Tribeca Film Festival Adds Video Games As Official Selections In 2021

The Tribeca Film Festival, which has set its 20th anniversary edition for next June, is adding video games as official selections for the first time.

"For years, video games have been a one-of-a-kind medium for storytelling, art, and innovation," organizers said in an announcement.

The festival, which will happen next year from June 9 to 20 (a later slot than usual) has welcomed games for the past 10 years. It has showcased titles like League of Legends, God of War, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Beyond Two Souls, Firewatch, and What Remains of Edith Finch.

In 2021, games will be official selections, becoming eligible for the first Tribeca Games Award, which the fest says will honor games that "demonstrate artistic excellence in storytelling." They'll also be considered for the NOW Creators Market, a private industry market that Tribeca says is the first of its kind. It will bring together leading online and immersive storytellers to pitch new projects to a wide range of industry figures, including distributors, agencies and brands.

An advisory board will steer Tribeca's stepped-up gaming effort. It includes filmmaker Nia DaCosta; writer, producer, and director Jon Favreau; Electronic Arts co-founder Bing Gordon; The Game Awards producer Geoff Keighley; Death Stranding creator Hideo Kojima; Remedy Entertainment creative director Sam Lake; and Halo Transmedia & Entertainment head Kiki Wolfkill.

Eligible games include titles created for web, console, virtual reality, augmented reality and mobile devices. Tabletop games will not be considered.

Source: deadline.com