Release Date: Mar 27, 2014

Film Explores Transit as a Universal Experience that Connects Cultures Across Urban Environments
April 1-30, 2014, every night from 11:57 p.m.–midnight

Still from Local/Express. Image courtesy Tribeca Film Institute

(New York, N.Y.) March 27, 2014 — The Times Square Advertising Coalition (TSAC) and Times Square Arts have partnered with Tribeca Film Institute® (TFI) for the second time to present April’s Midnight Moment. This month’s film, Local/Express,  is made by some of the 20 participants in this year’s Tribeca Film Fellows® program, a year-long fellowship for New York City students aged 16-18. The film will premiere on Times Square’s spectacular billboards just before midnight on Wednesday, April 1st, and play every night throughout April from 11:57 p.m.–midnight.

Local/Express is an excerpt from a short piece conceptualized and produced by the young filmmakers, a group of diverse students from all boroughs of the city. The film explores transit as a universal experience that connects a vast array of cultures in this urban environment. The filmmakers traveled to Tribeca every day from the South Bronx, Harlem, Bushwick, Jackson Heights, and other locations, bringing with them their cultures and communities. They came together to tell stories that were true to who they are and to broaden perspectives across the city. Contributors to this film are: Grace McLeod, Francisco Perez, David Woon, Senetchut Floyd, Stefanos Tai, Johnny Bauers, Kevin Fermoselle, Graciela Rodriguez, and Jonathan Hiraldo.

The full film will be shown during the Our City, My Story screening hosted by Tribeca Film Institute during the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival® on April 24th, 5-8 p.m. at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center. The free event is a screening of New York City’s most outstanding student-made films.

Francisco Perez, Tribeca Film Fellow 2013 / 2014, freshman at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), said, “This project was just one step for me and a diverse group of young filmmakers towards coming closer to our dreams. We are a collective, from different backgrounds and cultures, working together to both represent and celebrate our communities. This was much more than a project; it was an experience!”

Tim Tompkins, President of the Times Square Alliance, said, “Through this work, the Tribeca Film Institute helps us achieve a major goal of our programing, which is to highlight the creativity and diversity of the entire city.”

Sherry Dobbin, Times Square Public Art Director said, “Using film to provide multiple perspectives of daily journeys from different parts of the city, we can remember that no matter how each person's personal reflection of NYC differs, we ultimately come together to share the greatest asset—its diverse community.”

Toby Sturek, Chairman of the Times Square Advertising Coalition, said, “Local/Express is a perfect film to showcase on the digital screens right above the most highly trafficked subway stations in the world as part of April’s Midnight Moment program. We are delighted to present this piece that explores transit as a universal experience that connects a vast array of cultures in this urban environment on such an appropriate platform.”

“This is a wonderful opportunity to connect the millions of visitors who frequent this iconic intersection with the dynamic young people who live and contribute to the social fabric of New York City,” said Vee Bravo, Education Director, Tribeca Film Institute. “Having the Tribeca Film Fellows contribute to the Midnight Moment project is extremely valuable for our filmmaking program. What better creative prompt for the next generation of filmmakers than to produce an experimental short that grabs the attention of millions of strangers in Times Square?”

The following digital screens are participating in the April Midnight Moment:
ABC Super Sign, American Eagle Times Square, Bank of America, CEMUSA, City Outdoor, Disney Store Spectacular, JVC Screen, NASDAQ, Spectacolor HD129 / Times Square Museum & Visitor Center Marquee, ClearChannel HD128, Spectacolor HD127 / CNN Screen, Superior Digital Displays Three Times Square #5, Times Square Museum & Visitor Center, Viacom North & South (SL Green Realty) Thomson Reuters, 7TS (7 Times Square), and V Media Times Square.

About Midnight Moment
Midnight Moment is the largest coordinated effort in history by the sign operators in Times Square to display synchronized, cutting-edge creative content on electronic billboards and newspaper kiosks throughout Times Square every night. The program premiered in May 2012 and is organized and supported by the Times Square Advertising Coalition in partnership with Times Square Arts, the public art program for the Times Square Alliance, with additional partners of participating sign holders and artists.

Each night, Times Square becomes a digital art gallery through dazzling visuals on select billboards and newsstands. Every show begins at 11:57 p.m. with a "countdown" that signals the start of the three minute nightly presentation. Past artists featured in the program include Isaac Julien; Robert Wilson; Tracey Emin; Seoungho Cho; Vicki DaSilva, Surabhi Saraf, and Elly Cho; Erika Janunger; Takeshi Murata; Bel Borba with Burt Sun and André Costantini; Zach Nader; Brian Gonzalez (aka Taxiplasm); Björk; JR; Ryan McGinley; Jack Goldstein; Nature Theater of Oklahoma; Ezra Wube; Laleh Khorramian; Brian Dailey; and Yoko Ono. For more information on past projects, please visit www.TimesSquareNYC.org/MidnightMoment.

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Times Square Advertising Coalition (TSAC) is a trade association comprised of major advertisers, retailers, real estate firms, media companies and other businesses involved in the outdoor sign industry in Times Square, along with organizations representing Broadway and the community.   Members of TSAC include:  ABC Regional Sports & Entertainment Sales, Clear Channel Spectacolor, Daktronics, D3 LED, Digital Domination, Hines Management, Jamestown One Times Square, Lamar Advertising Company, Landmark Sign & Electric, Metro Media Technologies, Newmark Knight Frank, North Shore Neon, P.R.omotion!, Sherwood Outdoor, SL Green, Times Square Alliance, The WOW Factor and Thomson Reuters. www.timessquareadcoalition.org

Times Square Arts, the public arts program of the Times Square Alliance, collaborates with contemporary artists and cultural institutions to experiment and engage with one of the world's most iconic urban places. Through the Square's electronic billboards, public plazas, vacant areas and popular venues, and the Alliance's own online landscape, Times Square Arts invites leading contemporary creators to help the public see Times Square in new ways. Times Square has always been a place of risk, innovation and creativity, and the Arts Program ensures these qualities remain central to the district's unique identity. Generous support of Times Square Arts is provided by ArtPlace America and ArtWorks. Visit www.TimesSquareNYC.org/arts for more information. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @TSqArts.

Tribeca Film Institute® champions storytellers to be catalysts for change in their communities and around the world. Each year, we identify a diverse and exceptional group of filmmakers and media artists and empower them with funding and other resources to fully realize their stories and connect with audiences. Through hands-on training and exposure to socially relevant films, our educational programming helps young people gain the media skills necessary to be productive global citizens and creative individuals. TFI is a year-round nonprofit arts organization founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in the wake of September 11, 2001. Visit http://tribecafilminstitute.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @tribecafilmins and Instagram @tribecafilminstitute. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/tribecafilminstitute

Each year, TFI selects 20 NYC youth filmmakers ages 16 - 18 to participate in our Tribeca Film Fellows® program. Programming includes development of a personal creative project, panel discussions, workshops, mentoring by Festival film directors, screenings, and special events. Through this year-round fellowship, students gain a deeper knowledge of higher education and career opportunities in media through intensive workshops and direct contact with seasoned filmmakers. The program emphasizes creative storytelling and community and works to inspire young people to make films that are truthful and will have impact and be of consequence to people. Fellows forge new positive relationships with peers, educators and Festival filmmakers that will assist with their individual, scholastic and career development. Fellows continue to receive support after the Festival through one-on-one college and career counseling in the fall.

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