Our Future of Film Lunch Series continues with the founder of College Humor and Vimeo and the producer of Paranormal Activity. With more films, free panels and great post-screening chats (including one with Rob Lowe!), what better way to spend your Wednesday than with TFF 2012?

Future of Film Lunch Series- April 25
12:00 pm: 92Y Tribeca
Price: FREE

Ricky Van Veen (founder of CollegeHumor) and Jason Blum (producer of the Paranormal Activity franchise) share their thoughts on the future of production, distribution, their experience with new storytelling techniques, and beyond. Afterward, Rob Altman from Canon will discuss and screen their latest film, when you find me, produced with Ron Howard and directed by Bryce Dallas Howard. Get there early—these talks have been quite popular!

Illicit Networks: Portrayal Through Film
2:30 pm: SVA Theater
Price: FREE

Tribeca Enterprises and Google Ideas team up for this unique free panel addressing Hollywood's portrayal of illicit networks, which are now increasing physical and systemic violence and 2 percent of the world's trade is in illicit goods, this panel of experts will separate fact from fiction to launch a critical dialogue. Moderated by Jared Cohen, Director of Google Ideas. FREE!

Read more about the panelists here.

FOCUS FORWARD - Short Films, Big Ideas
3:00 pm: Tribeca Cinemas
Price: FREE

Nine three-minute films from directors Jessica Yu, Nelson George, Michèle Ohayon, and more tell the amazing stories of innovators making our world a better place. Join us for this unique program of short films, including four world premieres, followed by a Q+A with select FOCUS FORWARD filmmakers. 

The Virgin, The Copts and Me: Screening and Q&A
5:30 pm: SVA Theater
Purchase tickets here

After the Movie: Stay for a conversation with director Namir Abdel Messeeh, filmmaker Sameh Zoabi, screenwriter/novelist/journalist Rula Jebreal, and Associate Professor and Director of the Integrated Media Arts MFA Program at Hunter College CUNY Andrew Lund on cultural identity and contemporary international filmmakers who explore diaspora identities and a journey to their roots. Moderated by film critic Glenn Kenny. 

Sponsored by Doha Film Institute.

Wagner's Dream: Screening and Q&A
6:00 pm: SVA Theater
Buy tickets here

For perhaps the most ambitious project in its famed history, the Metropolitan Opera commissioned visionary director Robert Lepage to stage a new production of opera's most formidable masterpiece: Richard Wagner's four-part Ring Cycle. Shot over five years, Susan Froemke's documentary captures the unprecedented challenges of bringing Lepage's electrifying production to life. Featuring such opera luminaries as Deborah Voigt, the film is a rare and engrossing look at the artistic process.

After the Movie: Stay for a conversation about this incredible artistic journey with filmmakers Susan Froemke and Bob Eisenhardt, the Met's General Manager Peter Gelb, opera soprano Deborah Voigt and tenor Jay Hunter Morris. Moderated by "the Voice of the Met" Margaret Juntwait.

Part of the Beyond the Screens: Globalize Your Thinking series
Sponsored by Oppenheimer Funds

Knife Fight: Screening and Q&A
6:00 pm: BMCC TPAC
Rush Tickets ONLY

Join us after this special screening for an extended Q+A about presidential campaigns and how politics are spun with writer/director Bill Guttentag, writer and co-producer Chris Lehane, actor Rob Lowe, and campaign strategist Steve Schmidt. Moderated by MSNBC senior political analyst and co-author of Game Change Mark Halperin.

We're past the halfway point of TFF 2012 and still plenty of movies to see...

Francophrenia (or: don't kill me, i know where the baby is)
2:30 pm: AMC Village VII

Francophrenia is a brilliant, cutting-edge collaboration between famed actor and avant-garde artist James Franco and award-winning filmmaker and editor Ian Olds. When Franco signed up for an acting gig on the soap opera General Hospital, he brought along a crew to film behind-the-scenes action on set at Los Angeles' Museum of Contemporary Art, creating a glimpse into the strange world of celebrity in both its public and private moments. 

As Luck Would Have It
3:00 pm: AMC Village VII

Once upon a time Roberto (Spanish comic José Mota) had a promising career in advertising. But the economy has kept him out of work for a long time, and he's struggling to hide his family's dire economic situation from his adoring wife Luisa (Salma Hayek, as vivacious as ever), who dotes on him job or no job. When his latest interview goes nowhere, his spirit seems irrevocably dampened. Then a freak accident suddenly puts Roberto at the center of a media frenzy. The enterprising ad man hires a snaky agent to help him cash in on his life-or-death situation, but it's up to Luisa to convince Roberto that his life is worth more to his family than financial security.

