New York, NY - April 23, 2008 -Tribeca Film Festival

World Competition Categories:

The jurors for the 2008 World Narrative Competition are Peter Hedges, Gregory Hoblit, Callie Khouri, Oliver Platt and Christine Vachon.

The jurors for the 2008 World Documentary Competition are Jared Cohen, Whoopi Goldberg, Ross Kauffman, Padma Lakshmi and Jose Padilha.

New York Competition Categories:

The 2008 “Made in NY” Narrative Feature Award jurors are Peter Dinklage, Fred Durst, Greg Mottola, Stephen Schiff and Annabella Sciorra.

The 2008 “NY Loves Film” Documentary Feature Award jurors are Liya Kebede, Doug Liman, Esther Robinson, Josh Schwartz, Jay McInerney and Andre Leon Talley.

Short Film Competition Categories:

The 2008 Narrative Short jurors are Mario Batali, Christine Lahti, Molly Shannon, Lili Taylor and Zac Posen.

The 2008 Documentary and Student Short jurors are David Bowie, Red Burns, Matthew Modine, Lee Schrager and David de Rothschild.

American Express Chief Marketing Officer John Hayes announced that American Express, the Founding sponsor of the Festival, would continue its support of the Festival to another five years.

Underscoring the diversity and strength of the film program, Rosenthal showed clips from four highly anticipated Festival films at today’s press conference:

Pray the Devil Back to Hell, directed by Gini Reticker. (USA) - World Premiere. After more than a decade of civil wars leading to more than 250,000 deaths and one million refugees, a group of courageous women rose up to force peace on their shattered Liberia and propel to victory the first female head of state on the African continent.

Ramchand Pakistani, directed by Mehreen Jabbar, written by Mohammad Ahmed. (Pakistan) - World Premiere. Gorgeous colors enhance this tense tale, based on actual events, about a young Pakistani boy who, with his father, inadvertently crosses the border into India. Both wind up in jail for years, while mother (Nandita Das) is left bewildered and alone.

War Child, directed by C. Karim Chrobog. (USA) - North American Premiere. 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.

Bart Got A Room, directed and written by Brian Hecker. (USA) - World Premiere. It’s ticktock ticktock for Danny as the prom approaches, and he still doesn’t have a date. With the help of his plain-Jane best friend and likable but wacky parents (Cheryl Hines and William H. Macy), his hopes for that “special” night may come true in this colorful and quirky comedy.