New York, NY – May 5, 2007 – The 6th annual Tribeca Film Festival, co-founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff, and presented by American Express, announced the winner of The Cadillac Award – We Are Together (Thina Simunye) – which was voted on by the audience.
The voting process for The Cadillac Award had been taking place throughout the duration of the festival, as audiences were encouraged to fill out nomination ballots upon exiting screenings of Festival films. Final results were tabulated and announced before the Closing Night premiere of the HBO documentary film The Gates at BMCC TribecaPAC Theater. Festival co-founder Jane Rosenthal and Liz Vanzura, global marketing director for Cadillac, presented the winner with the one-of-a-kind trophy to commemorate their achievement. The winner also received $25,000 dollars in cash.
We Are Together (Thina Simunye) is a documentary film from the U.K. directed by Paul Taylor and produced by Paul Taylor and Teddy Liefer. The film tells the story of children in the South Africa Agape Orphanage, most of who have lost their loved ones to AIDS. Told with compassion and grace, this uplifting film celebrates the children’s indomitable spirits and musical aspirations. The Children of Agape choir has performed throughout the festival at events including Opening Night, the Family Festival as well as the film’s premiere.
“The Tribeca Film Festival Cadillac Award is a fantastic honor. Audience reaction has been incredible and we’ve had a great festival,” said Paul Taylor as he accepted the award this evening on stage alongside several of the children from Agape and Teddy Leifer. “Having some of the children from Agape with us during the festival has been very special. Everywhere they go people fall in love with them. This is their award.”
Paul Taylor and Teddy Leifer will dedicate the $25,000 cash prize from the Cadillac Award to school fees for the Agape children through their RISE Foundation.
We Are Together also received a 2007 Special Jury Mention and will be screened on Sunday, May 6th at 1:00pm and 4:00pm at Loews 34th Street.
All other 2007 Festival award winners were announced previously at an awards dinner on Thursday, May 3, 2007. A full list of winners can be found at www.tribecafilmfestival.org.
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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 Entertainment, Montblanc, Target, and Yahoo!.
About Cadillac and General Motors Since 1902, Cadillac has been a top luxury automotive brand distinguished by its heritage for dramatic design and innovation. Cadillac is a division of General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM). GM, founded in 1908, employs about 284,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries. In 2006, nearly 9.1 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. More information on GM can be found at
www.gm.com.
