January 21st, 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(NEW YORK, NY) January 21, 2014 —The 11th Annual Games for Change Festival will take place from April 22-24, 2014 at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts as part of the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T (TFF). In addition, the Games for Change Arcade, which is open to the public, will be held at the TFF Family Festival Street Fair, taking place on Saturday, April 26. Hosted and created by Games for Change, a non-profit that catalyzes social impact through digital games, the Games for Change Festival is the largest gaming event in New York City, and the leading international event uniting game creators with others who believe in the positive social impact of games. Over the years, the festival has played host to speakers ranging from Vice President Al Gore to the Honorable Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

TFF is among the best-known film festivals in the world, supporting and promoting both emerging and established directors to reach the broadest possible audience. Viewing gaming as an extension of storytelling, TFF featured the blockbuster crime video game “L.A. Noire,” in 2011, and more recently, TFF premiered thirty-five minutes of the interactive action-adventure game “Beyond: Two Souls” in 2013.

“Tribeca recognizes the transformative power of gaming that goes far beyond traditional entertainment value of games. The impact and integration has been spreading rapidly across virtually all domains. Of particular interest is how gaming for the social good has scaled-- from education to health care from conflict resolution to religion,” said Craig Hatkoff, Co-Founder, TFF. He continued: “By partnering with Games for Change, we hope to bring together the most cutting-edge creators of games, educators, and the world's greatest story-tellers. Together, they will create the latest innovations in gaming for the social good to even wider audiences. We look forward to further expanding our relationship with Games for Change in the future."
“The new relationship with the Tribeca Film Festival is an incredible opportunity to reach a new audience for the ‘games for good’ sector,” said Asi Burak, President of Games for Change. “Games are often discussed in the context of entertainment, but with this event, we'll be able to share our message that this medium can be very powerful in creating positive change in the world.”

Other Games for Change program highlights from this year’s festival include: the Annual Games for Change Awards, the Games for Change Showcase at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, as well as the aforementioned Games for Change Arcade (open to the public).

The Games for Change Festival will host the fifth edition of The Annual Games for Change Awards, which are designed to celebrate the year’s best “games for change.” Award nominees are submitted by game developers and a blue ribbon jury selects recipients in the following categories: Most Significant Impact; Most Innovative; Best Gameplay; Game of the Year. Finalists will be announced at the end of March, and the awards will be presented on the evening of April 23rd.

Purchasing Tickets
Tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased online at http://www.tribecafilm.com/gamesforchange

The costs for the three-day festival pass (plus processing fees) are $499 for general tickets; $399 for non-profits and government employees; and $100 for students. A 20% early bird discount is available until February 21.

Registration includes access to the full program at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts and adjunct venues (April 22-24). The Games for Change Festival runs daily from 9:00 a.m. ET to 6:30 p.m. ET, with an opening night party on April 22.)

For more information about the 11th Annual Games for Change Festival, including the latest up to date news on all programming, please visit http://www.gamesforchange.org/festival

Media Credentials
Media must be credentialed in order to attend. Please complete and submit the media credential request form by March 6: https://secure.sportssystems.com/events2/?eventKey=accc3760-3dc2-4cd5-a2ae-9bd557ffe062
For more information about the 11th Annual Games for Change Festival, including the latest up to date news on all programming, please visit http://www.gamesforchange.org/festival.  

About The Games for Change Festival
The Games for Change Festival is the largest gaming event in New York City and the leading international event uniting game creators with others who believe in the positive social impact of games. Major support for the festival is provided by Zynga.org, the Schusterman Family Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Content partners include: Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology Center, the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop. For additional information and to register: http://www.gamesforchange.org/festival, hash-tag: #G4C14

About Games for Change
Founded in 2004, Games for Change facilitates the creation and distribution of social impact games that serve as powerful tools in humanitarian and educational efforts. The organization aims to leverage entertainment and engagement for social good and most recently served as the Executive Producer for the incredibly successful Half the Sky Movement: The Game inspired by the global movement created by Pulitzer-Prize winning authors Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. To further grow the field, Games for Change convenes multiple stakeholders, highlights best practices, incubates games, and helps create and direct investment into new projects. www.gamesforchange.org

About the Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival (tribecafilm.com/festival) helps filmmakers reach the broadest possible audience, enabling the international film community and general public to experience the power of cinema and promote New York City as a major filmmaking center. It is well known for being a diverse international film festival that supports emerging and established directors.

Founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 following the attacks on the World Trade Center, to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of the lower Manhattan district through an annual celebration of film, music and culture, the Festival brings the industry and community together around storytelling.

The Tribeca Film Festival has screened more than 1,500 films from more than 80 countries since its first edition in 2002. Since inception, it has attracted an international audience of more than 4.5 million attendees and has generated an estimated $850 million in economic activity for New York City.

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PRESS CONTACTS:

Games for Change:
Damiano DeMonte: DeMonte@SunshineSachs.com
Jacob Taylor: Taylor@SunshineSachs.com
212-691-2800

Tribeca Film Festival:
Tammie Rosen – Tribeca Enterprises, 212.941.2003, trosen@tribecaenterprises.com