Tribeca to Launch Summer Drive-In Series in Partnership With IMAX and AT&T

Though cinemas have been closed during the coronavirus pandemic, a handful of drive-in theaters across the country remain open and are screening movies, and Tribeca Enterprises will join in the safe, socially distant fun by launching the Tribeca Drive-In film series to take place this summer.

Tribeca is partnering with IMAX and AT&T on the initiative and will roll out safe drive-in theater offerings in select markets across the country. The series kicks off on June 25 and will be a limited engagement series for this summer.

The series of films will include a curated selection of new, classic and independent films, as well as special music and sports events. Each event will also feature local vendors and small businesses specific to each community. The full programming line-up and ticket information will be announced in the coming weeks.

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IMAX will be the lead technology partner for the Tribeca Drive-In series and will use its digital re-mastering process to enhance image and sound for all the films and provide tech support and equipment for the venues. And IMAX will also collaborate with Tribeca on curating the film program.

“It’s in our DNA to bring people together through the arts, showing strength and resiliency when the world needs it the most,” Tribeca Enterprises and Tribeca Film Festival co-founder and CEO Jane Rosenthal said in a statement. “At a time when people are eager to connect and convene again after months-long social distancing, we’re taking the spirit of Tribeca around the country by creating a safe environment where audiences can come together and enjoy the sense of connection found by going to the movies.”

“We’re excited to give people something to look forward to this summer and reinvent a classic moviegoing experience for communities to enjoy together safely,” Tribeca Enterprises and Tribeca Film Festival co-founder Robert De Niro added in a statement.

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“Communities, artists, and storytellers thrive on their connections to each other,” Lupa Systems Founder and Tribeca Enterprises co-owner James Murdoch said in a statement. “This is what Tribeca Enterprises was made for, and we couldn’t be more excited to partner with IMAX, AT&T, and civic leaders across the country to kindle those connections, together.”

“Perhaps now more than ever, Americans are craving opportunities to come together, enjoy storytelling and creativity as a community, and recapture the shared cultural experiences that are part of our national identity,” Imax CEO Rich Gelfond said in a statement. “We’re proud to partner with Tribeca Enterprises and AT&T to develop this innovative program, shed a little light in this challenging time, and remind people of the magic of going to the movies as we look forward to reopening theatres around the world.”

“Distanced but not distant, we’ve never craved connection more than now, and AT&T’s continued support of Tribeca is one more way we’re helping keep people connected to each other, the causes and stories they love,” AT&T Communications chief brand officer Fiona Carter said in a statement. “Taking these movies, music, and special events to drive-in screens in communities across America is an ingenious solution that we’re proud to support as we stay #ConnectedTogether.”

“I know many drive-ins really appreciate the opportunity to work with Ms. Rosenthal and the Tribeca Enterprises team to bring content to our screens in this much-needed environment,” John Vincent, president of United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association.

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