The TriBeCa Film Festival has become such an important festival so fast that it’s hard to believe it’s only been around since 2002. That’s when Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal created the festival to boost morale (and business) in Manhattan’s ailing downtown TriBeCa neighborhood in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks, while also reminding the world that New York City is an important filmmaking hub for both mainstream and independent cinema.

Every spring, the TriBeCa Film Festival screens approximately 250 movies of all varieties, from much-talked-about new indie pictures to short films and family fare. In between movies, festival attendees can sit in on special events, like panel discussions with major players in the industry and the ASCAP music lounge (which spotlights up-and-comers).