by Angela Severiano 

Since the Tribeca Film Festivals inception in 2002, it has been a playground for New York’s top celebrities. This year was no exception. From the jurors to the filmmakers to the actors, there was no shortage of celebrity excitement in Tribeca. 

Here are a few Red Carpet Highlights from Tribeca’s Official Website. 

This year non attendees of Tribeca Film Festival could get sneak peeks and follow their favorite celebrities, along with breaking news thanks to social networking sites Facebook and Twitter.   Facebook and Twitter gave over 20,000 followers and fans a first hand look at their favorite celebrities, events and films.  

Celebrity Mary-Kate Olsen made headlines throughout the festival as a first time judge.  When asked about her judging debut, she emphasized the seriousness of her role.  “I wish there was a class. It is a huge honor to be a part of it and I was asked to be a part of it,” “I have been watching the movies and just started. I don’t really know what we do or what is going to happen yet.” she said. 

This year Tribeca also asks your favorite celebrities your favorite life questions. You can find out more about Mary Kate “Juror’s Answer Life’s Questions.”   

Each year filmmakers come to the festival looking to have the breakout film of the year, using controversy as their platform. The festival has been home to a number of controversial films in the past, including the 2006 winner of the Special Documentary Award, Jesus Camp, and this year is no different. This year, the Tribeca Film Festival has a host of documentaries that delve into very divisive topics. Two of these documentaries are Outrage and Transcendent Man. 

OUTRAGE

      In Outrage, Dick works to expose politicians who, despite being closeted gay men, continuously push anti-gay legislation. This aggressive documentary has proven to be the most controversial film at the Tribeca Film Festival and has spurred debates about hypocrisy. Interviewed are openly gay Barney Frank, outspoken activists like Larry Kramer and  Michelangelo Signorile and former New Jersey governor Jim McGreevy, among others.  It paints former Governor Jim McGreevy as a kind of hero for coming out of the closet, while the only reason McGreevy revealed that he was a homosexual and resigned from office was to keep out of further trouble.  This film shows a liberal bias, but it is definitely not lacking an interesting premise and entertainment value.  

TRANSCEDENT MAN

      Transcendent Man follows Ray Kurzweil, an author and renowned futurist. His ideas about what the future holds for us have a very strong following, as many people believe what he is saying.  There are also many people who find Kurzweil’s ideas ridiculous. Kurzweil has constructed a theory he calls “The Singularity.” He predicts that with the progression of technology, we will not only eliminate sickness, world hunger, and poverty; we will eliminate death altogether. In this future of Kurzweil’s, there will be no distinction between man and machine. This film makes you wonder what this could mean for humanity, and if his theories were to be proven true would we still be human?  Some have theorized that this would be the end of humanity or even the apocalypse as machines would have the power to take over the world. 

      Kurzweil’s ideas have received a wide array of reactions. Some people look forward to the day when death no longer exists, while others fear that this may be the end of the world for us. All of his ideas are documented in his book, The Singularity is Near, and this documentary follows him as he continues to tell people about his predictions. Is Singularity what is best for Humanity? 

To get further highlights on your favorite celebrities and films go to http://www.tribecafilm.com/festival/