Tribeca moves into distribution

Tribeca Enterprises has launched its long anticipated distribution arm and at the same time unveiled an online adjunct to the festival.

Tribeca Film will acquire and release films year-round through a series of distribution partners and launches with a roster of ten titles, seven of which will air on VOD day-and-date with their festival slots.

The slate includes the world Premiere of Jeff Tremaine’s BMX documentary Birth Of Big Air and the North American premieres of Mat Whitecross’ Ian Dury biopic sex & drugs & rock & roll.

The aim is to shrink traditional windows through a diverse VOD offering that Tribeca sources said could reach a potential audience of more than 40million through carriers like Comcast, Cablevision and Verizon FiOS.

The titles will be available on a Tribeca-branded menu for a minimum of 60 days. Theatrical releases will also take place where appropriate to the film and film-maker.

The second new venture, Tribeca Film Festival Virtual (TFFV), will enable a broad online audience to screen festival features and shorts, engage with film-makers and fellow audience members, and watch panel discussions, film-maker interviews and live coverage of red-carpet premieres.

The initiative will kick off on April 23 with the world premiere of Edward Burns’ Nice Guy Johnny, which will play simultaneously with its festival premiere. The festival is set to run from April 21-May 2

Returning to Tribeca Film, the initial slate includes the North American premiere of Participant Media and the Alliance for Climate Protection’s documentary Climate Of Change, the US premiere of Dev Benegal’s Road, Movie, and Jac Schaeffer’s TiMER. Further titles will be announced in the coming days.

American Express has broadened its commitment to Tribeca and signed on as the founding partner of Tribeca Film and TFFV.

“The traditional make-up of film festivals is evolving and distribution models are increasingly challenged,” Tribeca’s creative officer Geoff Gilmore, Chief said. “At the same time, festivals have never had a more vital role in uniting audiences and serving as a marketing platform for films. We want Tribeca to become what New York City is: a spotlight for film culture in the world.”

“This year marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Tribeca, as well as for audiences and the entire film community,” Tribeca Enterprises co-founder Jane Rosenthal said. “These initiatives put all the pieces together and provide new platforms for how film can be experienced, while supporting filmmakers and introducing audiences to films they might not otherwise see.”