Our filmmakers are looking forward to the Festival experience for a number of reasons that go beyond just watching movies. Those who have been to previous festivals approach the experience differently from others who have never before been to New York City, much less TFF. From meeting Robert De Niro to sightseeing to finding that quintessential New York slice, our diverse TFF 2014 filmmakers tell us what they're most excited about (after their own premieres/screenings, of course!). 

"Two of my previous films at Tribeca (Take, 2008, Sons of Perdition, 2010) and many of the filmmakers that I met during the festival have become great friends and mentors. I always enjoy hanging out and engaging with like-minded individuals."

- Tyler Measom, An Honest Liar

"It's an incredible honor to be invited back home to share my first film in the neighborhood I grew up in. I think the sensibility and approach that TFF takes in programming their festivals, indicates they have a commitment to film as an art form in addition to it being a market. I think that's an important and rare quality. So I'm looking forward to hanging out with other filmmakers, meeting the programmers and hopefully getting into some interesting conversations."

- Garrett Bradley, Below Dreams

"Our main character Puran sometimes makes puppets for Galli Galli Sim Sim, which is India's version of Sesame Street (his son plays Grover). We're flying him out for the premiere, and we're currently trying to set up a tour for him at the Henson Workshop in Queens. It'd be such a dream for him."

- Jimmy Goldblum and Adam Weber, Tomorrow We Disappear

"The feeling of being included, for ten days, in the art and business of filmmaking. Being with other filmmakers, actors, business people. Seeing friends, making new connections. Perhaps seeing Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal again, having written Stone which he starred in."

- Angus MacLachlan, Goodbye to All That

"I'm looking forward to seeing other films and meeting other filmmakers."

- Ryan Piers Williams, X/Y

"The cheese plate."

- Andrew T. Betzer, Young Bodies Heal Quickly

"Seeing New York for the first time. Seeing other films and meeting other filmmakers from around the world."

- Ivan Kavanagh, The Canal

"We lived in New York City for a couple of years leading up to making Beneath The Harvest Sky, but we have never been to the Tribeca Film Festival. So we are very much looking forward to experiencing the festival, meeting other filmmakers on the festival circuit and seeing how audiences respond to Beneath The Harvest Sky. For us, we realize having our U.S. premiere in New York City at TFF is truly an honor and we can’t wait to launch the film from there out to the rest of the country."

- Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, Beneath the Harvest Sky

"Seeing other films, meeting other filmmakers and people."

- Sabine Lubbe Bakker and Niels van Koevorden, Ne Me Quitte Pas

"Seeing movies and arguing about them over drinks at the Greenwich Hotel."

- Sean Gullette, Traitors

"I'm excited for the subjects of the film. I'm excited for them to meet New York City, and for New York City to treat them as the rockstars they are."

- Dan Sickles, Mala Mala

"I'm excited to see all our family and friends from Puerto Rico who've supported the film sitting in one room, finally getting to see what we were filming at hours they didn’t understand. It’s going to be fun!"

- Antonio Santini, Mala Mala

"I'm a New Yorker (but I've been working in Los Angeles for a year) so it's great to come back home. I'm really looking forward to checking out as many films as possible, in particular Chris Messina's directorial debut (Alex of Venice). He's got a great cast on board."

- Christopher Denham, Preservation

"Pizza."

- Mike Fleiss, The Other One: The Long, Strange Trip of Bob Weir

"Meeting other filmmakers, and catching up with friends in New York. Having smoked fish at Barney Greengrass, if there is time."

- Nancy Kates, Regarding Susan Sontag

"Seeing other films and having fun in the greatest city in the world."

- John Dower, Slaying the Badger

"This is a unique opportunity to unveil a film that has been a secret for years, and then see how audiences respond to the film subjects who will join us in person at the premiere. I am also looking forward to meeting filmmakers and seeing other filmmakers’ work – both documentary and narrative."

- Johanna Hamilton, 1971

"Man, everything. I grew up in Astoria Queens. Goodfellas was shot on my block. We use to steal as much food from their craft service as kids. We use to call it the "food tent." No idea who any of those great actors were that I now love. Years later I made my first movie on my block - the same one. the locations guy joked that he made Goodfellas there and some kid stole the lighting truck! I said, "That was my friend Giuseppe who we're making this movie about!" This is my first festival ever in New York and it's Tribeca. Are you kidding me?! It's the Mecca for me. Hey man, I use to sneak as a kid when they were building that weird area by the water there that they call Battery Park City or whatever and now I'm showing a movie with ROBIN WILLIAMS in it there!"

- Dito Montiel, Boulevard

"Seeing the docs."

