New York, NY [March 19, 2007] – The 2007 Tribeca Film Festival, presented by American Express, today announced its line-up of short films. Out of 2,300 short film submissions received this year, 62 have been selected for competition, and will be presented in 10 separate thematically related programs. These include short narratives featuring Zooey Deschanel, Bob Geldof, Mariel Hemingway, Piper Perabo, Jay O. Sanders and Fisher Stevens. Andrew Berends, whose feature documentary about Iraq, The Blood of My Brother, screened at the Festival last year, returns with a new short he filmed in Kurdistan. Other directors making return visits to the Festival include Marie Losier, Bill Morrison, Bill Plympton, and Jay Rosenblatt. Four more competing shorts will be shown preceding feature films.

One additional thematically related non-competing shorts program, We Are Here, comprises works shot by Lebanese filmmakers and artists during the Israel-Lebanon conflict in the summer of 2006. Their unique records of what they witnessed and experienced were made possible by digital video technology, and were motivated by a desire to craft an alternative to international media broadcasts.

“The shorts we’re presenting this year include mostly, but not exclusively, works by new filmmakers who may well aspire to create feature films someday,” said Peter Scarlet, executive director of the Festival. “But it’s just as important to see that making shorts is still attractive for artists who have made longer works, proving the short film is still a viable form in itself.”

The jurors for each of the shorts categories: narrative (N), documentary (D) and student (S) will be announced at a later date.

The following shorts will be shown before feature films as noted below:
· MEMORIES ABOUT SAYAT NOVA (Vospominania o Sayat Nove), directed by Levon Grigorian (Armenia/Italy) – North American Premiere. (D) with To Die A Little.
· WE WILL WIN, directed and written by Mahmoud Hojeij (Lebanon) – World Premiere. (N) with
A Slim Peace.
· SHUT-EYE HOTEL, directed by Bill Plympton (U.S.A.) – World Premiere. (N) with The Last Jews of Libya.
· EDDEAA, directed by Saman Arbabi (Iran/Sweden) – International Premiere. (N) with Half Moon.

The thematic programs are:

Archiving Identity, a program of experimental shorts, which as a point of departure, all utilize previously filmed footage to address issues of personal and cultural identity.
· NYC WEIGHTS AND MEASURES, directed by Jem Cohen (U.S.A.). (D)
· A YEAR, directed by Mark Street (U.S.A.) – World Premiere. (D)
· WHO BY WATER, directed by Bill Morrison (U.S.A.) – North American Premiere. (D)
· LOSS, directed by Kristen Nutile (U.S.A.) – New York Premiere. (D)
· THE SMALL ONES, directed by Lynne Sachs (U.S.A.) – World Premiere. (D)

Balance Beam, the characters in these shorts try to maintain a foothold as they navigate the bumpy road of life.
· GREETINGS FROM EARTH, directed by Kim Jacobs (U.S.A.) – World Premiere. (N)
· I AM AN APARTMENT BUILDING, directed and written by Lara Azzopardi (Canada) –
New York Premiere. (N)
· COUGH DROP, directed and written by Kristina Lear (U.S.A.) – World Premiere. (S)
· UNLOCKED, directed and written by Daryl Wein (U.S.A.). (N)
· RISE AND SHINE (Sabah Al Fol), directed by Sherif El-Bendary (Egypt.) – North American Premiere. (N)
· MENGED, directed and written by Daniel Taye Workou (Ethiopia) – New York Premiere. (N)
· LENS LOVE STORY, directed and written by Sonia Whiteman (Australia) – North American Premiere. (N)

Desperate Measures, the characters in these diverse shorts look for a way out, a way in, or a way to make sense of it all.
· FIRST FLUSH (Ynglinge), directed and written by Mikkel Munch-Fals (Denmark). (N)
· A MOMENT TO BREATHE (Un Attimo Di Respiro), directed and written by Sara Colangelo (Italy/USA) – New York Premiere. (S)
· RED & BLUE (Azraa Wa Ahmar) directed and written by Mahmood Soliman (Egypt) –
North American Premiere. (N)
· THE SHADE (Sayeh), directed and written by Mohammad Gorjestani (Canada) –
North American Premiere. (S)
· GOOD LUCK NEDIM (Sretan Put Nedime), directed by Marko Santic, written by Goran Vojnovic (Slovenia) – North American Premiere. (S)
· CLEAR CUT, SIMPLE (Khayen), directed by Vineet Dewan (U.S.A.) – New York Premiere. (S)
· REFUGE CITY (Miasto Ucieczki), directed by Wojciech Kasperski (Poland) – North American Premiere. (S)