Postcards From The Zoo
3:30 pm: Clearview Cinemas Chelsea

But for every Oz, there is a Kansas. When Lana leaves the confines of the zoo that has been her home since she was abandoned there as a child, she is introduced to a place devoid of hope and imagination. Stoically, she accepts and explores her role in this new world as easily as she found her fate at Ragunan. A beautiful exploration of humans and animals, Postcards From the Zoo is something to write home about.

Beyond the Hill
4:00 pm: Clearview Cinemas Chelsea

In his feature debut, Emin Alper demonstrates a level of skill and subtlety in execution that earns him the distinction of a talent to watch. In the quiet foothills of Turkey, Faik lives an isolated existence. When his second son brings his boys for a visit, he shares one unsolicited thought after the next. Most particularly focusing on the elusive nomads whom he suspects have been trespassing on his property. The day and night wear on, and each member of the clan takes his turn entrusting the film's audience with his own dark secret.

Read more: An interview with director Emin Alper

Fame High
4:00 pm: AMC Village VII

Scott Hamilton Kennedy's charming follow-up to his Academy Award-nominated The Garden captures all the drama, competition, heartbreak, and triumph among a group of freshman and senior students at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. From the nail-biting freshman auditions to the spectacular graduation performance, this crowd-pleasing coming-of-age documentary is a tribute to discovering your passion, embracing your talent, and taking it to the next level.

Shorts: Triptych
9:45 pm: Clearview Cinemas Chelsea

Dreamscapes looks behind and beyond the canvas of artist Stephen Hannock, following him from his Newcastle opening to the canals of Venice and the streets of New York. Alekesam is the story of Hugh Masekela, an international jazz icon and apartheid activist who was exiled from his homeland South Africa for 30 years, and his son Selema, who attempts to embrace the roots of his identity through music and reconnect with his father. Beauty Culture investigates our obsession with beauty and the influence of photographic representations on female body image and the persistent "beauty contest" of daily life.

Resolution
10:00 pm: AMC Village VII

Michael (Peter Cilella) is committed to getting his best friend Chris (Vinny Curran) to sober up and get his life back on track. With the best of intentions, Michael implements a plan to convince Chris to go to rehab before his drug addiction leads to an early death. But what begins as an attempt to save his friend's life quickly takes an unexpected turn as the two friends confront personal demons, the consequences of past actions, and forces beyond their control.

Read more: An interview with directors Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson

What's on the horizon tomorrow for TFF 2012?

Future of Film Lunch Series-April 26
12:00 pm: 92Y Tribeca
Price: FREE

♦ Andrew Weissman, Co-Founder of Betaworks and Partner at Union Square Ventures
♦ Jason Hirschhorn, Curator @MediaReDEF, former President of MySpace and Sling Media, and Chief Digital Officer of MTV Networks

As successful entrepreneurs and media/internet executives, Weissman and Hirschhorn will speak openly about the future of film, exploring the topics of business models, new platforms, distribution, funding trends and our constantly changing media landscape.

♦ James Lawler, independent producer of Don't Let Me Down and 30 for 30 and founder of Constellation , and David Larkin, founder and CEO of GoWatchit.com, a search engine and universal queue for movies, will discuss the current state of independent filmmaking, digital technology, and the emerging markets of crowd-sourced theatrical screenings, and data-driven distribution.

Tribeca Talks Industry - Does the Cloud have a Silver (Screen) Lining?
2:30 pm: SVA Theater
Price: FREE

Join Jeffrey A. Hirsch, Executive VP and CMO at Time Warner Cable; Eugene Hernandez, Director of Digital Strategy at the Film Society of Lincoln Center; John Sloss, founder of Cinetic Media and Sloss Eckhouse Law Co LLP, and Stephanie Sharis, COO of SnagFilms, Inc., for a discussion about navigating today's digital marketplace. Moderated by Richard Whittington, senior VP of media and entertainment at SAP.

Our City My Story
5:00 pm: BMCC TPAC
Price: FREE
Please RSVP here  

Come celebrate the vision, promise, and diversity of New York City youth-produced media! Curated by the Tribeca Film Institute, this screening showcases the best student-made work from across NYC.

See you tomorrow!