Tribeca Film Festival struggles to reel in Columbians

Tribeca Film Festival was started in hopes of reinvigorating lower Manhattan—but can it pique the interest of people a bit farther uptown? With over 85 features from 44 countries, there is no shortage of offerings for the eager student cinephile at the festival’s ninth incarnation. Tackling subjects from Mormonism to “Ticked-Off Trannies” to obscure Canadian rock superstars and beyond, Tribeca has proven itself a fearless and exciting film exhibition. But as far as Columbia-friendly student accessibility goes, Tribeca is a long way off.

Though this year’s festival offers a host of new screening venues—the closest to Columbia is at 23rd Street—it’s based at 2nd Avenue and 12th Street, almost a 45 minute subway ride from campus.
In addition to the issue of distance, getting tickets seems to be one of the biggest problems for CU students hoping to attend the festival—when asked if she was going to any screenings, Laura Reitz, BC ’12, said “I could go…how do you even go?”

Lukas Huffman, GS ’11, said he volunteered with Tribeca Film Institute, or else he wouldn’t be attending—“Fortunately they gave me a student ticket.”

Last year film students at Columbia were offered a selection of free tickets, and although non-film majors might not be so lucky, there are still options available. TIC has a special offer of $14 per screening (regularly $16) and $23 tickets for all panels and discussions (regularly $25). The discount isn’t spectacular, but it can at least save students the price of a subway ride.

While this discount is surely better than nothing, most screenings have already sold out online. The next best option for interested students is rush ticketing: a line forms one hour before every TFF screening, and for full price students have the chance to get into any screening–even completely sold-out films end up with a few extra seats. Admission is not guaranteed from the rush lines, but the festival prides itself in fitting in everyone they can.

There are also a number of free events, including the annual Tribeca Drive-In on the waterfront. “It was very scenic,” said Clare Plunkett, BC ’12. “We got free popcorn, good seats, and it was very easy to get in and out.”

Once downtown, the best way for students to get the most for their time and money is by spending an entire day at the festival—plan to eat out and rush two, three, or even four movies in a row—it’s worth it. “The festival is a great way for film lovers to be able to see work from upcoming and/or international filmmakers that they may not be able to see otherwise,” Meagan Servin, CC ’13, said.

The festival’s selection of films includes a great mix of unknown up-and-comers and well-established artists. TFF ’10 features new work by Colin Farrell (in Irish selkie tale “Ondine”), Jean-Pierre Jeunet (channeling his “Amélie” with the charming “Micmacs”) and Casey Affleck (in the violent remake of “The Killer Inside Me”). The festival also shows a bit of Columbia love—resident famous person James Franco appears in a film and directed one of the shorts, while BC alumna Joan Rivers is the subject of a featured documentary. A day in this type of company provides the perfect amount of relaxation and mental stimulation for a student about to endure a mountain of finals.

The issues of TFF’s accessibility go deeper than just tickets and long lines, though, according to some. “Like Sundance, Tribeca is a victim of its own success, in terms of accessibility to independent filmmakers—which includes students … the problem is that it should also be accessible to the audiences. I think that doesn’t always happen as these festivals become more popular, more Hollywood, more insider,” Barnard film production professor Sandra Luckow said.

As a neighborhood and city-focused festival, this year TFF has debuted new initiatives to combat this “insider” feel, including “Tribeca Film Festival Virtual”—which releases a few films online at the same time as they premiere at the festival itself. “I’d like to make it downtown a few times, but I’m really glad they’re putting some of the films up online,” Servin said. Luckow, however, disagreed. “Movies are meant to be seen with an audience, on a big screen, not on a tiny little computer screen, sitting in a weeny bin somewhere in Butler Library,” she said.

Regardless of the festival’s faults, it’s unfortunate that Columbia hasn’t truly embraced TFF. “None of my friends are really planning to go, I haven’t heard people talking about it,” Plunkett said. New York University—which, admittedly, has student apartments steps from the festival’s front doors—even offers a course completely dedicated to the festival, which features multiple industry guest speakers and culminates in a wide-ranging festival pass for each student in the class. If NYU can embrace Tribeca with such vigor—as both an educational and cultural experience—there’s no reason a subway ride should keep Columbians from doing the same, and having a little end-of-the-semester fun while they’re at it.