by Larry Richman
April 22, 2008 11:50 PM

Just in case you're wondering why there's been a paucity of posts on this blog recently (I hope you've noticed), allow me to explain.

The 2008 Tribeca Film Festival officially kicks off tomorrow morning with a press conference hosted by festival co-founder Jane Rosenthal, New York State Governor David Paterson, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and director/producer Doug Liman (Bourne Ultimatum). The day ends with red carpets and bright lights as the official Opening Night Film takes over the Ziegfeld Theater with Baby Mama, featuring the pairing of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.

Thursday begins 11 days of the best in world cinema, including a heavy dose of the American independent narrative films which are the focus of this blog. We can also expect to be treated with powerful documentaries and provocative foreign films, many of which have been Top Picks of previous festivals we've attended along with those indies.

Many more activities will take place both in and out of the spotlight, with a range of panels, parties, and special events on tap, as well as numerous media events which I've been invited to cover such as director roundtables and press conferences.

In previous years I've tried to attend and cover as much as I could, focusing on attending as many films as possible. This year will be no exception.

Which brings me back to the question posed at the outset. There have already been activities behind the scenes which have occupied a good deal of my time over the past couple of weeks, which should, hopefully, explain my absence from this blog as of late. It's not that I'm AWOL -- on the contrary. I have, in fact, seen 16 films in the last week alone as press screenings actually got underway over two weeks ago. It's been a sort of festival under wraps, as it were, with screenings of films that haven't yet premiered to the public for which reviews cannot be published yet. So...you're there and I'm here and my lips are sealed. Or my pen. Keyboard. Well, you get the idea.

I'm hoping to get a break enough to post some film recommendations, as I've seen some gems which are sure to be festival hits. Many public screenings are already sold out, although last minute "rush tickets" are usually available.

When I get a chance I'll post a bit more about how different my reporting will be this year as opposed to last, and especially from the last few festivals I attended this year during which I was able to post daily reports with capsule reviews of every film I saw. I won't be able to do that over the next couple of weeks but we'll figure out together what I can do. No matter what, it will be fun and exciting.