Presenting Partner
Signature Partners
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THE CITIES PROJECT BY HEINEKEN® AND TRIBECA STUDIOS® DEBUTS DOCUMENTARY SHORT AND VIRTUAL REALITY FILM ABOUT NEW YORK’S + POOL PROJECT, NARRATED BY NEIL PATRICK HARRIS
Featuring a voiceover by Neil Patrick Harris, the new documentary shows how the world’s first water-filtering, floating pool will help New Yorkers reclaim the city’s waters
Film encourages viewers to visit SwimInTheRiver.com and sign a free pledge to swim in + POOL when it’s done; Heineken offers $100,000 in support when 100,000 pledges collected
Companion virtual reality film shows immersive experience of swimming in + POOL
WHITE PLAINS, NY– August 4, 2017–Ever wonder what it would be like to swim in New York’s rivers? Heineken, together with Tribeca Studios, just debuted a documentary short and a virtual reality film that shows how a first-of-its-kind, floating pool will bring that dream to life.
The 9-minute documentary, Floating an Idea: The + POOL Story, can be viewed [here]. Narrated by stage and screen superstar Neil Patrick Harris, the film was created as part of The Cities Project by Heineken to raise awareness of + POOL and its latest fundraising push. The Cities Project by Heineken is a multi-year campaign that helps bring to life projects that make great cities even greater. The Cities Project is part of Heineken’s larger commitment to Brewing a Better World, which aims to actively connect with and serve the communities in which Heineken does business or calls home.
Heineken brought on Tribeca Studios to produce Floating an Idea: The + POOL Story, which was directed by Bianca Giaever of m ss ng p eces. The documentary and virtual reality film debuted August 3 at a premiere party at Watermark Pier 15.
Floating an Idea: The + POOL Story tells the inspiring story of the people who are working to make + POOL, a water-filtering, floating swimming pool that provides access to NYC’s river for swimming, a reality. The film chronicles the history of New Yorkers interacting with their rivers, dating back to floating bathhouses in the early 1900s. Through interviews with + POOL’s founders and supporters such as Joshua David, co-founder of the High Line, the film explains how a floating, Olympic-sized pool called + POOL will filter out contaminants to create swimmable water and clean up to a half-million gallons of water each day.
The documentary aims to generate grassroots excitement around the project and encourage viewers to visit SwimInTheRiver.com to sign a free pledge to swim in + POOL when the project is complete. If 100,000 pledges are signed, Heineken will contribute an additional $100,000 to the project’s development.
“The Cities Project by Heineken is all about raising awareness and providing support for innovative ideas for making great cities even greater,” said Raul Esquer, Brand Manager, Heineken USA. “This film not only shares the + POOL story in a new way in front of new audiences – it also showcases the many milestones that have already been reached, and what supporters can do to help get the project over the finish line.”
A separate 360° virtual reality film provides a first-ever, immersive experience simulating what it will be like to swim in + POOL when the project is complete. Directed by Ray Tintori and Giaever of m ss ng p eces and produced by Tribeca Studios, the piece transports viewers to the finished pool, allowing them to walk on the deck, swim in the pool and marvel at the New York City and Brooklyn skylines. You can view the virtual reality film [here].
“Things happen in this city with 1,000 signatures,” says + POOL co-founder Archie Lee Coates IV. “We’re trying to get 100,000 signatures to tell the city we want to swim in the river, and we want to do that with + POOL…. you can’t ignore that.”
“The short documentary and VR film bring + POOL’s remarkable story to life in new ways and raise awareness of how Heineken is helping + POOL reclaim the waters of New York City,” said Paula Weinstein, Executive Vice President of Tribeca Enterprises.
The new films and the $100,000 pledge are part of a broader partnership between The Cities Project by Heineken and + POOL. The campaign aligns with + POOL’s larger goal to inspire people to reclaim their waterways and to publicly demand access to their rivers here in the U.S., and potentially around the world.
The progress of + POOL's development can be followed at PlusPool.org, a newly designed website launched with support from Heineken.
As the beer that is enjoyed in the most cities around the world, Heineken launched The Cities Project in 2015 and has supported initiatives and programs like James Murphy’s “Subway Symphony” in New York, Leo Villareal’s “Bay Lights” in San Francisco, Southern California’s Beautify Hollywood project and the renovation of Florida’s famed Miami Marine Stadium. Most recently, The Cities Project by Heineken and the National Trust for Historic Preservation helped raise more than $400,000 for projects in cities across the country, rewarding donors to the crowdfunding campaigns from Philadelphia to Honolulu with tickets to The Bruno Mars 24K Magic World Tour.
The short documentary and VR project are the latest storytelling-driven work resulting from Heineken’s continued partnership with Tribeca Studios. A teaser video debuted on Earth Day during the 16th annual Tribeca Film Festival, where Heineken served as the official beer of the festival.
Learn more about + POOL at SwimInTheRiver.com, and stay tuned for plans from Heineken and Tribeca Studios to support additional projects in America’s greatest cities.
About HEINEKEN USA
HEINEKEN USA Inc., the nation's leading upscale beer importer, is a subsidiary of HEINEKEN NV, the world's most international brewer. Core brands imported into the U.S. are Heineken®, the world's most international premium beer brand, the Dos Equis franchise, the Tecate franchise and Strongbow Hard Apple Ciders. HEINEKEN USA also imports Amstel Light, Newcastle Brown Ale, Indio, Carta Blanca and Bohemia brands. For the latest information on our company and brands, follow us on Twitter @HeinekenUSACorp, or visit HEINEKENUSA.com.
About + POOL
+ POOL was conceived in 2010 by four designers and posted on Facebook where it was shared and distributed, taking on a life of its own through the press and public demand. + POOL was the first capital project to launch through Kickstarter, the leading crowdsourcing funding platform, raising more than $370,000 through two 30-day fundraising campaigns, from more than 4,000 individuals. Following successful testing in real-river conditions of a scaled version of + POOL filtration in 2014, the designers incorporated Friends of + POOL as a 501c3 to fund the final design, development and construction and ensure operations moving forward remain community-focused, taking inspiration from nonprofit models like The High Line.
About Tribeca Studios
In continued support of Tribeca Enterprises’ mission, Tribeca Studios® develops and produces original programming for leading digital networks, custom film projects in association with brand partners and digital content for emerging platforms. Tribeca Studios delivers high quality storytelling across the evolving media landscape by utilizing our network of filmmakers and established track record in film and television production. www.tribecafilm.com @Tribeca
Press Inquiries:
Bjorn Trowery
btrowery@heinekenusa.com
Jake Anderson
jakea@fasthorseinc.com
612.741.5984
Tribeca Enterprises/Tribeca Studios:
Alyssa Grinder: (212) 941-2015, agrinder@tribecaenterprises.com
