The New York International Children’s Film Festival is returning for its 25th anniversary starting today through March 19. Featuring new and emerging artistic films for kid audiences, the NYICFF is bound to surprise and delight families, children, and imaginative adults. With 20 different films to choose from in addition to exclusive short film programs, films ranging from animation to foreign drama to a child’s life will cover every scope of wonder a viewer could hope to have.
Films made in countries including France, Japan, Argentina, Germany, and beyond will be among those exhibited at this cultural festival. Children will find the stories and realities told in these films to be both personable and entrancing, making connections to their own lives and enjoying the possibilities of movie magic. The international scope of the festival also allows them to be exposed to other languages and cultures, which can instill an appreciation for diversity and foreign cultures from an early age. It can also support how children develop qualities such as an open mind and the ability to think critically.
The NYICFF has been carefully curated to offer the best qualities of an in-person movie theater experience while still cautiously planning around COVID-19 realities. In-person screenings will all take place at the SVA Theatre, located at 333 West 23rd St. in Chelsea. Proof of vaccination is required, and all theaters will undergo a rigorous cleaning regime between screenings to ensure complete safety for guests. Virtual programs for children both below and over 5 years old will also be available for those seeking to enjoy the festival from the comfort of their own home.
To learn more about the New York International Children’s Film Festival and purchase tickets, visit https://nyicff.org/festival/. The festival runs March 4 through March 19, with different films and programs available each day.
Members of Kid Le Chat and Blac Rabbit pose with Dustin Pittman, Downtown editors, and Downtown’s CEO.
All photographs by Alice Teeple
On Friday, September 6th, bands took the stage as part of the 2019 World Trade Center Music Festival. Bands like Kid Le Chat,Blac Rabbit, Greko, Marc Scibilia, and Brooklyn’s Blake Charleton braved rain and wind to play for crowds of often-wet attendees. The event, put together by Downtown Magazine and WTC Silverstein Properties, honored first responders and Tuesday’s Children as well as the people and businesses who moved downtown following the September 11th tragedy.
“We heard about what Downtown Magazine (and Silverstein Properties) were doing, bringing these sort of cultural events and making more activities out of what’s typically a very corporate business environment,” says Blake Charleton Drummer Sam Berkowitz, “I work downtown as well. I work in one of the World Trade buildings. So it’s exciting to see all these creative and interactive events.”
Hundreds of people attended the event, including minor celebrity Hurricane Dorian, who traveled all the way from the Bahamas for the event. Unfortunately, some guests are better than others, and the rain from Dorian forced the show to end early. The show was short, but epic while it was going on. For those who unable to brave the rain this year, Downtown has brought some of the festival with us. Check out these pictures below, from the festival and a performance by artist Gus10 at the afterparty, and we’ll see you again next year. Don’t forget your raincoat.
Blake Charleton
Blac Rabbit
Blac Rabbit
Blac Rabbit
Gus10 performs at the festival afterparty
Gus10 performs
Downtown CEO Grace Capobianco introduces The Dogpound’s Kirk Myers
It’s been 18 years since September 11th and Lower Manhattan is stronger than ever. Our World Trade Center shines like a proud beacon for all the world to see.
This year WTC Silverstein Properties and Downtown Magazine have partnered to lift Lower Manhattan up with music and love. We want to honor the first responders and Tuesday’s Children, and to thank every company, person, family, developer, architect and organization who took the chance to move downtown. Each one of you have helped to make Lower Manhattan what it is today.
This Friday afternoon come enjoy our first Music Festival as we celebrate the beautiful iconic beauty of the World Trade Center campus. Enjoy delicious food from the New-York-based Smorgasburg food market, with 25 stalls to choose from.
Our team at Downtown Magazine, along with Dara McQuillan and his wonderful team at Silverstein Properties curated an array of both local and international talent who will bring
Artists include the Brooklyn-based synth-pop sounds of Kid Le Chat, psych-pop from Rockaway Beach’s Blac Rabbit, disco-dance vibes from Greko, the powerful vocals of Marc Scibilia, and groovy pop-rock from Brooklyn’s Blake Charleton.
Take a break from your day–it may be your day off, or you’re just visiting our stunning downtown area– to stop by or spend the entire day celebrating with music Downtown and WTC. The festival runs from 2p to 7p with free admission. We’ll see you there.
