The Tribeca Festival Lisboa successfully wrapped its second edition, hosting an impressive lineup of U.S. talent including Meg Ryan, Kim Cattrall, Edie Falco, Giancarlo Esposito, Ed Westwick, Daniela Ruah, Piper Perabo, and director Stephen Kay. Co-organized by Tribeca Enterprises and the Portuguese media group Impresa, the festival has been lauded for bringing the vibrant spirit of the New York festival to energize the Portuguese film and TV sector.

Jane Rosenthal, Tribeca co-founder and CEO, reflected on the festival's growth, noting, “We thought we were only going to do one festival, back in 2002 and now we’re now going to be 25 years old!” She emphasized the importance of continuous learning for a festival's vitality and expressed eagerness to expand Tribeca’s expertise, particularly through mentorship programs, in Lisbon. Rosenthal also highlighted her personal connection to Portugal, stemming from her childhood in Providence, Rhode Island, and the presence of Portuguese bakeries.

Francisco Pedro Balsemão, Impresa CEO, expressed his delight with the success of Tribeca Lisboa. Following his attendance at two editions of Tribeca in New York, Balsemão articulated a vision for a year-round program of Tribeca-linked initiatives, aiming to integrate its associated mentoring expertise into the broader producing strategy of the Impresa Group. He noted improvements for this year's edition, including more screening venues and a wider array of talks focused on filmmaking skills, bringing it closer to the New York festival experience where the Tribeca neighborhood itself is a key element.

The festival showcased tangible benefits of the Tribeca-Lisbon collaboration. Chazz Palmentiri, who attended the previous year with his documentary “A Bronx Tale: The Original One Man Show,” now plans to bring the first live performance of his show outside the U.S. to Lisbon. Tony Gonçalves, an executive producer, confirmed the event’s upgrade, mentioning the shift from a single festival pass to individual ticketing, which resulted in most films being sold out. Cara Cusumano, Tribeca’s Festival Director, observed a strong resonance between New York City and Tribeca, believing that Tribeca Festival Lisboa possesses similar potential to fill a need for both the city and the local industry.

Held in Lisbon’s Beato Innovation District from October 30 to November 1, Tribeca Lisboa featured five films from the flagship Tribeca festival, alongside other U.S. independent films and Portuguese productions. Cusumano remarked on the opportune timing of the festival to raise awareness during the buildup to awards season, citing last year’s Portuguese premiere of ‘Anora’ as a notable success. This year’s festival opened with Julian Schnabel’s ‘In the Hand of Dante’, which was preceded by a tribute to Impresa Group founder, Francisco Pinto Balsemão, who passed away on October 21.

Other significant titles that had not previously screened at Tribeca in New York included Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Bugonia” and Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut, “Eleanor the Great.” Mexican director Michel Franco was also present for the Portuguese premiere of his film “Dreams.” The festival notably highlighted films with direct Portuguese connections: Lilian T. Mehrel’s dark comedy “Honeyjoon,” filmed in the Azores, and Alberto Arévelo’s Spain-to-Portugal road movie “All We Cannot See.” “Honeyjoon,” which won Tribeca’s AT&T 2024 Untold Stories $1 million award and was produced by Portuguese producer Andreia Nunes, had its world premiere at Tribeca in June. Mehrel described the experience as