great indie films for free.

By going to http://www.tribecafilm.com/tribecaonline you can get all the info. Basically you have to sign up for a free Tribeca film account and then reserve a virtual seat for one of the online screenings. Each of the films have set days when they are streaming and you should have 24 hours for each to check in and watch the film on those days.

There are 6 features and a bunch of shorts available, including a few award winning shorts from previous years. Also available as part of the online festival are streams from each red carpet and from the live Tribeca Talks panels, plus chats and interviews with some of the filmmakers.

There is a lot of great content on the site and you should check it out for yourself. To get you started, here are 5 recommendations on what to watch. Click on the title to be taken directly to that film’s virtual screening room.

RABIES – Feature

Israel’s first horror movie is one of the best horror films you will see in a while. It is a brilliant slasher film with the psycho killer removed from the equation.

THE DUNGEON MASTER – Short

A surprisingly dark but funny short about why it may not be a great idea to play Dungeons & Dragons when it has been a few years since your last roll. Written & Directed by Rider and Shiloh Strong.

MR. STACHE – Short

A whimsical tale of a man, his moustache and the girl of his dreams. Directed by Jac Schaeffer, who you may remember as the very talented writer/director of TiMER.

SOME BOYS DON’T LEAVE – Retrospective Short

Girl breaks up with Boy but Boy refuses to leave the apartment they once shared so she tries to ignore him while he lives in her hall. Expertly shot and yet another great performance from Jesse Eisenberg.

TRIBECA TALKS: AMPLIFY THE MESSAGE – Panel

A 90 minute discussion on how to use social media to build a web presence and engage with your audience.

BONUS FREE SCREENING INFO

In addition to the official online portion of the festival, several films from Tribeca are available at various VOD platforms. One of those platforms is Amazon.com and they are giving away free $6 in Tribeca credit in return for just one tweet. Go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000673791 for full details. None of the feature films available at Amazon are available for free on the Tribeca website so choose wisely or watch one for free and purchase the others. A few of the shorts are also available on Amazon for free, including MR. STACHE.

Most of this content is only available until the end of the festival so check it out now before it is too late. Hopefully this post makes you feel a little bit better about not being able to attend the festival in person. Enjoy!

Jerry Cavallaro  – www.StuckLikeChuck.com