New York City’s favorite sightseeing cruise, Circle Line, welcomes locals and visitors to kick off the season with a Brews Cruise craft beer tasting event on the Hudson River. A beer festival like no other, Circle Line’s Brews Cruise on Sunday, June 9 will offer guests a unique taste of the city with sights and suds from eight local New York breweries including:
Brews Cruise guests can look forward to sampling 16 craft beers accompanied by a delicious BBQ-themed menu, live DJ entertainment, and a branded tasting glass to sip from onboard and bring back to shore as a keepsake. All brews, bites, and beats will be enjoyed with breathtaking panoramic views of the New York City skyline and iconic landmarks, making this event one that’s not to be missed. Guests can opt to take Circle Line’s Brews Cruise to the next level with a Premier ticket including all the above perks with an added hour of private beer tasting, special hard-to-find beers from the brewers, and exclusive access to the boat’s third deck.
The Brews Cruise is just one of several specialty cruises offered by Circle Line throughout the season. Dance your way through summer with the Rockin’ the River Music Cruises featuring live bands from Zoso: The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience (Thursday, June 27) to Classic Stones ‘The Greatest Rock and Roll Tribute in the World’ (Thursday, August, 29). And cruise to the beat with the Summer DJ Series featuring amazing DJs from Steve Lawler (Friday, June 7) to Hernan Cattaneo (Saturday, August 24).
The Circle Line Brews Cruise will set sail on Sunday, June 9, 2019. Prices start at $69 for Standard tickets and $99 for Premium. The first lucky fifty to book their Brews Cruise tickets online will receive a $10 discount on standard or VIP tickets with the promo code BEER10. Boarding at Pier 83 on Manhattan’s West Side will begin at 1pm for VIPs and 1:30pm for standard, with departure at 2pm and return at 4:30pm. Guests must be 21+ to cruise; all individuals must purchase a ticket; there are no infant or child rates; no outside food or beverages allowed on board.
For more information or to book the Brews Cruise, contact Circle Line at 212-563-3200 or click here.
In honor of Taste of Tribeca’s25th iteration we chatted with four people involved: Tracy Nieporent, Director of Marketing & Partner of the Myriad Restaurant Group whose restaurant Tribeca Grill has been part of the event since its inception, Franco Vlasic, Owner of Holy Ground, Matt Abramcyk, Owner of A Summer Day both of which are joining the festival this year, and Bettina Teodoro, co-chair of Taste of Tribeca.
Downtown: What does it mean to have been part of this event for its whole life?
Tracy Nieporent: It’s very meaningful for Tribeca Grill to be celebrating 25 years as an original participant in Taste of Tribeca. That’s a quarter century, which is a significant amount of time in everyone’s life! The Tribeca neighborhood has changed and evolved in many ways over these years. The Tribeca Grill has been the site of many memorable celebrations, and the Taste of Tribeca gives us the opportunity to support our local public schools in a festive setting with our neighbors.
Downtown: How did you get involved in the first place?
Pastry Chef Stephane Motir of Tribeca Grill. Photo by Shintaro Ueyama.
TN: Tribeca Grill is now in its 29th year, and has always been civic-minded in supporting a wide variety of charitable causes. We have a deep commitment to the neighborhood, whether it’s sponsoring a Little League team or the local schools, and participating in an important local culinary event is a tangible way to help.
Downtown: Why is it so important to have this event?
TN: As a product of NYC’s public schools, I know how important it is to support them. But it’s also an opportunity to bond with our neighbors in a celebratory environment. It’s wonderful when a guest comes to our booth and says that they were a young student during the early years of Taste of Tribeca, and are now starting their own families. That is an amazing feeling. With all the changes in the Tribeca neighborhood, the feeling of community is strong and vital.
Downtown: How did you get involved with Taste of Tribeca?
Franco Vlasic: Our partners have been doing Taste for years! We have watched over the years just how impactful and fun a neighborhood gathering is.
Downtown: What does it mean for your restaurant to be included?
FV: Being a part of the Tribeca neighborhood and community has been important to us since day one. Intertwining our restaurant’s identity with the neighborhood’s rich history was something we spent a lot of time considering before we opened and thus “Holy Ground” is named for what the area was known as to locals in the mid 1700’s. We take a tremendous amount of pride in being a Tribeca restaurant and we look forward to getting to serve our neighbors!
Downtown: What are you most excited about?
