Jac Schaeffer, Cathy Henkel, Rich Lehrfeld, Nancy Schafer, Spike Lee, Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro, Uma Thurman, Craig Hatkoff, Marshall Curry, Amir Naderi

The stars were out at this morning's press conference, where Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro, Nancy Schafer, Rich Lehrfeld (from American Express), Spike Lee, and Uma Thurman all expressed their excitement for tomorrow's kickoff of the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival.

Festival co-founder Jane Rosenthal kicked things off by remembering the roots of the Festival, when the destruction of September 11, 2001, left the city in need of "confidence, hope, and inspiration in a time of uncertainty." She praised TFF's firm establishment in New York's "cultural calendar" and its "place in international film." In thanking founding sponsor American Express for its generous support, she cited the two organizations' "shared mission in trying times."

On a lighter note, Rosenthal shared her delight as a movie fan that Woody Allen's new film, Whatever Works, will open the Festival on Wednesday. "I fell in love with New York through Woody Allen's films. He's the quintessential New Yorker." She also enthused about Spike Lee's ubiquity at this year's Fest, joking that she has taken to calling TFF 2009 "SpikeFest" behind the scenes.

Lee himself said a few words about the two films he is bringing the Festival: in Kobe Doin' Work, he explained he "had thirty cameras and a mic on Kobe Bryant during one game" in last year's playoffs, and for Passing Strange, he told the audience he "filmed the last three performances of Stew and Heidi's Broadway musical." Both films are premiering at TFF 2009, Kobe Doin' Work as part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival.

Tribeca Film Festival Executive Director Nancy Schafer promoted the strength of this year's program, which includes 85 features and 46 shorts. She introduced the four other filmmakers on stage, including Jac Schaeffer (TiMER), Cathy Henkel (The Burning Season), Marshall Curry (Racing Dreams), and Amir Naderi (Vegas: Based on a True Story). The audience was treated to a clip of each film.

Festival co-founder Robert De Niro told the crowd, "As an actor, filmmaker, New Yorker and movie fan, I am so gratified to be a part of the Tribeca Film Festival, and I’m pleased we can provide a place for these stories to be told." He went on to thank the work of the Tribeca staff and the numerous volunteers who put the Festival together: "It's truly a team effort."

De Niro then introduced a striking Uma Thurman, who was a fantastic representation of the newly-unveiled lineup of Tribeca Film Festival 2009 Jurors. Thurman, a first-time juror, said she was thrilled to finally be involved with the Festival: "It's our city. It's our Festival. It's an honor to be here."

If this morning's press conference is any indication, TFF 2009 is going to be a sparkling success!
 

Spike Lee, Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro, Uma Thurman, Craig Hatkoff