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Having observed a growing connection between marketing and the film industry, Tribeca Festival is responding by broadening Tribeca X, its programming track for the creative marketing and advertising industries.
Tribeca X debuted in 2016 as a one-day program, and it is now growing to a two-day festival event June 10 and 11. To accommodate the expansion, Tribeca X is also relocating from the festival’s New York Spring Studios headquarters to a larger space nearby, at Convene One Liberty Plaza. The broader festival spans June 5 through 16.
Despite dropping “Film” from its name in 2020, Tribeca Festival remains one of few industry events that draw Hollywood’s attention. Relative to other lauded film festivals, it has taken a broader approach to programming and awards with its recognition of branded content, audio storytelling and creator partnerships. Tribeca also has its own branded entertainment production division, Tribeca Studios.
Tribeca’s brand storytelling expansion dovetails with growth in branded content and brand-funded film, with brands like Barbie demonstrating how successful such collaborations can be.
Brands and their agencies are making more cinematic ads, veering away from blatant advertising in favor of more subtle storytelling tactics. This trend creates a fresh opportunity for industry events, like Tribeca Festival and the Sundance Film Festival, to attract new target audiences with a professional stake in making cinematic ads.
Festivals are crucial connecting pieces of the independent film ecosystem, where distribution deals happen and connections are made. Expanded space for marketers and advertisers is both a response to industry demands and a harbinger of more branded entertainment to come.
“This is an investment track for us at Tribeca. We believe that this community wants to have this conversation, and so we’re putting money into expanding Tribeca X,” said Christopher Brady, chief revenue officer at Tribeca Enterprises, the festival’s parent organization. “We’re naturally hoping that this yields, and we have a very specific plan to yield financial results that allow us to continue to expand into the rest of the year and show up in other places with it.”
