The 2024 Tribeca Festival, presented by OKX, today announced its lineup of live events and official selections for audio storytelling and games. This year’s audio storytelling program, exclusively sponsored by Audible, takes place June 9-13 and the games lineup runs June 12-16.
Tribeca’s 2024 audio storytelling live events program includes the 10th anniversary of Vox Media’s Criminal, an award-winning podcast that explores the unexpected side of true crime, with special guest Melissa McCarthy; Stitcher Studios’ Vibe Check, a dissection of news, entertainment, politics, and everything in between through a Black, queer lens, with special guest Lena Waithe; IMI and Audio Flux Presents Pet Sounds, three-minute audio stories inspired by the artwork of NYC-based pet portrait artist Ben Lenovitz; Slate’s Slow Burn, a narrative history podcast exploring the Briggs Initiative; Crooked Media’s Strict Scrutiny, an in-depth, accessible, and irreverent analysis of the Supreme Court and its cases, culture, and personalities; and Slate’s Death Sex & Money, a special event on the art of the interview, with special guest Kara Swisher.
Tribeca is also recognizing the impact of audio journalism and celebrating achievements in the medium by honoring the New York Times’ The Daily with an inaugural Excellence in Audio Journalism Gala.
The official selections feature world premieres of Our Ancestors Were Messy, a series based on gossip columns from Black newspapers in 1930’s Washington, D.C. that brings history’s drama to life; Bird Talk, a fictional interview show in which the hosts interview birds—and no subject is left unruffled; and Sounds Current: Angel Island, a docuseries on the collaboration between the Del Sol Quartet and composer Huang Ruo that invites us to bear witness to the Asian American experience and explore how art builds community. This year, Tribeca received a record-breaking number of audio storytelling submissions from talented creators worldwide.
“In a risk-averse media environment and transformative period for the podcast industry, it is independent creators—and networks that champion their creative autonomy—who are making truly original audio,” said Tribeca Curator of Audio Storytelling Davy Gardner. “We’re highlighting inventive and fresh stories that are told on their own creative terms. Additionally, the program’s focus on the intersection of political activism and audio storytelling pays homage to the enduring legacy of activist, mentor, and dear friend, Paula Weinstein.”
Tribeca’s 2024 games program celebrates the convergence of games, entertainment, and culture, with this year’s lineup featuring seven selections that demonstrate phenomenal storytelling and innovation through interactive experiences. Each selection is eligible for the Tribeca Games Award, which honors an unreleased game for artistic and storytelling excellence. The games gallery is hosting free playable demos of this year’s selections exclusively at Pier 57 for the public.
In its fourth year of spotlighting games as official selections, the program features the premieres of Goodnight Universe, an action-adventure that follows a six-month-old baby who begins to develop mysterious psychic abilities and features an immersive “face-tracking” mode, expanding on the innovative use of camera-based technology that the team is known for; and darkwebSTREAMER, a psychological-horror RPG streamer simulation that puts players in the role of an occult streamer on the dark web.
“This year’s selections demonstrate how incredible storytelling through video games can forge deep connections between its audience and the characters in its stories,” said Casey Baltes, Vice President of Tribeca Games and Immersive. “These titles showcase such vastly different voices, gameplay, and visual styles, and we’re excited for attendees to discover how each of these stories will transport them to new realms, offer unique perspectives, and evoke powerful emotions.”
