FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE 2014 TRIBECA/ESPN SPORTS FILM FESTIVAL LINEUP ANNOUNCED

World Premiere of Michael Rapaport’s When the Garden was Eden
-- Celebrating the Glory Days of the New York Knicks --
to Serve as Opening Gala

Program includes Tribeca Talks® Panel with Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield and Tribeca Drive-In® Screening of Next Goal Wins

(NEW YORK, NY) March 13, 2014 —The Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), presented by AT&T, today announced the lineup for the eighth annual Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival, sponsored by Mohegan Sun. The Sports Festival was founded to broaden the audience for independent film through stories about sports and competition. The program includes feature and short films, an outdoor screening, special conversations, and an ESPN Films 30 for 30 program on soccer. The 2014 Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival will run during the 13th edition of TFF, taking place April 16 – April 27 at locations around New York City.

The world premiere of the 30 for 30 documentary When the Garden was Eden will serve as the gala premiere of the program on Thursday, April 17.  In the film, Rapaport focuses on the glory days of the Knicks championship teams of the early 70’s and their larger impact through a series of interviews with storied figures such as Walt “Clyde” Frazier, Earl Monroe, Willis Reed, Bill Bradley and Phil Jackson.

“The best sports stories have the mythology, complexity and stakes that extend beyond extraordinary athleticism, making for great films. These stories have fueled the huge success of the Tribeca/ESPN sports film festival by bringing sports fans and moviegoers together over the last eight years,” said Genna Terranova, Tribeca Film Festival Director of Programming. “Rappaport's When the Garden was Eden is a perfect example of a winning start to this year's inspiring slate.”

“When The Garden Was Eden gives us an inside look at the captivating era when the New York Knicks were in their prime,” said ESPN Films Director of Development Libby Geist. “Premiering the film at the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival in the heart of New York City, with Michael Rapaport directing, couldn't be more perfect.”

Says Rapaport, “As a native New Yorker and lifelong Knicks fan it was an honor to explore the Championship New York Knick teams. Those players have been a part of my vocabulary since I was a child…Walt Frazier, Earl Monroe and Willis Reed are ICONs of New York city and it’s been a privilege to be a part of re-telling the Knicks story.  I also have at times been in awe and tears with the 30 for 30 series and being a filmmaker who has gotten a chance to tell a story for such a great body of films is a great honor…I could not be more excited for our film to premiere right in the center of New York City at the Tribeca Film Festival.”

Since its inception in 2006, The Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival has become the premier showcase for independent films about sports and competition. The titles that will screen as part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival includes not only the film on the championship Knicks of the early 70’s but also documentaries that explore stories of a champion’s quest to regain a title that was unjustly stripped from him; the worst soccer team in the world’s drive to succeed; an underdog flag football team that riffs on classic sports movies with a cartoonish comedic sensibility; the creation of a revolutionary, independent professional baseball team; the premier American cyclist’s attempts to overcome his top competitor; how some of the all-time greatest fighters used boxing to pull themselves out of poverty; a soccer superstar at the peak of his powers on the world stage; and Chile’s controversial qualification for the 1974 World Cup. 

All of this year’s Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival films will screen at Tribeca Cinemas on Saturday, April 26. The films will also screen prior to April 26, throughout the Festival. 

In addition to the film series, the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival will present Sports Day as part of the Tribeca Family Festival Street Fair on Saturday, April 26. Sports Day offers fans an opportunity to engage in a variety of free, sports-related games and activities. In addition, some of New York’s most popular athletes, mascots and sports personalities will make guest appearances throughout the day. Sports Day is free and open to the public and will take place on North Moore Street, between Greenwich and West Streets, in Manhattan. 

The following films are featured in the 2014 Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival. 

TRIBECA/ESPN SPORTS FILM FESTIVAL

Gala

The following Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival titles have been announced in their respective sections as part of the 2014 TFF film program:

Tribeca Talks: After the Movie and Conversations

Tribeca Drive-In
Next Goal Wins will screen as part of the Tribeca Drive-In, Sponsored by AT&T and hosted by Brookfield Place, on April 19. The full Tribeca Drive-In schedule will be announced in the coming days.

