USA: Robert DeNiro and Rome's Mayor Walter Veltroni announce a collaboration between the Tribeca and Rome Film Festivals

A new partnership between Robert DeNiro's Tribeca Film Festival and the first annual Rome Film Festival was announced in New York on Thursday (September 28). DeNiro, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni revealed that the two festivals will share some of their films with each other. As part of the collaboration, the 2006 Rome Festival, which begins on October 13, will screen six films from the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. Then in 2007, the Tribeca Film Festival plans to show a selection of films that debuted in Rome. In addition, the Rome film Festival will present Tribeca and DeNiro with its "Steps and Stars Award," which recognises individuals and cultural entities that have made significant contributions to the film industry. DeNiro thanked Veltroni for the award in advance. He said: "Thank you Mayor Bloomberg for your kind words. And thank you Mayor Veltroni for honouring Tribeca with the Steps and Stars Award. We're thrilled to be part of the first Rome Film Fest and look forward to screening clips from the film that I directed, 'The Good Shepherd.'" The Tribeca Film Festival was founded in 2002 as a response to the attacks on the World Trade Center. The festival's mission is to promote New York City as a major film-making centre. DeNiro said he believes Rome's new festival will do the same for the Italian capital. "I'm pleased with the success of the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, and I'm sure the Rome Film Fest will do the same for that great city. I look forward to a long relationship. Thank you," said DeNiro. Bloomberg, who hosted the announcement with a press conference at New York's City Hall, said the collaboration between the two festivals could only increase New York's popularity. "The exchange will not only expose our respective audiences to new films, but also help both festivals become truly international events, and in turn, help New York and Rome become even greater movie towns," he said. The Rome Film Festival, which will run from October 13-21, was created in part by the efforts of Veltroni, a self-described film buff. He said that he was looking forward to having DeNiro as one of the many faces of the new festival. "Robert DeNiro will be in Rome on the 21st. He has been in Rome so many times, and we've met here in New York so many times, but this time I will be particularly happy because we will consolidate our relationship," said Veltroni. The six films that will be shown as part of the partnership with the Rome Film Fest are: "The War Tapes," directed by Deborah Scranton; "The Yacoubian Building," directed by Marwan Hamed; "Akeelah and the Bee," directed by Doug Atchison; "The Bridge," directed by Eric Steel; "The Lew Rudin Way," directed by David Hoffman; and "The Mist in the Palm Trees," directed by Carlos Molinero.

ITN Source | October 13, 2006

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