Chuck McMahon

The 17th annual Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, today announced its lineup of 55 diverse and engaging short films in competition, including 29 world premieres. The selected shorts include a cross-section of international and U.S. filmmakers and were curated from a record 4,754 submissions. For the second year running, 40% of the selections are directed by female filmmakers. The short films will be presented in 10 distinct competition programs, which consist of five narrative, three documentary, one animation, and one hybrid program. The program will also include special screenings and the 12th annual Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival, sponsored by Mohegan Sun. The Shorts Film program, sponsored by Nutella®, runs throughout the Festival, April 18-29.

Columbia Stages presents Bertolt Brecht's BAAL, translated by Peter Tegel and directed by James Dacre, running October 22nd - 25th, 2008, at The Riverside Theatre, located in the historic Riverside Church at 91 Claremont Avenue between 120th and 122nd Streets.