Commentary by Randy Davidson
As a first timer to the Tribeca Festival, it was extremely enlightening. The Tribeca Festival dropped “Film” from the name in 2023 to be more inclusive of other monetization platforms. The New York Times recently noted, “While festivals like Cannes are steeped in tradition, Tribeca is eager to be seen as a celebration of transformation, a festival of the future.” I was there to take meetings and also explore whether we should activate events at Tribeca as we do at Cannes, SXSW, TIFF and Sundance.
Pictures below and reel here.
Observations:
When I landed at LaGuardia, I took a 10-minute taxi ride to Wildflower Studios. What an incredible development. The campus is composed of 11 combinable soundstages with dedicated support spaces. I then visited Kaufman Astoria Studios just a few minutes away. This is where one of my favorite shows of all time was produced – “Succession!” It will be interesting to see how New York’s revised tax credits impact production, especially with the adjustment to the above-the-line cap.
The festival is well-rounded with highlights on music, gaming, podcasts and film throughout. Tribeca launched UP NEXT Creators, a program to amplify content creators from across major social media platforms – represented alongside filmmakers, musicians and other noted cultural influencers. These were creators reimagining storytelling through miniature artistry, analog horror, sidewalk interviews, redefined HERstory and street beats.
Hulu’s “Call Her Alex” premiered, followed by a conversation with Alex Cooper and panelists Jo Cronk of Whalar, digital creator Taryn Delanie Smith, filmmaker Adam W and image director Ugo Mozie.
With a Georgia connection, Daniel Seith of Trilith Institute was a producer on “Raoul’s, A New York Story” as it premiered at the festival. See pictures here.
I was able to meet with Grace Pritchard, producer and SCAD alum living in NYC. She was also at Cannes where they screened the current project she is working on (“Ada and the Doc”) three times. The short was filmed mostly in Georgia. More info.
I spotted one of the Most Influential of Georgia’s Creative Industries on the plane to NYC. Dedren Snead was on his way to participate in the Schomburg Centennial Festival in Harlem. He is at the forefront of Afrofuturism and is the founder of SUBSUME.
Overall, the experience was incredible. NYC has a unique energy, and that is reflected in the aura of the festival. Tribeca organizers are finding the right mix of programming representative of the evolving entertainment industry and the needs of the local creative community. I can’t wait to go back!
Travel Hack for Entertainment Execs with Early Flights Out of ATL
If you live more than 30 minutes from Hartsfield-Jackson and have a morning flight, here’s a travel move I highly recommend:
After meetings in Columbus, GA on Thursday, I decided to stay the night at the Kimpton Overland Hotel, located next to Porsche’s headquarters and just minutes from the airport.
I live in the Cumming/Alpharetta area, so rather than battling rush hour traffic home Thursday evening — only to turn around and drive back through Atlanta early the next morning — I checked into the Kimpton instead.
What a treat. The hotel is first class across the board — service, rooms, and views. They run multiple shuttles to both Porsche and the airport. I left my car at the hotel and picked it up when I got back from NYC. Seamless.
I don’t always think of this hotel when staying near or around downtown Atlanta, but you’ll hear me talking about it more going forward. Hat tip to Andrea Brumfield and Thomas Campbell on the sales team at Kimpton — ask them about crew rooms and spacious, elegant accommodations for talent.
The Scene and Sights from NYC and Tribeca Festival
