'Shrek Forever After' Opening Tribeca Film Festival

I won't pretend to know the financial specifics of putting on a major film festival, so let's assume for the moment that they're really, really expensive. Then let's take that festival and put it in America's largest city, where venue rental and other costs would cost more than say, Des Moines. So while it may defeat the purpose of what think film festivals are about when Tribeca announces that its opening night film will be Shrek Forever After, they gotta pay the bills. Tribeca kicks off on April 21st, a month before Shrek opens in theaters, and runs through May 2nd. The official slate of films will be announced on March 10th and 15th. But why is the festival opening with Shrek, if it's not the money? “We have always sought to open our Festival with films that are captivating and strike an emotional chord with movie-goers. Shrek Forever After combines the very best in storytelling and artistry while showcasing the wonders of innovative 3-D filmmaking," said festival co-founder Jane Rosenthal without a hint of irony. "It is one of the most anticipated new movies of 2010 and we are so pleased that DreamWorks Animation is bringing the final chapter of Shrek to the Tribeca Film Festival for its world premiere." I don't have any issue with the Shrek series, but film festivals ought to have a different function than adding a layer of promotion to a movie that in the long run certainly won't need it. Yes, the gala events are meant to draw bigger crowds as well as more attention to the festival (like this) and Tribeca still gets a healthy dose of those films that can benefit from a good public showing like this, but I just don't know why we need to be fed this line about Shrek 4 combining the best in storytelling blah blah 3-D blah blah blah.

Comments

[pae]

I’m 58 years old and I can’t wait to see the 3rd movie. The first two were hilarious, I was laughing all the way through both movies. Very clever stuff.

[Jeremy]

The 3rd is a steaming pile. I took my 6 yr old niece to it & she was more bored than I was. She kept standing up & looking around the theatre. The walls were more entertaining to the target audience than the screen it was playing on...

But then again, that's just me.