Express Stops Only, our New York, New York Program rides the express train with a fast-moving selection of big city shorts.
· SAY YOU CAN SEE, directed and written by Tony Caio (U.S.A.) – World Premiere. (N)
· RED SHOES, directed and written by Li-Anne Huang (U.S.A.) – World Premiere. (S)
· LOCK, directed by Ming Kai Leung (U.S.A.) – World Premiere. (S)
· A NICK IN TIME, directed by Bé Garrett (U.S.A.) – New York Premiere. (N)
· SUPER POWERS, directed by J. Anderson Mitchell and Jeremy Kipp Walker, written by J. Anderson Mitchell (U.S.A.). (N)
· RAVING, directed and written by Julia Stiles (U.S.A.) – World Premiere. (N)
· HAPPINESS, directed and written by Sophie Barthes (U.S.A.) – New York Premiere. (N)
· IN VIVID DETAIL, directed by Dara Bratt, written by Dara Bratt, Kieran Dick (Canada/U.S.A.) – World Premiere. (S)

Family Legacy, the past melds seamlessly with the present as these documentary shorts explore the heart and soul of places called "home."
· A SON’S SACRIFICE, directed by Yoni Brook (U.S.A.) – North America Premiere. (D)
· SALIM BABA, directed by Tim Sternberg (India/U.S.A.) – North American Premiere. (D)
· ANDERMAN, directed by Jaap van Heusden (Netherlands) – International Premiere. (D)
· GOING HOME, directed by Hung P. Nguyen (U.S.A.) – New York Premiere. (S)
· DISPLACED, directed by Andrew Berends and Michiel Pilgram (U.S.A.) – World Premiere. (S)
· SOMEONE ELSE’S WAR, directed by Lee Wang (U.S.A./Philippines) – World Premiere. (S)

Life Support, four very different worlds with four very different stories that challenge perceptions of morality and mortality.
· TOWER BLOCK (Hochhaus), directed and written by Nikias Chryssos (Germany) – New York Premiere. (N)
· THE LAST DOG IN RWANDA (Den sista hunden i Rwanda), directed and written by Jens Assur (Sweden) – New York Premiere. (N)
· THREE TOWERS, directed by Yoni Bentovim and Emily Harris, written by Etgar Keret, Shira Geffen (UK, Italy) – U.S. Premiere. (N)
· ILLEGAL, directed and written by Andrew Oh (U.S.A.) – World Premiere. (N)

Mood Enhancer, a group of unusual and very imaginative short films.
· ONION UNDERWATER, directed and written by Paul Yates (U.S.A.) – World Premiere. (S)
· THE WATER AND THE MILK (La leche y el agua), directed and written by Celso García (Mexico). (N)
· HEART OF WHISTLER, directed by Ken Hegan, written by John Meadows, Ken Hegan (Canada) – U.S. Premiere. (N)
· LAWRENCE, directed and written by Gregory Mitnick (U.S.A.) – New York Premiere. (S)
· TELL IT TO THE FISHES, directed and written by William Sinclair (U.K.) – New York Premiere. (N)
· COLOR ME OLSEN, directed and written by Darren Stein (U.S.A.) – World Premiere. (N)
· I AM BOB, directed and written by Donald Rice (U.K.) – World Premiere. (N)

