Annulla in the City: 5th Annual Tribeca Film Festival

"Created by Jane Rosenthal and Robert De Niro, the mission of the Tribeca Film Festival is to enable the international film community and the general public to experience the power of film by redefining the film festival experience. The Tribeca Film Festival was founded to celebrate New York City as a major filmmaking center and to contribute to the long-term recovery of lower Manhattan".

The Tribeca Film Festival grows larger every year. This spring, for the fifth anniversary, the Festival broke all records: 274 films from 40 countries were screened at locations around Manhattan. Banners advertising the festival flapped from lampposts, posters appeared in shop windows, and information booths and free popcorn stands were erected in strategic downtown locations. For two weeks the city celebrated film, filmmakers and filmgoers.

"The response to this year’s volunteer recruitment drive has been amazing. At present we have received our full quota of applications for our Volunteer Pool ... [and] have begun a Standby List. While we can give you no assurance that you will be assigned to a volunteer shift if you are on our Standby List, you are welcome to send in an application to volunteer. Without the volunteers, the Festival could not operate."

While most Festival volunteers have (or wish to have) some connection with the film industry, many are simply passionate about the movies. Volunteers received t-shirts, sports bags, badges, a voucher for a free burrito and access to certain screenings - often without any information about which film they would see. The Festival ran from April 25 to May 7 and I viewed an average of one film per day.