2007 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES SPONSORS PARTNERSHIPS DRIVE FESTIVAL GROWTH AND UNDERSCORE LONG-STANDING COMMITMENT TO FILMMAKING, THE ARTS AND COMMUNITY

New York, NY (RUSHPRNEWS) March 27, 2007AARP, Axium, Montblanc, Target and Yahoo! are among the new sponsors that will bring innovative experiences and programs to a broad audience.

 – The Tribeca Film Festival today announced the sponsors for the 2007 Festival, which includes the addition of marquee brands AARP, Axium Entertainment, Montblanc, Target and Yahoo!, as well as the continued support of numerous returning sponsors, including Founding Sponsor American Express. 

The Festival, now in its sixth year, will take place April 25 – May 6, 2007.
Many of the Festival’s sponsors transcend the traditional boundaries of marketing partnerships by taking an active role in content integration and the creation of new programs and events that will enhance the Festival experience for filmmakers, artists, members of the film industry, Festival volunteers and the public. 

“Each sponsor is an important extension of the Festival brand,” said Craig Hatkoff, co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival.  “Not only do our sponsors play an integral role in supporting the infrastructure and rapid growth of the Festival, but they also bring a shared passion for and an understanding of our core values.  Our sponsors enable us to bring the Tribeca Film Festival to a global audience of millions in interesting and meaningful ways.”
American Express is the Founding Sponsor of the Tribeca Film Festival.  Since 2002, American Express has worked in many different ways to enhance the experience for all festival-goers while offering cardmembers special access and advantages. 

In 2007, American Express will provide information centers throughout Manhattan to help consumers navigate the Festival.  At the Family Festival Street Fair, presented by American Express, they will provide entertainment and hospitality services for cardmembers. Continuing its tradition of honoring excellence in filmmaking at the Film Festival, American Express will present the Best New Narrative Filmmaker and Best New Documentary Filmmaker awards.

The Festival welcomes the following new Signature Sponsors for 2007 – AARP, Axium Entertainment, Montblanc, Target and Yahoo! – as well as the following new Friends of the Festival – Chock full o’Nuts, Crumpler, Jaman.com, LX.TV, Mouton Cadet, New York Sports Clubs, Sun Microsystems and ZonePerfect Nutrition Bars.

As the official sponsor of the Festival’s Volunteer program, AARP will support the thousands of volunteers from around the world who lend crucial support to the Festival.  In addition, AARP members will receive an exclusive discount on the Festival’s popular “Daytimer Pass.”
Axium Entertainment, the Official Entertainment Payroll Company of the Tribeca Film Festival, continues its strong support of independent film.  Axium is the sponsor of the World Documentary Competition and is the sponsor of three important Festival awards – Best Documentary Feature, Best Screenwriter, and the Founder’s Award for Best Narrative Feature.

Montblanc will present the 15th Annual International Montblanc de la Culture Award at an exclusive gala during the Festival.  The nominees for the award, which supports the arts in ten countries, are Wynton Marsalis, Quincy Jones and Martha Richards.  Montblanc is also the sponsor of the Festival’s Spotlight Screening Series, which features films with well known cast members, high profile directors, or timely subject matters.

Target will provide a “home base” for filmmakers, members of the film industry and media as the Official Sponsor of the Target Tribeca Filmmaker Lounge.  This Lounge is one of the main Festival hubs and an integral part of making the Tribeca Film Festival experience a memorable one for its participants.

Chock full o’Nuts will celebrate its 75th Anniversary at the Tribeca Film Festival by debuting their new jingle at the Family Festival Street Fair.  The iconic brand will also offer coffee samplings at Festival venues and neighborhoods.

