Tribeca Raises Prices or: "Would You Like Foie Gras On Your Popcorn, Sir?"

When contacted by indieWIRE for their excellent piece on this story, Tammie Rosen, director of communications for Tribeca Enterprises and the Tribeca Film Festival responded to the criticism with: "Seeing a film at the festival is not just seeing a movie at the local theater." She then goes on to say that the event is a "unique experience that cannot be re-created." Well, that's as may be, but is it a "unique experience" that's actually worth $18? It's like the $50 burger. Sure going to db Bistro Moderne for a burger stuffed with foie gras and topped with shaved truffles might be "a unique experience," but when you get right down to it, it's a fuckin' burger and to be honest, I'd just as soon have my burger sans duck liver, thanks.

The difference, however, is that the $50 Boulud burger is an "experience" created by a Michelin starred chef at a hot New York eatery and the Tribeca Film Festival is, well, a film festival. It's not Cannes, Sundance, Toronto or Venice and I don't think I'm giving away any state secrets by saying that. Is the festival raising expectations among the ticket-buying public to dangerous levels? What exactly is this "unique experience" and what comes with the $18? The chance to buy some milk duds? I mean really, how many films at Tribeca are going to be a $50 burger?

Most film festival programmers understand full well that a significant amount of their programming is less than what might be called outstanding. It's simply the nature of the beast. With hundreds of film festivals around the world programming hundreds of films, well you do the math. Film festival programming is "hit or miss" at best (or sometimes worse) and I think Tribeca's heretofore loyal audience knows that which makes this price rise a gamble of potentially Hindenburg-ian proportions.

I'd like to second the thoughts of indieWIRE's Eugene Hernandez who writes:

"In its first few years I consistently praised Tribeca for one important thing, its commitment to creating a community event aimed at engaging a broad cross section of New Yorkers and supporting diverse filmmakers. I was thoroughly excited to see such an amazing array of people at the festival in the early years, people of many colors, ages and backgrounds. It was something I rarely saw at other film events in this city."

However, with these ticket prices, you're simply not going to see that anymore. Do you really think a struggling aspiring filmmaker, the very kind of people festivals like Tribeca should be inspiring and supporting are going to pay $18 to take a chance on a film they've likely never heard of or are they going to wait for BAM's Sundance Institute showcase to see some critically acclaimed films for $11 each or maybe venture over to Film Forum for Triad Election or three weeks of "Vintage 007 plus Spies A-Go-Go," just to name 2 of the many film-related goings on in New York City during the spring and early summer?

With so many exhibition spaces competing for the same few dollars, are film goers really going to drop $18 to see the documentary by the filmmaker they've never heard of about the subject they've never heard of? I'm torn in my wishes, to be honest. On the one hand, there are many fine films in Tribeca that deserve to be seen but on the other hand, $18 in an insane amount of money drop on a film you might like. I fear the genuine (but not rich) film fans and the filmmakers are going to be severely hurt by this unwise and short-sighted decision.