2008 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL TO OPEN WITH WORLD PREMIERE OF UNIVERSAL PICTURES' COMEDY 'BABY MAMA'

2008 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL TO OPEN WITH WORLD PREMIERE OF UNIVERSAL PICTURES' COMEDY 'BABY MAMA'

Film Starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler to Screen Opening Night, April 23, 2008, in New York City

NEW YORK and UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., March 5 /PRNewswire/ -- The Tribeca Film Festival and Universal Pictures today announced that "Baby Mama," written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Michael McCullers, will have its world premiere as the opening night film of the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival, presented by American Express. In a comedy that brings together some of today's sharpest talent, Amy Poehler and Tina Fey team with writer/director McCullers and producers Lorne Michaels and John Goldwyn to tell the story of two women, one apartment and the nine months that will change their lives. The premiere will take place on Wednesday, April 23; the Festival will run through May 4.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060316/LATH064LOGO)

"As a film festival with a true commitment to New York City and its film community, what better way to open this year's festival than with a New York production that brings together some of the city's most beloved and creative talent," said Tribeca Film Festival co-founder Jane Rosenthal. "The creators of this film, both in front of the camera and behind, have been making audiences laugh for years. We look forward to celebrating this crowd-pleasing comedy with our long time collaborators at Universal."

"Baby Mama," filmed primarily in New York City, is the directorial debut of former Saturday Night Live writer Michael McCullers. Joining Poehler and Fey in the cast are Greg Kinnear, Dax Shepard, Romany Malco, Maura Tierney, Holland Taylor and Sigourney Weaver. Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels produces the film with John Goldwyn.

"It's an honor for 'Baby Mama' to open The Tribeca Film Festival," said producer Lorne Michaels. "We all live and work in New York City, so there is no way we will not get to the premiere on time."

The 2008 Tribeca Film Festival will announce its primary film slate on March 11, March 13 and March 17, 2008.

About "Baby Mama"

Successful and single businesswoman Kate Holbrook (Tina Fey) has long put her career ahead of a personal life. Now 37, she's finally determined to have a kid on her own. But her plan is thrown a curve ball after she discovers she has only a million-to-one chance of getting pregnant. Undaunted, the driven Kate allows South Philly working girl Angie Ostrowiski (Amy Poehler) to become her unlikely surrogate. Simple enough ...

After learning from the steely head (Sigourney Weaver) of their surrogacy center that Angie is pregnant, Kate goes into precision nesting mode: reading childcare books, baby-proofing the apartment and researching top pre-schools. But the executive's well-organized strategy is turned upside down when her Baby Mama shows up at her doorstep with no place to live.

An unstoppable force meets an immovable object as structured Kate tries to turn vibrant Angie into the perfect expectant mom. In a comic battle of wills, they will struggle their way through preparation for the baby's arrival. And in the middle of this tug-of-war, they'll discover two kinds of family: the one you're born to and the one you make. The comedy opens nationwide on Friday, April 25, 2008.

Tickets for 2008 Festival

Tickets for the Festival will be $15.00 for evening and weekend screenings and $8.00 for daytime weekday and late night screenings. In addition, the Festival will offer a few select screenings with panel discussions for $25.00.

Select Pass and Package are now on sale and can be purchased online at http://www.tribecafilmfestival.org/ or by telephone, toll free, at (866) 941-FEST (3378). Single ticket sales begin for American Express Cardmembers on April 12, 2008, for downtown residents on April 18, 2008 and for the general public on April 19, 2008. Single tickets can be bought at the Main Box Office at 15 Laight Street, online and by telephone. The 2008 Festival will continue ticket discounts for evening and weekend screenings for students, seniors and select downtown Manhattan residents. Additional information and further details on the Festival can be found at http://www.tribecafilmfestival.org/.

About Tribeca Film Festival

Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff founded the Tribeca Film Festival in 2001 following the attacks on the World Trade Center to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan through an annual celebration of film, music and culture. The Festival's mission focuses on assisting filmmakers to reach the broadest possible audience, enabling the international film community and general public to experience the power of cinema and promoting New York City as a major filmmaking center.

Since its founding, the Festival has attracted more than two million attendees from the US and abroad and has generated more than $425 million in economic activity for New York City.

About the 2008 Festival Sponsors

As Founding Sponsor of the Tribeca Film Festival, American Express is committed to supporting the Festival, offering benefits that enhance the festival-going experience, and bringing business and energy to Downtown Manhattan & New York City communities.

The Festival is pleased to announce the return of its Signature Sponsors: Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, AMC Entertainment, Apple, Bloomberg, Brookfield Properties, Cadillac, Delta Air Lines, Empire State Development/I Love New York, Jameson Irish Whiskey, Montblanc, NBC4HD, RR Donnelley, The New York Times, Target, Telemundo 47, Vanity Fair, Verizon and Yahoo!.

The Tribeca Film Festival is also honored to welcome the following new Signature Sponsors: IFC, iShares, LG Electronics and Snapple.

About Universal Pictures

Universal Pictures is a division of Universal Studios (http://www.universalstudios.com/). Universal Studios is part of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80% owned by General Electric, with 20% controlled by Vivendi.

Film stills for "Baby Mama" are available at: http://www.tribecafilmfestival.org/tff/media/Press_Downloads.html

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:
Web site: http://www.tribecafilmfestival.org
http://www.universalstudios.com

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060316/LATH064LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Source: Universal Pictures

CONTACT: Nicole Quenqua Adler, nqadler@rubenstein.com, or Kimberly
Kress, kkress@rubenstein.com, both for Tribeca Film Festival, +1-212-843-8000;
or Alissa Grayson of Universal Pictures, +1-818-777-4739,
alissa.grayson@nbcuni.com

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Profile: International Entertainment