New York City Shakeup? Variety Speculates On Tribeca’s Future

New York City, as viewed from the Empire State Building. Photo by Peter Knegt.

Variety‘s Dade Hayes is reporting that there might be a monumental shakeup in the works for the New York City film festival schedule due to potential changes with the Tribeca Film Festival and the Film Society of Lincoln Center.

“Exec shuffles at both places have caused a flurry of speculation about how the city’s movie event map will be redrawn,” Hayes said. “One major potential shift suddenly being buzzed about in film circles has been the long-discussed notion of moving the Tribeca fest from the spring into the fall.”

Hayes bases his claim entirely on speculation, noting that “Jane Rosenthal flatly denies a Tribeca date change,” but makes a reasonable argument both for and against his suggestion: “A berth in October or November could build on the awards-season launch of Toronto, occupying what’s currently a dead zone on the fest calendar while also potentially stealing thunder from Sundance. There are also reasons not to change dates: Events already planned could be hard to reschedule, and sponsors already lined up could change their minds.”

This obviously would have a huge effect on the fall New York Film Festival, the highly curated Lincoln Center creation, noted as “a domestic answer to Cannes and Venice [that] has laid claim to the fall for 46 years.”

Hayes relays the dramatic series of events that has occurred at both institutions, furthering the idea that big changes may be in the works. In February, Geoff Gilmore left Sundance for a position as chief creative officer at Tribeca Enterprises (to be replaced at Sundance by John Cooper). A week prior, indieWIRE reported on The Film Society of Lincoln Center’s financial troubles, cutting of its staff by nearly 25%. This came after news that public relations director Jeanne Berney, art director Claire Spiezio and development exec Blair Hartley had all left the organization. Since, the Film Society’s No. 2 programmer, Kent Jones, left the organization, and Tribeca’s Artistic Director Peter Scarlet resigned (and has yet to be replaced).

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