410,000 attended Tribeca film fest events

NEW YORK, May 4 (UPI) -- More than 410,000 people attended the screenings, panels and free community events of New York's ninth annual Tribeca Film Festival, organizers said Tuesday.

The festival was co-founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff, and presented by Founding Sponsor American Express.

Theater attendance for the festival screenings and events reached more than 94,000 this year. Screenings were often at capacity, with more than 95 percent attendance at 396 screenings and panels throughout the 12-day festival, organizers said.

"New York is home to some of the most enthusiastic filmgoers in the world, and it was wonderful seeing them turn out in droves to enjoy not only our unique slate of films and intimate conversations with leading filmmakers and actors, but also our free neighborhood events," Nancy Schafer, the festival's executive director, said in a statement. "Seeing our audiences embrace the work of our filmmakers, who this year included some of the biggest names in the industry as well as a crop of fresh, new voices, has been such a rewarding experience."

The festival, which began April 21 and ended May 2, screened 85 features and 47 short films from 38 countries.