January 21st, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK, NY (January 14, 2015) —The 12th Annual Games for Change Festival, the largest gaming event in New York City, will take place from April 21-23 2014 at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts as part of the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T (TFF). In addition, the Games for Change Arcade, a free day of interactive games, which is open to the public (275,000+ attendees), will be held at the TFF Family Festival Street Fair on Saturday, April 25.

Hosted and created by Games for Change, a non-profit that catalyzes social impact through digital games, The Games for Change Festival remains the leading international event that unites game creators with organizations and thought leaders who are incorporating gaming into diverse industries: health, education, and social innovation. Over the years, the festival has played host to notable speakers ranging from Vice President Al Gore to the Honorable Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

This year, the festival will feature keynote presentations by award-winning filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, Pulitzer Prize-winning authors Nicholas Kristof & Sheryl WuDunn (A Path Appears),  Michael Abrash (Chief Scientist, Oculus VR), The Rovio Team (developers of the blockbuster gaming app Angry Birds).

Other notable speakers include Rami Ismail (Developer, Vlambeer), Meg Jayanth (Writer, 80 Days which was named Time Magazine’s 2014 Game of the Year), Jesse Schell (CEO, Schell Games), Frank Lantz (Director, NYU Game Center), Cecilia Dolk and Martin Ericsson (Nordic LARP makers), and more.

The Festival’s evolved partnership with TFF exemplifies the growing use of gaming as a medium for storytelling and engagement. This year, in an effort to bridge the gap between the gaming and film industries, the Games for Change Festival will host a summit called The Games & Film Summit. Through panels, workshops, screenings, and gameplay opportunities, the day-long summit will illustrate how new and innovative platforms — including interactive documentaries, transmedia projects, films that play like games, and more — can serve the social good.

“Games for Change is known for bringing together the brightest minds that are incorporating gaming into every aspect of life to advance society,” said Asi Burak, President of Games for Change. “This year we have our strongest and boldest line-up yet showcasing the latest work on all platforms from VR to mobile games.”

In addition, the Games for Change Festival will host The Annual Games for Change Awards, which are designed to celebrate the year’s best “games for change.” Finalists will be announced at the end of March, with the awards to be presented in a ceremony on the evening of April 22.

For additional information on keynote speakers and the latest news on all programming, please visit http://www.gamesforchange.org/festival.

To purchase tickets, please visit www.2015gamesforchangefestival.eventbrite.com. The costs for the three-day festival pass are $499 for general tickets; $399 for non-profits and government employees; and $150 for students. A 20% early bird discount is available until February 20. Two free tickets to a select Tribeca Film Festival screening will be included with the purchase of any Games for Change Festival All Access Pass.

Registration includes access to the full program at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts and adjunct venues (April 21-23). The Games for Change Festival runs daily from 9:00 a.m. ET to 6:30 p.m. ET)

Media must be credentialed in order to attend. For media requesting credentials, please complete and submit the media credential request form by March 5: https://secure.sportssystems.com/events2/?eventKey=9fa1022a-8697-4f44-8ba0-9bf2caf1ce4b

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 impact of games. Support for the festival is provided by Zynga.org, Entertainment Software Association (ESA), Global Gaming Initiative, and Schell Games. Content partners include: Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology Center and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop. To register, please visit http://www.gamesforchange.org/festival, or join social media using hash-tag #G4C15.

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. 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 1,600 films from more than 80 countries since its first edition in 2002. Since inception, it has attracted an international audience of more than 4.9 million attendees and has generated an estimated $900 million in economic activity for New York City.

 

Press Contacts
Games for Change:
Damiano DeMonte: DeMonte@SunshineSachs.com
Jason Lee: Lee@SunshineSachs.com
212-691-2800

Tribeca Film Festival:
Tammie Rosen, (212) 941-2003, trosen@tribecaenterprises.com