ESPN To Air 12 Films At TRIBECA As Part Of New Movie Venture

(From Sports Business Daily)

ESPN this year is screening 12 films at the TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL, which began Friday, as part of the net's effort in launching ESPN FILMS, according to NEIL BEST of NEWSDAY.

ESPN FILMS is an umbrella under which the net "will support projects for theaters and TV, scripted or not."

More than half of ESPN's films featured last year at Tribeca gained distribution.

Tribeca Founder CRAIG HATKOFF said of ESPN's involvement in the film festival, "I think it reaches out to a demographic that might not otherwise go out to see an independent film."

ESPN's new movie REDBELT, an MMA piece from writer and director DAVID MAMET, will debut in theaters this Friday.

THE ZEN OF BOBBY V, a documentary about Japanese League Chiba Lotte Marines Manager BOBBY VALENTINE, premiered yesterday at the festival and will air on ESPN2 next month.

EOE Senior Vice President RON SEMIAO -- "Our intent is not to be a studio or distributor; our parent company DISNEY does that. Our role is to be a production shingle."