Lots of good stuff happening at the Tribeca Film Festival this year. Check out the gigantic press release below:

TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES FEATURED MUSIC PROGRAMMING FOR 2008 FESTIVAL
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Tribeca/ASCAP Music Lounge to feature Nick Lowe, Regina Spektor, Sia, Jon Foreman, Joseph Arthur, Ingrid Michaelson, Sondre Lerche, Rachael Yamagata, Jack Savoretti, Small Mercies, Augustana, Chris Thile, Brett Dennen, Jessie Baylin, Lizz Wright and more.
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Music Supervisor Alexandra Patsavas returns to curate “˜Breaking the Band sponsored by Target; The Hold Steady, The Virgins, and Republic Tigers to perform.

[Press Release Continued After The Jump]

[New York, NY – April 3, 2008] – The Tribeca Film Festival today announced the musical programming for the 2008 Festival. Returning for the 4th year, the Tribeca/ASCAP Music Lounge will feature a variety of live performances by emerging and established artists. Grammy-nominated music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas will return to the Festival to curate Breaking the Band sponsored by Target, an exclusive live music event featuring breakout artists. The 2008 Festival line-up will feature numerous films that showcase music and musicians, including 90 Miles The Documentary, featuring Gloria Estefan, Lou Reed’s Berlin, and Celia the Queen, featuring the late Celia Cruz. The Tribeca Film Festival, presented by American Express, runs from April 23 to May 4, 2008.

“Tribeca continues to celebrate the role of music in film, and we look forward to presenting notable artists at this year’s Festival,” said Nancy Schafer, Co-Executive Director, Tribeca Film Festival and Senior Vice President, Tribeca Enterprises. “The Tribeca/ASCAP Music Lounge and Breaking the Band will provide unique opportunities for musicians and filmmakers to come together in a collaborative environment, and that is where creative ideas are born.”

Tribeca/ASCAP Music Lounge

Joseph Arthur, Augustana, Jessie Baylin, Brett Dennen, Jon Foreman, Sondre Lerche, Nick Lowe, Ingrid Michaelson, Jack Savoretti, Sia, Small Mercies, Regina Spektor, Chris Thile, Lizz Wright and Rachael Yamagata are slated to perform as part of the 2008 Tribeca/ASCAP Music Lounge from Tuesday, April 29 through Friday, May 2 at Canal Room. The music lounge is produced by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), and was created by the Tribeca Film Festival and ASCAP in 2005 to provide a way for filmmakers to interact with composers and songwriters, encouraging collaboration.

Nick Lowe will take time off from his tour promoting the 30th anniversary edition of his seminal album “Jesus of Cool” to kick off this year’s Lounge on April 29. The Lounge will feature a variety of performers whose works have been featured in film. During the four days, Regina Spektor (27 Dresses, Definitely, Maybe) will entertain with songs from “Fidelity” to “Us”; Sia (Annapolis, Guess Who) will provide a mix of pop including music from her latest LP “Some People Have Real Problems”; Jon Foreman (A Walk to Remember) will provide acoustic favorites from the band he fronts, “Switchfoot” and new music from his recently released solo EP “Spring”; Joseph Arthur (Hell’s Kitchen, The Bone Collector, The Bourne Identity) will perform a variety of released – and many unreleased – songs including sneak peeks from his upcoming album “All You Need Is Nothing”; singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche (Dan In Real Life) will play his signature folk/pop style; singer/songwriter Rachael Yamagata (The Last Kiss, Elizabethtown, In Her Shoes, Prime, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) will showcase her piano-driven indie-rock; and Grammy-winning singer/composer/mandolinist Chris Thile (Bluegrass Journey), formerly with Nickel Creek, will perform an acoustic mix from his solo albums as well as his current band, “Punch Brothers.”

“In our ongoing effort to highlight the important role of music in film, ASCAP is thrilled to partner once again with the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival to present the Music Lounge,” said Music Lounge producer Loretta Muñoz, ASCAP Assistant Vice President – Special Projects. “We share a mutual goal of discovering, exposing and nurturing great talent, and in this, our fourth year of producing the series at the Canal Room, we look forward to providing a unique and beautiful opportunity for the worlds of music and film to connect in an intimate and creative environment.”

The Tribeca/ASCAP Music Lounge is located at Canal Room, 285 West Broadway at Canal Street. The Lounge is open to all credentialed Festival badge holders April 29 – May 2 and features four to five artists daily. Doors open at 2:30 p.m. daily with performances beginning at 3:00 p.m. Schedule updates will be posted at www.tribecafilmfestival.org and www.ascap.com.

Tuesday, April 29th
3:00-3:30 Nick Lowe
3:40-4:10 Brett Dennen
4:20-4:50 Chris Thile
5:00-5:30 Regina Spektor
5:40-6:10 Ingrid Michaelson

Wednesday, April 30th
3:00-3:30 Jon Foreman
3:40-4:10 Lizz Wright
4:20-4:50 Chris Thile
5:00-5:30 Sondre Lerche

Thursday, May 1st
3:00-3:30 Small Mercies
3:40-4:10 Jack Savoretti
4:20-4:50 Jessie Baylin
5:00-5:30 Augustana
5:40-6:10 Sia

Friday, May 2nd
3:00-3:30 TBA
3:40-4:10 Rachael Yamagata
4:20-4:50 Joseph Arthur
5:00-5:30 TBA

Breaking the Band

Returning to the Tribeca Film Festival for a second time is Grammy-nominated music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas, who owns Chop Shop Music Supervision and recently launched her music label Chop Shop Records. Patsavas will curate Breaking the Band sponsored by Target, an exclusive live music showcase featuring The Hold Steady, The Virgins, and Republic Tigers that will take place Friday, May 2 at Webster Hall. Tickets will be available beginning Saturday, April 12 through the Tribeca Film Festival Box Office at www.tribecafilmfestival.org.