Portraits of Women, this program of experimental shorts brings together diverse stylistic ways in which filmmakers portray the image of women in society. All five short films will precede So, a feature documentary by Aimee Jennings.
· MANUELLE LABOR, directed by Marie Losier (U.S.A.) – New York Premiere. (N)
· I JUST WANTED TO BE SOMEBODY, directed by Jay Rosenblatt (U.S.A.) - New York Premiere. (D)
· HER HEART IS WASHED IN WATER AND THEN WEIGHED, directed by Sasha Waters (U.S.A.) – New York Premiere. (D)
· LUCIA AND THINGS, A FILM IN NINE FRAMES (Lucía y las cosas), directed and written by Andrés Riva and Paula Abramovich Gullco (Argentina) – U.S. Premiere.
· LOST: IN MEMORIAM, directed by Anita Thacher (U.S.A.) – World Premiere. (D)

Taken To Extremes, these documentary shorts illuminate personal passions, diverse dedications and occasional obsessions.
· PIECE BY PIECE, directed by Sachi Schuricht (U.S.A.) – New York Premiere. (S)
· ALOHA NEW YORK, directed by Carolina Cruz Santiago (U.S.A.) – World Premiere. (S)
· SAND DANCER, directed by Valerie Reid (New Zealand) – International Premiere. (D)
· THE COMMON SENSE FARM, directed by Kathleen Russell (U.S.A.) – New York Premiere. (S)
· A WARM, COMFORTING HOME, directed by Annette Apitz (U.S.A.) – New York Premiere. (D)
· MISS CHINATOWN, U.S.A., directed by Kathy Huang (U.S.A.) – World Premiere. (S)

Ulterior Motives, a group of emotional short films about trust, betrayal, and the complexity of relationships.
· FOOL ME ONCE, directed and written by Paco Farias (U.S.A.) – New York Premiere. (N)
· RED ANGEL, directed by Matthew Ross (U.S.A.) – World Premiere. (N)
· PRETEND (Nagpapanggap), directed and written by Debbie Formoso (U.S.A./Philippines) – World Premiere. (S)
· TRUE COLOURS, directed by Barney Elliot (U.K). (N)
· BREATHE, directed and written by Juliet Porter (Australia) – New York Premiere. (S)
· WHEN THE TIDE TURNS, directed by Campbell Maynes, written by David A. Fellows (Australia) – International Premiere. (N)
· VARTAN LLP, directed and written by Myles Price (U.S.A.) – New York Premiere. (S)

We are Here: New Shorts from Lebanon
Presented in collaboration with ArteEast, Ashkal Alwan (Beirut) and the Kevorkian Center at NYU.

· WINDOW, directed by Rana Salem - International Premiere.
· NO CONNECTION, directed by Myriam Sassine - International Premiere.
· BREAKING NEWS, directed by Hisham Jaber - International Premiere.
· TANK YOU, directed by Ziad Antar - International Premiere.
· TO THE LEBANESE CITIZENS, directed by Ali Cherry - International Premiere.
· LEBANON/WAR: SHORT VIDEOS, directed by Rania Stephan - International Premiere.
· LEBANON/WAR: DAILIES OF THE WAR, directed by Rania Stephan - International Premiere.
· JULY TRIP, directed by Wael Noureddine - International Premiere.

Family Film Shorts Programs

Show and Tell
Determined young cowboys, magical fish, marbles, dumplings, wild and fanciful dreams and more come alive in this youthful and entertaining shorts compilation for children 8+.

· AMARELINHA, directed and written by François Choquet (U.S.A.) – World Premiere.
· CHINESE DUMPLINGS, directed by Michelle Hung (U.S.A.) – North American Premiere.
· DORME (SLEEP), directed and written by Sylvia Binsfeld (U.S.A.) – World Premiere.
· THE FISH MIRACLE SKY (WHEN FISHES CRY, THE MIRACLE, CLOSER TO THE SKY), directed and written by George Racz (U.S.A.) – World Premiere.
· FOR ALL THE MARBLES, directed by Kris Booth, written by Brian Hartigan (Canada) – North American Premiere.
· THE MELANCHOLY PUFF MACHINE, directed by Jennifer Oxley, Nicholas Oxley (U.S.A.) – World Premiere.
· TOMMY THE KID, directed and written by Stuart Clegg (Australia) – North American Premiere.

