The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation today announced a two-year, $3 million commitment to the Tribeca Film Festival. The festival, which was the first major event to be held in Lower Manhattan after the September 11th attacks, has been responsible for attracting hundred-of-thousands of visitors and millions of dollars in revenue to the downtown area.

New York State Governor George E. Pataki said, "In the two years since the Tribeca Film Festival began, the event has become world-renowned and has succeeded in attracting close to a half million people to Lower Manhattan. This festival which was started in the wake of September 11th, has given a much needed cultural and economic boost to Lower Manhattan. The grant from the LMDC will help support a great event that is contributing to the rebuilding process by generating buzz, attracting new visitors, and bringing cultural vitality to downtown."

LMDC Chairman, John C. Whitehead said, "The popular Tribeca Film Festival has played an increasingly important cultural role in New York. This significant funding will expand the Festival's efforts to include free programs for the public, while also providing a broad range of economic benefits for Lower Manhattan."

LMDC President Kevin M. Rampe said, "The LMDC is committed to enriching Lower Manhattan's cultural community and to supporting its economic growth. The Tribeca Film Festival has been a wonderful cultural event and economic boost for the downtown area. We are pleased to be a part of the festival's continued success."

The LMDC grant will help fund the Tribeca Film Festival Guide, as well as a number of events including the year-round Tribeca All Access Program, the Drive-In, and the Tribeca Film Festival's Panels and Workshops. The LMDC grant will also be funding the Tribeca Family Festival, an all-day street fair spreading over seven-blocks of Greenwich Street stretching from Duane Street to Hubert Street. For an entire day, local schools, merchants, restaurants, and civic organizations will come together to host special performances on boulevard stages and provide a variety of Tribeca's finest foods, refreshments, and merchandise. The LMDC selected to fund these programs because they all promote the downtown area as a cultural center and contribute to the continued economic health of Lower Manhattan. Additionally, many of the LMDC funded programs are free and open to the public and provide an educational experience to those who attend.

In addition to LMDC's funding, Governor Pataki announced a $200,000 grant from Empire State Development (ESD) to support the Tribeca Film Institute Inc. These funds will be used to subsidize the Institute's year-round education and networking programs.

The 2004 Tribeca Film Festival will take place from Saturday May 1st through Sunday, May 9th. For more information on the Tribeca Film Festival, the public should visit the Tribeca Film Festival website at www.tribecafilmfestival.org, or call 1-866-941-FEST (3378).