The Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), presented by American Express®, today announced the return of their signature free community events: the Tribeca Drive-In® (April 18-20); the Family Festival Street Fair (April 27); Tribeca/ESPN Sports Day (April 27); and, and Family Screenings (April 21 and 27).

The popular Tribeca Drive-In® is back at Brookfield Place (World Financial Center Plaza), co-sponsored by AT&T and JetBlue and hosted by Brookfield. Kicking off this beloved series will be the classic Hitchcock film, The Birds, followed by Tim Burton’s beloved comedy, Beetlejuice, and an additional screening of the TFF 2013 film, Lil Bub & Friendz, featuring some famous online cats. Before each movie, be sure to join us for games and activities for all ages, including movie trivia contests, ghoulish costume contests, face painting, prize giveaways and more.

Ever wondered what it would be like to be in the movies? The annual Tribeca Family Festival Street Fair will include the new Tribeca Studios Backlot, which will transform a downtown street into an interactive movie set where visitors can explore a wide range of elements that go into producing a film on location in New York City.  As is tradition, the Street Fair will also include our standard live Broadway performances, arts and crafts activities, and puppet shows.

New this year at the Tribeca Family Festival Street Fair is the Tribeca Food Feast, which will offer festival-goers the opportunity to watch chefs from the neighborhood and beyond create unique dishes on a show kitchen stage and try their hands at a variety of other cooking activities.

In addition, our beloved Family Festival will feature an exciting sneak preview of the upcoming summer comedy of The Smurfs 2, along with a free family screening of the beloved film The Smurfs, with appearances by cast members. Hosted by ​Time Out Kids,

Not to be missed are other new programs made possible by our partnership with MoMA PS1. Alberi, a TFF special screening, will run as a free installation at the VW Dome at MoMA PS1, and Stand Clear of the Closing Doors, which will premiere in the World Narrative Competition section of the Festival, will celebrate storytelling and innovation at the VW Dome 2 in the Rockaways in partnership with MoMA PS1 and Rooftop Films.

Each year, TFF’s free events bring thousands of people downtown to enjoy top-notch entertainment, while highlighting the restaurants, merchants, schools and community organizations of lower Manhattan. The free events are as follows:

TRIBECA DRIVE-IN OUTDOOR SCREENINGS

Co-sponsored by AT&T and JetBlue and hosted by Brookfield, TFF’s outdoor screening series features the following films for this year’s Tribeca Drive-In at Brookfield Place (World Financial Center Plaza). These free evenings of cinema under the stars are open to the public, and seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Running nightly from Thursday, April 18 to Saturday, April 20, the programs will begin at 6:00PM, with screenings starting at dusk (approximately 8:15PM).

The Birds
Thursday, April 18

Celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of one of the greatest thrillers ever made! A casual boy-meets-girl story takes a turn toward the extreme when the couple lands in the tiny town of Bodega Bay, California, just in time to witness its sizable population of birds attack. Alfred Hitchcock, the Master of Suspense, directed this nightmarish fantasy starring Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy and Suzanne Pleshette. Courtesy of Universal.

Come early for classic movie trivia contests and other chances to win great prizes. 

Beetlejuice
Friday, April 19

Two just-arrived ghosts discover that scaring away the new residents of their old house is not as easy as saying a name three times. This beloved comedy from 1988 was the perfect vehicle for Tim Burton’s unique style and vivid imagination. Michael Keaton plays the title role with maniacal relish and a dark edge of menace, alongside co-stars Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Catherine O’Hara and Winona Ryder. Courtesy of Warner Bros. © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Take part in a ghoulish costume contest, face-painting and family-friendly activities before the film.

Lil Bub & Friendz
Saturday, April 20

Called “the most famous cat on the Internet,” the wide-eyed perma-kitten Lil Bub is the adorable embodiment of the Web's fascination with all things cats. Join Lil Bub and her owner on wild cross-country romp as they meet the Internet’s most famous cat-lebrities. Meet adorable kitties, see hilarious videos and hear from the dedicated cat enthusiasts who love them.

Pet enthusiasts unite! Pre-show activities, contests and giveaways for cat lovers of all ages.

TRIBECA FAMILY FESTIVAL STREET FAIR

The Tribeca Family Festival, presented by American Express®, will feature the annual Street Fair on Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Greenwich Street from Chambers Street to Hubert Street, and at venues throughout the Tribeca neighborhood. The fair, a Festival favorite, is free and open to the public, and promises to be a day of family fun and lively entertainment.

