The Tribeca Film Festival has announced its 2013 jurors, and it’s a list of big names for the various film competitions. The prizes aren’t too shabby either with a total of $180,000 in cash and prizes. You can watch the award ceremony online on April 25, 2013 at TribecaFilm.com.
For narrative films, one of the jurors is playwright and filmmaker Kenneth Lonergan, whose recent film, “Margaret,” was an intense vehicle for Anna Paquin (read my report on the film’s Q&A at Lincoln Center).
He is joined by Bryce Dallas Howard, the daughter of Ron Howard, who has an impressive resume herself as an actress, director, writer, and producer. The Academy Award-winning filmmaker of “Crash,” Paul Haggis, is part of the list, as is actress Blythe Danner and Time Magazine senior editor Jessica Winter.
Judging the documentaries this year will be Whoopi Goldberg, who has a non-competitive documentary in the festival – her directorial debut – about the great comedienne, Moms Mabley. I’m excited to see filmmaker Joe Berlinger on this list because I’m an admirer of his work, particularly the HBO “Paradise Lost” documentary series about the West Memphis Three. Filmmaker Sandi Dubowski joins them, along with actresses Evan Rachel Wood and Mira Sorvino.
Other notable jurors are Josh Radnor of “How I Met Your Mother,” who will be part of the jury for Best New Documentary Director, and actress Christine Baranski, who will help judge the narrative short films.
For documentary and student shorts, Eva Longoria and Abigail Breslin will be part of the jury team. Tea Leoni will help choose the special TAA Creative Promise Award-Narrative, while Rachel Dratch will lend her expertise to picking the Creative Promise Award-Documentary.
As always, the Tribeca fest attracts some impressive folks to judge an equally impressive slate of movies. See the full Festival schedule that runs from April 18-28, 2013 in New York City.