Patsavas, who has worked on over sixty films and television series, first came to the Festival in 2006 as part of the TRIBECA TALKS program with The O.C. creator Josh Schwartz and enlightened the audience with her insight on the explosion of music on television. Renowned and admired for shaping the musical taste of millions of Americans, Patsavas has introduced a fleet of alternative and indie-rock bands to mainstream audiences through hit television shows such as The O.C., Grey’s Anatomy and Gossip Girl. Patsavas curated the Festival’s first Breaking the Band showcase that same year with performances by Ben Gibbard, Nada Surf, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Mates of State and Matt Pond PA.

“The Tribeca Film Festival has long been a supporter of talented and innovative artists,” said Patsavas. “I feel so privileged to be invited back to curate a second showcase, this year at Webster Hall.”

Today, Patsavas led the selection of Bad Veins, an unsigned band from Cincinnati as the recipient of the first ever Target Music Maker Award. Bad Veins will be presented the award, an unrestricted cash prize of $10,000 given to an unsigned musician or band, at Breaking the Band on May 2. “With the generous support of Target, Bad Veins might record, mix, tour and certainly explore new opportunities,” added Patsavas.

In addition to their support of Breaking the Band, Target will host a private party for filmmakers, music composers, music supervisors and industry representatives at the Festival featuring a performance by Sondre Lerche. Music Spotlight is scheduled for Tuesday, April 29 at the Target-Tribeca Filmmaker Lounge.

Films Featuring Music

The 2008 Tribeca Film Festival includes several previously announced titles that prominently feature musicians and music.

A highlight will be Two Timid Souls (Les deux timides), a silent film with French intertitles and live English translation featuring the world premiere of a new score produced by the Film Scoring Program at NYU Steinhardt, with Gillian B. Anderson conducting the NYU Chamber Orchestra in an exclusive live performance at the screening. Discovered last fall at the Pordenone Silent Film Festival, this charming, near-forgotten archival print from the Cinémathèque Française displays all the elegance, wit, and visual inventiveness that are hallmarks of its director René Clair, best known for An Italian Straw Hat, and A nous la liberté.

Additional films that feature musicians and music include:

• 90 Miles The Documentary (90 Millas El Documental), directed by Emilio Estefan, written by Jose Maldonado and Estefan. (USA) – New York Premiere, Documentary. A fascinating look at Gloria Estefan as she records her latest album, 90 Millas, which pays tribute to the history of Latin music. With appearances ranging from legendary Latin musicians such as Arturo Sandoval, Chocolate Armenteros, and Israel Lopez Cachao to contemporaries Sheila E., Carlos Santana, and Pit Bull. English, Spanish with English subtitles. Followed by a special talk with Emilio Estefan, Gloria Estefan, Johnny Pacheco and special guests.
• Celia the Queen, directed by Joe Cardona and Mario De Varona, written by Cardona. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Azucar! The voice of Celia Cruz, arguably the most influential woman in Cuban music, symbolized the soul of a nation and forced down barriers of racism and sexism. She radiates on screen as her legacy is revisited in this intimate and inspiring documentary. Featuring interviews with Quincy Jones, Andy Garcia, and Wyclef Jean. English, Spanish with English subtitles.
• Lou Reed’s Berlin, directed by Julian Schnabel. (USA) – New York Premiere, Documentary. In 2006, artist/filmmaker Julian Schnabel took to the stage at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn to introduce a concert 33 years in the making: Lou Reed, playing his Berlin song cycle live for the first time. It was worth the wait. A Weinstein Company Release.
• Old Man Bebo, directed by Carlos Carcas. (Spain) – North American Premiere. Nearly 90, Bebo Valdes is one of the greatest living Cuban musicians. This joyful documentary celebrates the man who was a key figure in the development of mambo and whose life reflects the experiences of many Cubans since 1959. Spanish with English subtitles.
• Playing for Change: Peace Through Music, directed by Jonathan Walls and Mark Johnson. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. True devotees of music’s uniting power, Johnson and Walls hauled recording equipment across four continents, capturing the unsung talents of street performers from Nepal to Argentina. The result is an inspired tribute to both music and the adventurous spirit. English, Spanish, Tibetan, Zulu with English subtitles.
• The 27 Club, directed and written by Erica Dunton. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. After the sudden loss of a bandmate, a distressed rock star hires a geeky grocery store clerk to drive him across the country. The vast American landscape””stunningly photographed””provides solace for this unlikely pair as they make their way to New York for the funeral.
• War Child, directed by C. Karim Chrobog. (USA) – North American Premiere, Documentary. Emmanuel Jal spent his childhood as a soldier in the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army. Now this rising hip-hop star is using his music to raise awareness about his homeland’s ongoing humanitarian crisis. Dinka, English, Nuer with English subtitles.

A complete list of Festival films can be found at www.tribecafilmfestival.org.

Tickets for 2008 Festival:
Tickets for the Festival will be $15.00 for evening and weekend screenings and $8.00 for daytime weekday and late night screenings. In addition, the Festival will offer a few select screenings with panel discussions for $25.00.

Select Pass and Package are now on sale and can be purchased online at www.tribecafilmfestival.org or by telephone, toll free, at (866) 941-FEST (3378). Single ticket sales begin for American Express Cardmembers on April 12, 2008, for downtown residents on April 18, 2008 and for the general public on April 19, 2008. Single tickets can be bought at the Main Box Office at 15 Laight Street, online and by telephone. The 2008 Festival will continue ticket discounts for evening and weekend screenings for students, seniors and select downtown Manhattan residents. Additional information and further details on the Festival can be found at www.tribecafilmfestival.org.