Activities and performances throughout the Street Fair will bring storytelling and filmmaking to life. The celebration will include talented performers, dancers, stilt walkers, Broadway performances, arts and crafts, face painters, puppet shows, music, games and much more. Students from dozens of local schools will also be at the fair with live performances and vibrant student artwork. The Street Fair will also host restaurants, merchants and organizations from the Tribeca neighborhood. The American Express® Guest Information Booths will offer comprehensive Festival information, including event, screening and neighborhood information. 

TRIBECA/ESPN SPORTS DAY

A perennial favorite of the Family Festival Street Fair, the seventh annual Tribeca/ESPN Sports Day will take place on Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., on N. Moore Street (between Greenwich Street and West Street). The Tribeca/ESPN Sports Day gives sports fan the opportunity to engage in a variety of free, sports-related activities that will include games, demonstrations and prize giveaways. In addition, some of New York’s most popular athletes, mascots and sports personalities will make guest appearances throughout the day. 

FAMILY SCREENINGS

Downtown Youth Behind The Camera

Sunday, April 21
12 p.m.
SVA Theatre (333 West 23rd Street)

The Tribeca Family Festival will once again present “Downtown Youth Behind The Camera,” a program of short films made by elementary and middle school emerging student filmmakers from the downtown communities of New York City.  This year marks the 10th anniversary of this popular program. 

Sneak Preview of The Smurfs 2 and Family Screening of The Smurfs

Saturday, April 27
11 a.m.
BMCC/Tribeca Performing Arts Center (199 Chambers Street)
Hosted by Time Out Kids

The evil wizard Gargamel chases the Smurfs out of their village and into the exciting, real-life world of New York City in this family mega-hit featuring Neil Patrick Harris, Hank Azaria, Glee’s Jayma Mays and the voice talents of Katy Perry, Alan Cumming, Jonathan Winters, Fred Armisen and more.

Note: Admission is free and ticketed on a first-come, first-served basis. Lines at BMCC begin 30 minutes prior to the start of the program.

TFI Presents

Saturday, April 27
11 a.m.
Tribeca Film Center (375 Greenwich Street)

Film Fellows with the Tribeca Film Institute will screen a special program of short films created by downtown student filmmakers. Recommended for ages 12 and up.

GE FOCUS FORWARD: “The Long and Short of Innovation”
Saturday, April 27
1 p.m.
Tribeca Film Center (375 Greenwich Street)

A special program of Family-friendly short docs that focuses on innovation in storytelling will feature filmmakers from the GE FOCUS FORWARD Short Films, Big Ideas series, including directors Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg. Recommended for ages 12 and up.

STORY CORPS: “Stories In Animation”

Saturday, April 27
3 p.m.
Tribeca Film Center (375 Greenwich Street)

StoryCorps is one of the largest oral history projects of its kind, and their original animated shorts series features some of their best-loved radio stories. The Peabody Award-winning and two-time Emmy-nominated StoryCorps Animated Shorts feature the stories of everyday people, told in their own voices and brought to life with animation from the Rauch Brothers.

PUBLIC SCREENINGS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MOMA PS1

Alberi

Special event on Saturday, April 20 at 5 p.m.
VW Dome at MoMA PS1 (22-25 Jackson Ave. Long Island City, NY)
Presented in partnership with MoMA PS1

Installation will be open during Museum hours from Thursday, April 18-Saturday, April 27, excluding Sundays

Wrapping the audience in waves of sound, Alberi takes us on a circular journey through the Italian countryside. The marvelous natural music at the tops of the eponymous trees makes way for the rhythmic cadence of civilization—men baring axes and the natural clatter of daily life—before their unforgettable return home from the forest. The singular artistry of director Michelangelo Frammartino (Le quatro volte) is beautifully displayed in this mesmerizing homage to nature. Italian with subtitles.

Stand Clear of the Closing Doors

Saturday, April 27
7 p.m.
MoMA PS1's VW Dome 2 (1-94 Beach 95th St. Queens, NY)
Presented in partnership with MoMA PS1 and Rooftop Films

When autistic teen Ricky is scolded for skipping class, he escapes into the subway for a days-long odyssey among the subway’s disparate denizens. Meanwhile, his mother wages an escalating search effort above ground. Based on a true story and set in Far Rockaway, Queens, in the days leading up to Hurricane Sandy, these parallel stories of mother and son take the viewer on a touching journey of community and connection in and below New York City.