The Tribeca Festival has always had something of a unique relationship with video games, becoming the first film festival to declare a video game as an official selection back in 2011, giving the honor to Rockstar's L.A Noire. In the years since, its long praised the narrative capabilities of the games industry, making Beyond Two Souls an official selection in 2013 and featuring panels for games such as Death Stranding and God of War.
This year, the Tribeca Festival has opted to fully embrace its passion for the realm of video games, adding the Tribeca Games Official Selection to its program. Eight upcoming releases have been selected by the festival and will compete to take home the inaugural Tribeca Games Award, which will honor "an unreleased game for its potential for excellence in art and storytelling."
The titles up for the award are Kena: Bridge of Spirits, Twelve Minutes, The Big Con, NORCO, Lost in Random, Harold Halibut, Sable, and Signalis. Each game will be playable during the event, which will be entirely digital. To get in on a demos, players will have to reserve themselves a ticket, with bookings opening up on May 24. Seeing as the lineup is filled with exciting new games, it's sure to be a great way to try out some of the best experiences yet to release in 2021.
The event will also hold a live outdoor performance of songs from Red Dead Redemption 2, which will take place at The Battery in New York on June 10. It will feature the game's soundtrack producer Daniel Lanois and his band, as well as a few "special guests," with the event taking place at 8:30 PM EST. Much like the demos, attendees can reserve tickets for the performance, with the bookings opening on May 10. It will precede the Summer Game Fest's Tribeca Games Spotlight showcase, which will air on June 11 at 2:00 PM EST.
The Tribeca Film Festival's latest foray into the world of video games has quite the talented team behind it, with the likes of Hideo Kojima, Nia Dacosta, Geoff Keighley, Kiki Wolfkill, Sam Lake, and Jon Favreau making up the advisory board. From major shows and films like The Mandalorian and Little Woods to games like Metal Gear Solid and Max Payne, the advisory board is filled with experienced talent who are sure to make the first-ever Tribeca Games Official Selection one to watch. The festival will officially begin on June 9 and is slated to show off upcoming movies like God's Waiting Room, The Novice, Catch the Fair One, and Queen of Glory.
The Tribeca Film Festival begins on June 9.