By Tara Kyle
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Cinema buffs turned off by festival crowds, take heart — this April, the Tribeca Film Festival will let viewers watch 24 free films from the comfort of their living rooms.
TFF's "Streaming Room" will offer six feature-length movies from the 2011 film slate, including "Rabies" (touted as Israel's first-ever slasher flick) and the world premiere of "New York Says Thank You." That documentary follows New Yorkers touched by 9/11 on a cross-country journey to help other survivors of tragedy.
It will also screen 18 short films, including two world premieres and nine retrospectives from prior festivals. Highlights include "The Dungeon Master," written and directed by former "Boy Meets World" star Rider Strong, and "Year Zero," about the sole survivor of a Manhattan zombie apocalypse.
But even in the virtual world, seating isn't unlimited. Audiences will have to reserve an online "seat" in order to watch the film of their choice during one of its three to five day screening windows. Festival officials declined to release the number of spots available per film.
"This is about getting the festival experience online," said Platform Producer Josh Telson. "All the [filmmakers] are very much about trying to connect with their audiences through social media."
Some films selected for the online festival even showcase the power of social media. French feature "Flowers of Evil," for example, touches on how Iranian exiles followed the political movement via Facebook and Twitter.
The Streaming Room is just one aspect of the new Tribeca (Online) Film Festival.
The web program, unveiled this week, also offers a crowd-sourced Q&A with film and digital media experts and celebrities including Whoopi Goldberg, Brian Williams, Zach Braff and TFF's leadership.
Other features include a "Filmmaker Feed" aggregating content from sources including Twitter and Facebook, live streaming of red carpet events, and a "Future of Film" blog.
Reservations for the Streaming Room begin on April 12 for American Express card holders and April 18 for the general public.
