The 2017 Tribeca Film Festival kicks off on April 19th in New York City. There are a slew of movies and events on deck and it promises to be a good one. The festival has become an important part of New York City film culture and it continues to raise the bar. The Festival is on its 16th run and gets bigger and better every year. Today, Tribeca Film Festival announced its list of Short Films. There were over 4,000 submissions worldwide but only 57 made the cut. One of those films, Dear Basketball, is an animated short starring Kobe Bryant as himself. Disney animator Glen Keane went the extra mile to bring Kobe’s “Dear Basketball” poem to life.

“Dear Basketball” is set to premiere at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival with plenty of buzz coming with it. The film will be shown in the Animated Shorts presentation curated by none other than Whoppi G. The short is an animated take on the famous poem written by Kobe Bryant once he announced his retirement. The animated short is set to the music of legendary composer, John Williams. Check here for scheduling and ticket prices for the Short Film Program.

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