2010 Tribeca film fest under way in N.Y.

NEW YORK, April 20 (UPI) -- Tribeca Film Festival co-founders Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal opened the 9th edition of the cinema series in New York Tuesday.

De Niro and Rosenthal were joined by Alex Gibney -- who directed three films featured in this year's festival -- as well as Tribeca Enterprises Chief Creative Officer Geoff Gilmore; TFF Executive Director Nancy Schafer; and John Hayes; chief marketing officer for American Express, the founding sponsor of the festival.

The 2010 Tribeca Film Festival will run from Wednesday through May 2. It will include 85 features and 47 short films representing 38 different countries.

In addition to the movie lineup, there will also be a range of panel discussions involving filmmakers and industry experts, and gala premieres of highly anticipated new studio releases -- including DreamWorks Animation's "Shrek Forever After," which will open the festival, organizers said.

"This year, Tribeca has stayed true to its mission and has expanded to find new ways for filmmakers to reach new audiences," Rosenthal said at a press conference Tuesday at Borough of Manhattan Community College. "Whether you're an accomplished or emerging filmmaker, a movie junkie or someone who enjoys a good film now and then, there's something for you at Tribeca."

"It's great how much the festival continues to grow," De Niro said. "One of the strengths of Tribeca is the feeling of community. I look forward to hearing what our audiences think about the terrific slate of films in this year's festival."