Short Attention Span
Nostalgic about those teenage years? Take a trip down memory lane and remind yourself that life after 18 isn’t bad after all. Laughter, sadness and vivacity – it’s all part of growing up. 16+

· DEAR LEMON LIMA, directed and written by Suzi Yoonessi (U.S.A.) – World Premiere.
· EXPLODING BUDS (Knospen Wollen Explodieren), directed by Petra Schröder (Germany).
· LINES, directed and written by Sonja Jasansky (U.S.A.) – World Premiere.
· LOOK BOTH WAYS, directed by Daniel Oron, written by Daniel Oron and Jeffrey K Rohrs (Canada) – New York Premiere.
· THORNDIKE, directed and written by Chris Teague (U.S.A.) – New York Premiere.
· WOODEN SOUL, directed by Rehana Rose Khan (U.K.) – New York Premiere.
· YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU (Do Mundo Nao Se Leva Nada), directed and written by Charly Braun (Brazil) – International Premiere.

Synopses, cast and crew credits and press contacts for all these feature-length films can be viewed in the media section of the Tribeca Film Festival website www.tribecafilmfestival.org.

Venues and Tickets
AMC Theatres® is the official theatre partner for the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival and will help the Festival expand its reach with two new screening venues: AMC Loews Kips Bay 15 and AMC Loews 72nd Street 1. Clearview Chelsea West is another key venue addition for 2007. In addition to these three new venues, festival screenings will take place at the following venues: AMC Loews 34th Street 14, AMC Loews Village 7, Regal Cinemas Battery Park Cinemas 11, Tribeca Cinemas, BMCC Tribeca PAC, Pace University Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts, Drive-in at the North Cove, Tribeca Film Center and The Grand Theater @ Tribeca Grand.

Please visit www.tribecafilmfestival.org or call 866.941.FEST (3378) to purchase Festival Passes, Packages and individual tickets. Single tickets can be purchased online, by phone, or at the Tribeca Film Festival box office, located at 15 Laight Street (between Varick and Avenue of the Americas, one block south of Canal Street) and additional satellite locations. Single tickets will be available to downtown residents (with proof of residency) at only the Tribeca Festival Box Office beginning on Friday, April 13th. Single tickets will be available for purchase to the general public online, by phone, and at the Box Office beginning on Saturday, April 14-Sunday, May 6.

About the Tribeca Film Festival:
The Tribeca Film Festival was founded in 2002 by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff after the attacks on the World Trade Center to help economically and culturally revitalize Lower Manhattan through an annual celebration of film, music, and culture. The Festival’s mission is to assist filmmakers to reach the broadest possible audience, enable the international film community and the general public to experience the power of film, and to promote New York City as a major filmmaking center.

In its first five years, the festival attracted over one and a half million attendees from the US and abroad and created more than $325 million in economic activity for New York City.

The sixth annual Tribeca Film Festival will run from April 25th to May 6th, 2007. The Festival is anchored in Tribeca with additional venues throughout Manhattan, and includes film screenings, special events, concerts, a family street fair, and Tribeca Talks panel discussions. For more information on this year’s festival, as well as for highlights on the festival and filmmakers as it takes place, please visit www.tribecafilmfestival.org.

About the 2007 Festival Sponsors:
As Founding Sponsor of the Tribeca Film Festival, American Express is committed to expanding the Festival, bringing it to new audiences in compelling ways while offering Cardmembers and the general public special benefits that enhance the festival-going experience. As part of a long-term partnership with the Festival, American Express delivers on its Cardmembers’ passion for film, celebrates filmmakers, fosters community and brings energy and business to Lower Manhattan.

The Festival is pleased to announce the return of its Signature Sponsors: Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, AMC Theatres, Apple, Aquafina, Bloomberg, Brookfield Properties, Budweiser Select, Delta Air Lines, Empire State Development/I Love New York, General Motors, Jameson Irish Whiskey, NBC4HD, RR Donnelley, The New York Times, Telemundo 47, Tribeca Grand Hotel and Vanity Fair. The Tribeca Film Festival is also honored to welcome the following new Signature Sponsors: AARP, Axium, Montblanc, and Target.