- Stephen Belber, Match

"I'm a big tech nerd and I'm excited to see how the other filmmakers integrated new technology and social media into their filmmaking process and promotion."

- Jordan Rubin, Zombeavers

"I'm most looking forward to seeing a lot of the people we worked with on the project and interacting with other filmmakers."

- Nicholas Mross, The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin

"Bringing as many of the incredible American Samoa players as we can along to the premiere, and spreading the word about these fantastic people and their island. And hopefully putting together a Next Goal Wins team to compete in the NYFEST soccer tournament!"

- Mike Brett, Next Goal Wins

"I’m really excited about Games for Change. I always love a great video game. My favorites in the last few years have been Portal, Braid, and Bioshock Infinite. I’m very intrigued with the idea of the transformative power of video games. Question: Will there be an Oculus Rift at #TFF2014? Please say yes, because I want to try one out."

- Andrew Disney, Intramural

"Seeing other films, meeting other filmmakers, indulging my inner awkward fan. Also, bringing one of our film's subjects, Gladys Kalibbala, to New York. I believe it will be her first trip outside of Uganda."

- Jessica Yu, Misconception

"I’m most looking forward to seeing some other films, being around all of my NYC family and friends, and hopefully getting my 20 seconds of seeing my main man Bob De Niro who I love, love, love."

- Michael Rapaport, When the Garden Was Eden

"I can't wait to see as many other films as possible and I'm excited to get to spend more time back in the city, especially eating at the Pakistani Tea House on Church!"

- Leigh Janiak, Honeymoon

"Bringing awareness to our foundation, Our Kids First Foundation, and stirring up conversations about childhood ADHD, other disorders, and their treatments."

- David Lascher, Sister

"Being a hometown team, the whole Tribeca experience promises to be great. Having the whole cast and crew with us is amazing. Bringing my niece to the premiere and seeing a number of former students and friends premiere their movies. And having fun with the cast and crew."

- Keith Miller, Five Star

"Free popcorn!"

- Jesse Zwick, About Alex

"Having my parents see this film after waiting all these years. They're 89. They've waited long enough."

- Lloyd Handwerker, Famous Nathan

"One of my favorite parts of film festivals has always been the relationships I've formed with other filmmakers and I'm excited to see what collaborations come from those news connections."

- Kevin Gordon, True Son

"Being able to meet and learn from other filmmakers."

- Ed Perkins, Garnet's Gold

"I am very much looking forward to meeting other filmmakers and viewing the work of others.  Attending the Tribeca Film Festival enables me to learn from my peers in a unique platform that only ever sparks future innovation and long-lasting relationships."

- Bert Marcus, Champs

"One of my favorite albums of all Time is Illmatic by Nas.  It brings up so many memories of growing up with my older brothers, so I was beyond thrilled to find out the documentary Time is Illmatic is opening up TFF and that Nas is performing after the screening. I can't wait! I'm also looking forward to meeting other filmmakers and artists who are a part of the festival. Secretly, I'm really hoping to shake the hand of one of my heroes, Robert De Niro."

- Josef Kubota Wladyka, Manos Sucias

"I'm looking forward to meeting other filmmakers and seeing their work - always inspiring."

- Jesse Moss, The Overnighters

"I studied in the States and I really like the flavor of true independent film. Most European films are too classical to be truly independent. So I am returning to the places where I believed that everything is possible."

- Ilmar Raag, I Won't Come Back

"Forming a sense of community with other equally passionate, committed people. Writing and even directing can be an isolating experience, purely because to do it well you have to be so singularly focused and have such strong faith in your own vision. It’s easy to feel like an island. I think it will be really inspiring (and comforting!) to meet fellow artists who all have in common a basic obsessive love for their work, even though the stories each of us is telling and the way we choose to tell them are so wildly different."

- Susanna Fogel, Life Partners

"It's a totally new world for me as I will be first time visiting the USA. I am very interested to meet independent filmmakers."

- Tinatin Kajrishvili, Brides

"I just love the festival. My second short premiered at TFF 2011 and the festival is my favorite time of year. I feel like a kid in a candy store jumping from movie to movie. I make it a point to see as many films as I can that I had no intention of seeing! I discover new films and new talent literally everyday at the fest."

- Sanjay Rawal, Food Chains

"Meeting the other filmmakers."

- Louis Psihoyos, 6

"New York City. The city alone is one of the most exciting places in the world. I'm just so honored to show the film in a city like New York. The people, the streets, the attitude are what makes this festival special to me."

- Brent Hodge, A Brony Tale

"Everything!"

- Justin Weinstein, An Honest Liar