Tribeca Film Festival Opens Its Twentieth Anniversary With the World Premiere of In the Heights
On its twentieth anniversary, Tribeca Film Festival opened with the world premiere of In the Heights. The film premiered in, forgive the pun, Washington Heights at the United Palace theater with scenery taken right from the film serving as the red carpet backdrop. For the first time in Tribeca's 20 year history, the Festival's opening night film was simultaneously screened across all five boroughs of New York in multiple open-air venues.
John M. Chu, who you might remember most from directed Crazy Rich Asians, directed the film adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical, created and produced by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The film's screenplay is written by Quiara Alegría Hudes with original songs from Miranda. In the Heights is about a bodega owner Usnavi, played by Anthony Ramos, who hopes, imagines, and sings about a better life. Co-starring are Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, Melissa Barrera, Olga Merediz, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Gregory Diaz IV, Stephanie Beatriz, Dascha Polanco, and Jimmy Smits. Miranda, Hudes, Scott Sanders, Anthony Bregman, and Mara Jacobs produce.
Members of the 2021 jury saw the film at The Battery, including Sharon Stone, Helen Hunt, Delroy Lindo, Bryan Cranston, John Turturro, Hari Nef, Justin Bartha, Adria Petty, Ana Lily Amirpour, Elegance Bratton, Tig Notaro, Iyabo Boyd, Judith Godreche, Sabrina Schmidt Gordon.
Tribeca 2021 runs June 9-20 and is the first major North American film festival held in person since COVID-19. The 12-day live celebration is the culmination of NY PopsUp, the statewide revitalization initiative to bring back live entertainment and the arts to the community.
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