Robert De Niro, the actor and Tribeca Festival co-founder, said he and producer Jane Rosenthal committed to launching the festival within weeks of the September 11 attacks, turning a casual idea into an act of civic rebuilding.
TL;DR
- De Niro and Rosenthal announced the festival in November 2001, months after the attacks.
- The inaugural Tribeca Festival opened in May 2002 and drew more than 150,000 people downtown.
- A new documentary, Tribeca 25, premieres on Netflix this Friday, marking the anniversary.
- British actor Hugh Grant appeared alongside Nelson Mandela at the first opening ceremony.
A casual idea becomes a commitment
De Niro and Rosenthal had talked about starting a festival before September 11, but it stayed an informal idea, he told PEOPLE at a live event in New York on Thursday.
Speaking alongside Rosenthal and Tribeca 25 director Matt Tyrnauer, De Niro said the plan turned serious once downtown Manhattan needed rebuilding. "The festival was kind of an act of defiance," he told geo.tv.
Ground zero to a rebuilt neighbourhood
Rosenthal has said her decision was rooted in fear for her two young daughters and a wish to help however she could. De Niro described those weeks as "surreal," recalling debris trucks leaving ground zero day and night, he told NPR.
Neither De Niro nor Rosenthal had organised a film festival before. They announced the plan in November 2001 and opened the first Tribeca Festival the following May, with just 120 days and about 1,300 volunteers behind it.
Nelson Mandela, Hugh Grant and a symbolic opening
The inaugural festival opened on May 8, 2002, and drew more than 150,000 people back to downtown New York, PEOPLE reported.
De Niro personally invited Nelson Mandela to the opening ceremony, Rosenthal said. The former South African president appeared on the City Hall steps alongside Hugh Grant, the British actor, according to CBS News.
Tribeca 25 arrives as the festival turns 25
Nearly 25 years on, the documentary Tribeca 25 — directed by Tyrnauer — tells the story of the festival's founding. It premieres on Netflix on Friday, September 11, a date organisers say carries obvious symbolic weight.
UK viewers can stream it there too.
Fast fact Netflix Standard plan (UK): £13.99 a month Source: Deadline, September 2026 price update
Rebecca Glashow, chief executive of Tribeca Enterprises, introduced the documentary at Thursday's event, PEOPLE reported.
Reported from publicly available interviews and verified press sources. Last reviewed September 10, 2026.
