Tribeca Film Festival 2013 – Heineken Closing Party & Audience Awards
On Saturday April 27, IFQ attended the invitation-only Heineken Wrap Party at Eyebeam to celebrate the close of the Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), 2013. Important after-party components were all in place: a cool warehouse on the west side; atmospheric hazy green lighting; happy filmmakers; sponsored drinks and appetizers; Magnum ice cream bars and a DJ able to read the crowd. Hardworking TFF staffers finally got to unwind after 12-days of screenings, red carpet premieres, film panels and after parties running concurrently across the city.
Excitement was palpable as filmmakers around the globe waited for the two Heineken audience award winners to be revealed. TFF’s Director of Programming, Genna Terranova and Artistic Director Frédéric Boyer got a big applause – an impressive duo indeed.
Films in the World Narrative Competition, World Documentary Competition, Viewpoints, Spotlight and Midnight sections were eligible for an audience award. Just before the winners were revealed, Terranova, formerly a VP of Acquisitions for The Weinstein Co said, “Our audiences have chosen two films that testify to the power of the human spirit and hope for change. Terranova further stated, “Whether it’s the fight for marriage equality in the U.S. or a boy struggling against all odds in war torn Laos, audiences were clearly moved by these two inspiring stories.”
Much to IFQ’s delight Bridegroom, an emotional documentary about the struggles for marriage equality scooped the Audience Award for Best Documentary. Writer/director Linda Bloodworth Thomason (creator of Designing Women, Hearts of Fire) acknowledged TFF as a “great launching pad” and hoped the film would “have wings to really take off.”
The Rocket, which also garnered awards in World Narrative Competition, won for Best Feature. The film tells the story of Ahlo, a ten-year-old boy (convincingly portrayed by newcomer Sittiphon Disamoe), who yearns to break free from his ill-fated destiny. After his village is displaced to make way for a massive dam, Ahlo escapes with his father and grandmother through the Laotian outback in search of a new home. Along the way, they come across a rocket festival that offers a lucrative—but dangerous—chance for a new beginning. With the help of his new friend Kia and her eccentric, James Brown-loving uncle, Ahlo sets out to build his own rocket, enter the contest and prove his worth to his family.
Heineken VP of Marketing Colin Westcott-Pitts, who is always supportive of filmmaking endeavors, has an eye for detail – definitely a good guy to know in NYC! Heineken sponsored the evening and once again proved they know how to host a shindig. The Heineken girls certainly upped the glam factor – even the bartenders and catering staff looked sleek in their fitted white shirts embossed with the Heineken logo. On an artistic note, IFQ loved Heineken’s cool trailer promoting their involvement in the audience awards.