Mouton Cadet is the Official Wine of the Tribeca Film Festival.  Their products will be featured throughout the Festival at designated events and venues.
ZonePerfect is the Official Nutrition Bar of the Tribeca Film Festival and will offer free samples at a number of Festival premieres, venues and events, including the Family Festival Street Fair and the Official Festival Box Office at 15 Laight Street in Tribeca.
Underscoring its success in building long-term relationships with its sponsors, the Tribeca Film Festival is also pleased to announce the return of Signature Sponsors: AMC Theatres®, Apple, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Aquafina, Bloomberg, Brookfield Properties, Budweiser Select, Delta Air Lines, Empire State Development, General Motors, Jameson Irish Whiskey, NBC4HD, The New York Times, RR Donnelley, Telemundo, Vanity Fair, and Tribeca Grand Hotel. The Festival also welcomes back the support of Friends of Festival Sponsors: ASCAP, CD101.9, Chanel, LMDC and HUD, Exchange Hotel, L’Oréal Paris, The City of New York Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting, Directors Guild of America, Getty Images, Radio Disney AM 1560, W Hotels, The Hollywood Reporter, Screen International, TIME Magazine and Variety.
To help the Festival accommodate its tremendous growth and make it easily accessible to new neighborhoods, AMC will provide two new screening venues — AMC Loews Kips Bay 15 and AMC Loews 72nd Street 1.
Chanel, the Official Fashion Sponsor of the Tribeca Film Festival, will sponsor the Artists Awards Program for the second year in a row.  Through this program, well-known, contemporary artists will contribute original paintings and photographs that will be given as awards to the top eleven Festival winners.  The Artists Awards program highlights the Festival’s commitment to artists celebrating other artists. During the festival, Chanel will host these artists with a dinner celebrating the program.   Throughout the first week of the Festival, these original works of art will be on display free to the public at the Gallery Vietnam, located at 345 Greenwich Street.
Delta Air Lines will build on its already deep commitment to the Festival, which includes sponsorship of the World Narrative Feature Competition as well as the Best Actor in a Narrative Feature and Best Actress in a Narrative Feature awards.  Delta will sponsor the Delta Air Lines Kite Garden at the Family Festival Street Fair.  Families will be able to build, fly and take home kites furnished by Delta. Additionally, Delta will sponsor professional kite fliers who will be situated along Greenwich Street.
The New York Times has developed a special Will Shortz crossword puzzle that is featured in the Festival Guide, which is being inserted into the newspapers on Sunday April 8th in New York and Los Angeles. Additionally, New York Times Film Facts, fun insider film trivia, will be incorporated into the on-screen pre-show before each film screening.
About the Tribeca Film Festival:
The Tribeca Film Festival was founded in 2002 by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff after the attacks on the World Trade Center to help economically and culturally revitalize Lower Manhattan through an annual celebration of film, music, and culture.  The Festival’s mission is to assist filmmakers to reach the broadest possible audience, enable the international film community and the general public to experience the power of film, and to promote New York City as a major filmmaking center.
In its first five years, the festival attracted over one and a half million attendees from the US and abroad and created more than $325 million in economic activity for New York City.
The sixth annual Tribeca Film Festival will run from April 25th to May 6th, 2007. The Festival is anchored in Tribeca with additional venues throughout Manhattan, and includes film screenings, special events, concerts, a family street fair, and Tribeca Talks panel discussions. For more information on this year’s festival, as well as for highlights on the festival and filmmakers as it takes place, please visit www.tribecafilmfestival.org.
About the 2007 Festival Sponsors:
As Founding Sponsor of the Tribeca Film Festival, American Express is committed to expanding the Festival, bringing it to new audiences in compelling ways while offering Cardmembers and the general public special benefits that enhance the festival-going experience.  As part of a long-term partnership with the Festival, American Express delivers on its Cardmembers’ passion for film, celebrates filmmakers, fosters community and brings energy and business to Lower Manhattan.  

The Festival is pleased to announce the return of its Signature Sponsors: Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, AMC Theatres, Apple, Aquafina, Bloomberg, Brookfield Properties, Budweiser Select, Delta Air Lines, Empire State Development/I Love New York, General Motors, Jameson Irish Whiskey, NBC4HD, RR Donnelley, The New York Times, Telemundo 47, Tribeca Grand Hotel and Vanity Fair. 
The Tribeca Film Festival is also honored to welcome the following new Signature Sponsors: AARP, Axium Entertainment, Montblanc, Target and Yahoo!.

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