Special Screening

30 for 30: Soccer Stories
Followed by a special conversation with filmmakers Ezra Edelman, Daniel Battsek and ESPN about the films and the upcoming World Cup

Short Film

About the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival
The Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival is a partnership between Tribeca Enterprises, the parent company of the Tribeca Film Festival, and ESPN Inc.  The Festival, founded in 2006, is the premiere showcase for independent sports films.

About Tribeca Film Festival:
The Tribeca Film Festival helps filmmakers reach the broadest possible audience, enabling the international film community and general public to experience the power of cinema and promote New York City as a major filmmaking center. It is well known for being a diverse international film festival that supports emerging and established directors.

Founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 following the attacks on the World Trade Center, to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of the lower Manhattan district through an annual celebration of film, music, and culture, the Festival brings the industry and community together around storytelling.

The Tribeca Film Festival has screened more than 1,500 films from more than 80 countries since its first edition in 2002. Since inception, it has attracted an international audience of more than 4.5 million attendees and has generated an estimated $850 million in economic activity for New York City.

About the 2014 Festival Sponsors:
As Presenting Sponsor of the Tribeca Film Festival, AT&T is committed to supporting the Festival and the art of filmmaking through access and innovation, aiming to make this the most interactive film festival in the country, where visitors experience the Festival in ways they never imagined.

The Tribeca Film Festival is pleased to announce its Signature Sponsors: Accenture, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, American Express, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® Gin, Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), Brookfield, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, ESPN, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Heineken, IWC Schaffhausen, NBC 4 New York, NCM Media Networks, The New York Times, and PepsiCo. The Festival welcomes the following new Signature Sponsors: The Lincoln Motor Company, United Airlines, and Santander.

Tickets for the 2014 Festival:
Tickets for the Festival will be $17.00 for evening and weekend screenings, and $9.00 for all late night and weekday matinee screenings.

Advance selection ticket packages and passes are now on sale for American Express Card Members, and go on sale today, March 11, to the general public. All advance selection packages and passes can be purchased online at www.tribecafilm.com/festival/tickets, or by telephone at (646) 502-5296 or toll free at (866) 941-FEST (3378).

Single ticket sales begin Tuesday, April 8 for American Express Card Members, Sunday, April 13 for downtown residents, and Monday, April 14 for the general public. Single tickets can be purchased online, by telephone, or at one of the Ticket Outlets, with locations at Tribeca Cinemas at 54 Varick Street, Bow Tie Cinemas Chelsea at 260 W. 23rd Street, and AMC Loews Village VII at 66 3rd Avenue. The 2014 Festival will continue offering ticket discounts for evening and weekend screenings for students, seniors and select downtown Manhattan residents. Discounted tickets are available at Ticket Outlet locations only. Additional information and further details on the Festival can be found at www.tribecafilm.com.

PRESS CONTACTS:
TFF/Rubenstein Communications:
Freida Orange, Associate Vice President
(212) 843-8340, forange@rubenstein.com  

Tahra Grant, Associate Vice President
(212) 843-9213, tgrant@rubenstein.com

TFF/Tribeca:                                           
Tammie Rosen, SVP of Communications,
(212) 941-2003, trosen@tribecaenterprises.com

IMAGES FOR PRESS/EDITOR’S NOTE:  Film stills for the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival are available at www.image.net. If you are not an image.net media user yet, please register using the following referral code: 2604. If you have any issues please contact ccrawford@tribecafilmfestival.org

To keep up with Tribeca, visit the Tribeca Film Festival website at www.tribecafilm.com.

Like the Tribeca Film Festival Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/TribecaFilm. Follow us on Twitter @TribecaFilmFest and join the conversation by using the hashtag #TFF2014.


Newsletter

Subscribe for festival news, exclusive offers, programming updates, and more!
Get Festival Updates

Tribeca Festival Partners

Presenting Partner
Signature Partners
Presenting Partner
Signature Partners
Presenting Partner
Signature Partners
Presenting Partner
Supporters
Presenting Partner
Friends of the Festival
Presenting Partner
Media Friends of the Festival
Presenting Partner
Media Friends of the Festival
Presenting Partner
Industry Partners
See all partners