Show Time: Tribeca Film Festival Lures Filmgoers

The Tribeca Film Festival, now in its fifth year, is launching a host of promotions to reach moviegoers outside of its traditional downtown Manhattan venue.

For the first time, the festival, which kicked off Tuesday, has expanded beyond the Tribeca footprint to three uptown AMC Loews Theaters. To lure moviegoers, Tribeca-branded signage inside and outside theaters (walls, ceilings and revolving doors) promote the festival.

“The idea is to bring that vibe and accessibility and personality to these theaters,” said Creative Director David Levine, Jack Morton Worldwide, the New York City experiential marketing agency hired to handle the festival’s branding and events at the three theaters.

In addition, a poster campaign directs moviegoers to the uptown venues. More than 250 posters around New York City specify the exact number of steps a visitor is from a festival event. The agency devised the idea to show that the festival is accessible to all, Levine said.

To give visitors their own 15-seconds of fame, attendees can be filmed quoting their favorite movie line in video booths displayed at the AMC Loews Theaters on 34th Street (between 8th Avenue and 9th Avenue) and 68th Street and Broadway. Consumers can choose from 100 movie quotes from on site brand ambassadors and create a 30-second movie clip. The video clips will be displayed on plasma TVs in theater near the booths. Participants can also enter their e-mail address to send the clip to friends.

“This shows all the different personalities of New York and the Tribeca Film Festival,” Levine said of the promotion.

Jack Morton Worldwide is also bolstering Tribeca’s online presence via a micro site from the TribecaFilmFestival.org home page, the TFF Daily, which features daily festival content, including an event photo gallery, director interviews, video clips, film profiles and breaking news.

The agency created special events and branding for AMC Loews theaters on 11th Street at 3rd Avenue, 34th Street between 8th Avenue and 9th Avenue, and 68th Street at Broadway.

Jack Morton Worldwide is part of Interpublic Group.

Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff founded the Tribeca Film Festival in 2002, in response to the perceived abandonment of lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World Trade Center. The festival is designed to help the City economically and culturally while promoting New York City as a major filmmaking center.

General Motors, Budweiser Select, Nokia, Apple, Aquafina and Delta Air Lines are among some of the festival’s sponsors. The Tribeca Film Festival runs through May 7.

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