The renowned Tribeca Film Festival is expanding into Hoboken this year, the festival announced Monday.
The festival, which is entering its 19th year, will bring its “cinematic storytelling and experiences” to the Mile Square City in April.
“We are incredibly thrilled to bring the renowned Tribeca Film Festival to Hoboken,” said Mayor Ravi Bhalla. “There’s no better location to host the festival than our mile square, offering a wealth of culture with our local artists, galleries, and The Mile Square Theatre Company, and further cements our city as one of the major cultural destinations in the tri-state area.”
Bhalla hinted at the news in his State of the City address last month. He said the “major, well-known event” would take place in Hoboken’s northern end, an area currently undergoing city revitalization efforts.
“We found that a lot of our festival audience attending the Tribeca Film Festival in Manhattan live in Hoboken, so we forged our expansion path to increase attendees and enhance the already stellar cultural calendar in that community," said Pete Torres, the Tribeca Film Festival COO.
It’s unclear what events and screenings will be held in Hoboken, but the Mile Square City knows a thing or two about film festivals. It was the first home to the Hoboken International Film Festival (HIFF) in 2006.
The HIFF, founded by Kenneth del Vecchio, was moved to Teaneck 2010 and also had short engagements in Orange County and Middletown, New York. For the past three years it has been held in Greenwood Lake, New York.
“It’s wonderful to embrace new audiences with our neighbor across the river,” said Jane Rosenthal, a co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival.
Rosenthal, two-time Academy Award winner Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff debuted the first Tribeca Film Festival in 2002 in an effort to revitalize lower Manhattan after the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center.
This year’s festival will open with the world premiere of “Jimmy Carter Rock & Roll President,” the festival announced Monday.
The documentary examines Carter’s affection for music and how it aided his presidential run. The opening night screening will be held at the Beacon Theatre on the Upper West Side and will include performances by Willie Nelson and Nile Rodgers.
The remainder of the festival lineup has not yet been announced.
Last year’s selections included films from 45 different countries and 88 feature film world premieres. Half of the feature films in last year’s competition were directed by women.
This year, weekend and evening screenings are $26 while matinees are $12. Live events with filmmakers are $45, and movie pass packages start at $55.
The festival runs April 15-26.