Possibly in answer to complaints last year about rising ticket prices and the lack of actual venues in the Tribeca area, this year's Tribeca Film Festival just announced that they would be offering nearly half-price tickets for films playing during weekdays and late night screenings, which is a great start at getting people to the lesser-attended screenings and non-premieres in the festival. They also are offering a couple six-ticket packages for $75.00 or $12.50 a ticket, specifically for docs, foreign language films and films in competition, which should help those movies get bigger audiences. For $1,100, you can go to any movie you want and pretty much go and do whatever you want. Might be the best way to go for independently wealthy unemployed filmlovers.
More good news is that they're basing a lot of the screenings and the press lounge in Union Square, which will hopefully make it easier for press to get around and see more movies.
The complete press release is below and check back for more developments for this year's festival as they develop.
2008 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL TO ENHANCE CONSUMER EXPERIENCE WITH DUAL FESTIVAL “HUBS” AND SPECIAL TICKET PACKAGES AND
PASSES FOR THE PUBLIC
***
Festival announces 2008 ticket prices - $15 for evening and weekend screenings, $8 for
daytime weekday and late night screenings
New York, NY [February 4, 2008] – The Tribeca Film Festival, presented by American Express, today announced that it will make the 2008 Festival more accessible by creating dual Festival “hubs,” by offering special ticket packages and passes for the public, and featuring new ticket pricing. Tickets for the Festival will be $15.00 for evening and weekend screenings and $8.00 for daytime weekday and late night screenings. In addition, the Festival will offer a few select screenings with panel discussions for $25.00. The Festival, now in its seventh year, will take place April 23 – May 4, 2008.
“Strengthening the audience experience at the Festival is a top priority for us,” said Jane Rosenthal, co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival. “We hope these changes and additions will give everyone the ability to enjoy more of the Festival than ever before.”
The Festival will centralize its screening, event and hospitality venues with lower Manhattan and the Union Square area serving as the Festival “hubs.” Lower Manhattan, the heart of the Festival, will host the Festival’s free public events, including the Tribeca Drive-In at the World Financial Center and the Tribeca Family Festival Street Fair on Greenwich Street, as well as an array of screenings, panel discussions and gala premieres at BMCC TribecaPAC, Pace University and Tribeca Cinemas. Union Square will be home to three Festival multiplex theaters – AMC Village VII (11th Street and 3rd Avenue), AMC 19th St. (19th Street and Broadway) and City Cinemas Village East (12th Street and 2nd Avenue) as well as the Filmmaker Industry Press Lounge. These theaters will host premieres and screenings.
The Festival has created six new feature film ticket packages which offer a discount on tickets and allow consumers the ability to navigate the film slate by interest. These new ticket packages are:
· Competition Film Package ($75.00) – 6 individual tickets to films in the Competition section of the Festival;
· Foreign Film Fan Package ($75.00) – 6 individual tickets to any foreign language film in the Festival;
· Documentary Film Fan Package ($75.00) – 6 individual tickets to any documentary film in the Festival
· Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival Marathon Day Pass ($75.00) – Access for one to all Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival screenings on Sunday April 27 and Saturday, May 3;
· Evening/Weekend Ticket Package ($125.00) – 10 individual tickets to Evening/Weekend screenings;
· Matinee/Midnight Ticket Package ($64.00) – 10 individual tickets to Matinee and Midnight screenings
In addition to the new packages, the Festival will again offer two advance ticket selection packages and an all access Festival pass. Those packages include:
· Franklin Ticket Package ($450.00) – Early ticket selection prior to public on-sale dates for 20 individual general screening tickets and access for one to the Festival Lounges;
· Harrison Ticket Package ($200.00) - Early ticket selection prior to public on-sale dates for 10 individual general screening tickets;
· Hudson Pass ($1,100.00), which provides in-depth access to all screenings, panel discussions, Festival Lounges and more.
Select Pass and Package sales begin for American Express Premium Access eligible Cardmembers on February 21, 2008 and the general public on February 28, 2008 and can be purchased online at www.tribecafilmfestival,org or by telephone, toll free, at (866) 941-FEST (3378). Single ticket sales begin for American Express Cardmembers on April 12, 2008, for downtown residents on April 18, 2008 and for the general public on April 19, 2008. Single tickets can be bought at the Main Box Office at 15 Laight Street, online and by telephone. The 2008 Festival will continue ticket discounts for evening and weekend screenings for students, seniors and select downtown Manhattan residents. A new enhanced ticketing system will also streamline the ticket purchasing process.
