April 2nd, 2018

NEW YORK, NY– April 2, 2018– The Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, today announced the finalists for the third annual Tribeca X Award. The nine finalists feature work from acclaimed directors Michel Gondry and John Hillcoat as well as notable performers, including John Malkovich. These projects represent the best in storytelling at the intersection of advertising and entertainment from the past year.

The selected projects were created by acclaimed filmmakers in partnership with a wide-ranging array of brands, including ACLU, Apple, Fairmont, Montefiore, Nike, PwC, Square, Squarespace, and WebMD. The finalists include a project that inspires everyday people to push their limits; a whimsical journey of a lost tricycle set in the French countryside; a real-life story of John Malkovich working to establish himself in the highly competitive Parisian fashion scene; and a call to action to the injustices of America’s criminal justice system. The selected projects can be viewed at https://www.tribecafilm.com/festival/tribecaxaward. The winner will be announced during the Festival awards on Thursday April 26 at TPAC BMCC.

“I've been blown away by the outpouring of creativity coming from filmmakers collaborating with brands to bring their message to the world,” said Ian Hollander, Tribeca Film Festival Senior Programmer. “For me, this year's nine finalists represent a perfect distillation of what Tribeca is doing more broadly as a Festival, showcasing emerging and established creators exploring the entire scope of modern visual storytelling—from feature documentaries to web series to VR and everything in between.”

Eligible projects included scripted and documentary work for film, TV, digital, social, and virtual reality and/or augmented reality, in both feature and short length. The winner will be chosen by a jury that includes Zachary Heinzerling (director, 2017 Tribeca X Award winner), Bonin Bough, and Brian Braiker (AdAge).

The nine finalists for the Tribeca X Award are:

Breaking2
Brand: Nike
Director: Martin Desmond Roe
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy
Nike's daring Breaking2 campaign set a new standard for what's possible in the world of sports marketing. The campaign turned a product launch into a must-watch event and feature-length documentary for National Geographic while amplifying Nike's core values - inspiring everyday people to push their limits, showcasing athletes at their greatest and innovating an industry

Corazon
Brand: Montefiore
Director: John Hillcoat
Agency: JohnXHannes New York
The men who pay Elena Ramirez for her body don’t know she’s dying. With nothing left to lose and a family that needs her to live, she decides to leave Santo Domingo and follow the only doctor who offers her hope on a near-impossible journey to New York. Corazón, a startling film based on a true story, features Academy Award nominee Demian Bichir and actress Ana de Armas and is directed by John Hillcoat.

Détour
Brand: Apple
Director: Michel Gondry
Agency: Partizan & Media Arts Lab
Détour follows the story of a young girl's tricycle, which gets lost as a French family leaves home for their summer holiday. After becoming accidentally separated from the family, the tricycle is propelled on an unbelievable journey of seemingly unplanned events through the stunning French countryside.

For Every Kind of Dream
Brand: Square
Director: Mohammad Gorjestani
Agency: Even/Odd Films
For Every Kind of Dream is Square’s first brand film series. Square builds tools to shorten the distance between having an idea and making a living from it, tools to help anyone build what they want to see in the world, because Square believes in an economy that has room for everyone’s dreams.

John Malkovich
Brand: Squarespace
Director: Miles Jay
Agency: JohnXHannes New York
John Malkovich and Squarespace present a short film that follows the real-life story of John working to establish himself amongst the highly competitive Parisian fashion scene while balancing being an actor and father.

Mass Incarceration: An Animated Series
Brand: ACLU
Director: Elyse Kelly
Agency: Acme Filmworks
Lavette Mayes, Jason Hernandez, and Johnny Perez know all too well how devastating and life-changing incarceration is. Their firsthand accounts are a bracing reminder of the injustices of America’s criminal justice system and an urgent call to action.

Purpose and Profit
Brand: PwC
Directors: Jeff McLeod, Tim Duffy, Sebastian Mlynarski, Chris Bowers
Agency: RYOT & Gotham Point Films
Purpose and Profit is a series that profiles profit-driven American businesses who also have inspirational social consciousness as their main purpose.

Suite 1742: a virtual bed-in experience
Brand: Fairmont
Director: Carl Ruscica
Agency: UNLTD & Massivart
Logline: Suite 1742 is an immersive voyage that takes you on John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s journey to offer insight into their infamous bed-in for peace.

Voices
Brand: WebMD
Director: Courtney Dixon
Agency: WebMD
1 in 5 people in the US suffers from a mental illness. Michelle Hammer is a young woman in New York whose mind is ablaze with art--and schizophrenia. Now she’s sharing her everyday battle to control the war of words in her head while using her artwork to fight the stigma against mental illnesses.

About the Tribeca X Award
The Tribeca X Award is a juried award for storytelling supported by a brand recognizing the intersection of advertising and entertainment. The Tribeca X Award is open to all work produced between January 2017 and March 2018 funded with support of a brand in collaboration with artists or filmmakers. The top projects will be highlighted by the Tribeca Film Festival, and a jury will award the winning selection at the Festival.

Eligible projects included scripted and documentary work for film, TV, digital, social, and VR/AR, in both feature or short lengths that were funded with support of a brand in collaboration with artists or filmmakers. Submitted projects must have had a storytelling element; projects that are strictly intended as commercial spots were not considered.

Hashtag: #Tribeca2018
Twitter: @Tribeca
Instagram: @tribeca
Facebook: facebook.com/Tribeca
Snapchat: TribecaFilmFest

About the Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival is the leading cultural event that brings visionaries and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, gaming, music, and online work. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is a platform for creative expression and immersive entertainment. The Festival champions emerging and established voices; discovers award-winning filmmakers and creators; curates innovative experiences; and introduces new technology and ideas through premieres, exhibitions, talks, and live performances.

The Festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World Trade Center. Now in its 17th year, the Festival has evolved into a destination for creativity that reimagines the cinematic experience and explores how art can unite communities. www.tribecafilm.com/festival

About the 2018 Partners
As Presenting Sponsor of the Tribeca Film Festival, AT&T is committed to supporting the Festival and the art of filmmaking through access and innovation, while expanding opportunities to diverse creators around the globe. AT&T helps millions connect to their passions – no matter where they are. This year, AT&T and Tribeca will once again collaborate to give the world access to stories from underrepresented filmmakers that deserve to be seen. AT&T Presents Untold Stories. An Inclusive Film Program in Collaboration with Tribeca, is a multi-year, multi-tier alliance between AT&T and Tribeca along with the year-round nonprofit Tribeca Film Institute.

The Tribeca Film Festival is pleased to announce its 2018 Signature Partners: Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Bai Beverages, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC Tribeca PAC), BVLGARI, CHANEL, CHLOE WINE COLLECTION, ESPN, HEINEKEN, HSBC, IBM, IWC Schaffhausen, Kia, Montefiore, National CineMedia (NCM), Nespresso, New York Magazine, Nutella, NYC Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, PwC, Spring Studios New York, and TUMI.

Press Contact
Tribeca Film Festival/Tribeca Enterprises:
Tammie Rosen, EVP, Communications & Programming, (212) 941-2003, trosen@tribecaenterprises.com
Alyssa Grinder: (212) 941-2015, agrinder@tribecaenterprises.com

Sunshine Sachs:

Damiano DeMonte: (212) 691-2800, demonte@sunshinesachs.com