FV: For us it’s a fantastic opportunity to give a little taste of what Holy Ground is all about to members of the community that may not know about us yet, we’re definitely most excited about that. We are also really excited to support other local businesses, that’s what the essence of community is really all about. Plus, there is truly no better way to kick off the summer season than serving our neighbors BBQ!
Downtown: How did you get involved with Taste of Tribeca?
Matt Abramcyk: Our partners and sister restaurants have been doing Taste for years. We wouldn’t miss it as we have seen how much it brings the neighborhood businesses and people together. With today being such a digitally focused world, we believe the most powerful marketing is being able to meet our neighbors in person. Being a new restaurant in Tribeca and having the opportunity to meet our neighbors face-to-face, serve them great food, and hang out with them is every restauranteurs dream!
Downtown: What does it mean for your restaurant to be included?
MA: We are a true part of the local community. We have the opportunity to support other local businesses which always creates a positive impact on a community. We also get to learn about our neighbors, talk to them, and let them know the doors are officially open to Summer Day! Nothing brings people together more than good food and we are excited to be able to contribute to that.
Downtown: What are you most excited about?
MA: Having the sun shine over all our friends and community members, making “A Summer Day” into reality! Our restaurant exudes that “feel good” experience of hanging out with friends and family, eating good food, drinking rosé and cocktails, listening to music, watching the kids run around…the essence of a perfect summer day. Taste of Tribeca allows us to share that experience, we couldn’t ask for anything better!
Photo by Shintaro Ueyama.
Downtown: How did Taste of Tribeca start?
Bettina Teodoro: Taste of Tribeca was started on the shipping dock of the former Bazzini building on Greenwich and Jay, where Sarabeth’s is now, by a small group of PS 150 parents in response to cuts to the school’s art budget. Tribeca was an artists’ neighborhood and they believed the school should have an excellent art program. At the same time, Tribeca was becoming a dining destination, so the parents developed the idea of a fundraiser built around restaurants offering tastings to promote themselves. They worked with the local restaurateurs and community leaders, and the idea took hold. For the first few years, Taste of Tribeca was held on Jay Street because the Bazzini company generously provided all kinds of infrastructure support, but within a few years it outgrew that space and moved to its present location on Duane Street.
Downtown: What does it mean to be at the 25 year mark?
BT: Taste of Tribeca exists because different groups — parents, restaurants, and sponsors — come together and make it happen. It takes incredible effort on everyone’s part to pull off this one-day event, and that we are still doing this after 25 years shows the strength of our community.
Downtown: What have some challenges been throughout the 25 years?
BT: I can only speak about my involvement for the past six years, and as co-chair for four. Our goal is to produce a high-quality event that looks and feels like it has been produced by professionals, when in fact we are parent volunteers from all different backgrounds. It isn’t easy, but we owe it to our supporters to give them an effortless and enjoyable experience.
Downtown: What are you most excited about this year?
BT: Seeing all of these great restaurants and local businesses come together is always exciting. In addition, this year we have a very special guest: Chef David Waltuck, the owner of the former Chanterelle, will be serving alongside his colleagues from the Institute of Culinary Education in nearby Brookfield Place. Chanterelle was one of Tribeca’s first fine dining restaurants, and it participated regularly in Taste of Tribeca until it closed in 2009. Chef Waltuck readily agreed to return for our 25th anniversary and we’re thrilled to have him. Finally, as an eco-nut, I’m proud that we are eliminating single-use plastic bottles from this year’s event!
Downtown: How did you decide to ditch the single-use plastics?
BT: There are too many disposable products in this world, and we can’t recycle it all. At Taste of Tribeca, we could easily produce 50 bags of recyclables over the course of one day. We resolved to cut into that. So instead of handing out bottles of water, we will have on hand two NYC Water On The Go stations so our festival-goers can help themselves to a complimentary and unlimited supply of cold tap water. They can drink directly from the fountain or fill their own reusable bottles. This is a work in progress. We haven’t yet found an affordable and sustainable alternative to plastic cutlery, but that is next on our wish list!
If you don’t win our tickets or can’t make it Friday night, there are still tickets left for Sunday! This month’s edition is party animal themed and takes place at Sound River Studios in Long Island City. More than twenty vendors will be serving up all sorts of colorful sweets for you to snap pictures of in front of one of many Instagram friendly backdrops. Save up your sweets for this weekend because you’ll be in a sugar coma by the end of Dessert Goals!
