The Tribeca Film Festival was launched in 2002 - by Robert De Niro among others - as a way to invigorate the lower Manhattan neighborhood after the attacks of 9/11. In addition to the obvious screenings of varied films, the festival includes events centered around music and culture.
In 2011, the festival adds soccer to the list:
For the first time this year, Festival-goers, athletes and the general public will have the opportunity to partake in the new NYFest (April 23), the city’s first Film and Entertainment Soccer Tournament in conjunction with TFF and in partnership with Umbro. The tournament will feature a five-on-five industry match, where professionals from film, music, sports and entertainment will compete; a celebrity match, kicked off with a coin toss by soccer legend Pelé; and a New York youth showcase for players of all skill levels. All proceeds from the day will be contributed to select charity organizations benefiting youth in the inner city.
Celebrity matches in New York are nothing new, and other annual versions can be credited with giving us a glimpse Steve Nash's footy skills and Thierry Henry's love of New York. More interesting is the single day 5-a-side industry tournament, which will feature teams from The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and Law and Order SVU, and the youth soccer showcase.
We know what you're thinking. If it's New York and it's soccer, there's little chance it doesn't involve the Cosmos. As mentioned in the blurb above, Pelé will be on hand. As an "invited guest" of the festival, he's not officially there in a Comos-promoting capacity. But since the Cosmos and Umbro are partners in the event, it's all the same.
The list of NYFest-involved companies includes the Kicking and Screening film festival, a traveling event featuring soccer-themed films. Though there don't seem to be any soccer films in this years batch, the Tribeca Film Festival has been a welcoming place for films about the sport in the recent past; the acclaimed Two Escobars screened at the event just last year.
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