Free Movies and Panels at Tribeca Film Festival

A shot from last year's free outdoor moving screening

April 17th through 28th marks the 11th annual Tribeca Film Festival. With screenings of over 200 films as well as a plethora of panels, discussions, and lectures, this years festival is poised to be one of the biggest and best yet. The hand-selected films range in genre from comedy to romance to documentary.  Showcasing work by some of the greatest filmmakers in the world, the festival aims to bring good cinema to the public. Granted, tickets are not cheap. They'll cost you $16 a pop for a weekend or evening screening and $25 for a ticket to one of the ever-popular Tribeca Talks lectures.

But penny-pinchers, have no fear. You can still enjoy the Festival without forking over a fortune. Matinees and late night screening tickets can be purchased at a discounted rate of $8.00. That's cheaper than most theaters in the city and you no matter what film you choose to see, you're guaranteed quality entertainment.

If $8 still seems like too much to you, the Festival will also be sponsoring three free outdoor movie screenings this weekend. Located at Brookfield Place at the World Financial Center Plaza, the screenings begin at dusk with pre-screening festivities starting at 6 PM. This year's lineup consists of:

1. The Birds (Thurs. April 18th)- The classic Hitchcock film about the town of Bodega Bay that is terrorized by a flock of killer birds
2. Beetle Juice (Fri. April 19th)- This Tim Burton film stars Michael Keaton as a comedic ghost who has trouble carrying out his mortal-scaring destiny
3. Lil Bub and Friendz (Sat. April 20th)- A documentary about "the most famous cat in the world." 'Nuff said

For more information on the screenings, check out the Tribeca Film Festival website and click here to see a full list of the free events at this year's festival.