The ties between podcast and film have never been stronger, and that has led the Tribeca Film Festival to launch a new vertical dedicated to audio storytelling. Tribeca Podcasts will be a part of the annual festival that is scheduled to take place next June in New York. Like the buzz and glamour of the film side, which this year celebrates its 20th anniversary, Tribeca Podcasts organizers aim to feature podcast premieres and sneak peeks of highly anticipated shows, as well as talks with renowned creators and live recordings in front of audiences during the Festival.
For the first time, submissions will open for Official Selection consideration in fiction and narrative nonfiction audio stories and podcasts. Selections will then be available on Tribeca's website and in-person listening stations at select venues, pending COVID-19 safety protocols. For the first time, juried awards will be granted to one fiction project and one narrative nonfiction project when the festival is held June 9-20, 2021.
Submissions for fiction and narrative nonfiction audio stories and podcasts will open December 2, with an initial deadline of January 13, and a final deadline of January 29.
Podcasting made its first appearance at the Tribeca Film Festival during the past few years. The six-episode science fiction podcast Earth Break, featuring a voice performance by Jenny Slate, made its world premiere at the 2019 Festival. Tribeca also hosted a panel for ESPN’s 30 for 30 podcasts in 2017. The Festival also launched its own Tribeca Talks podcast this summer. The series includes conversations with actors and filmmakers recorded live at previous editions of the Festival.
The Tribeca Film Festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World Trade Center. This year’s event could have a similar aim as the city looks to recover from the impact the pandemic.