Today marks the start of the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival, which welcomes an unprecedented lineup of filmmakers from diverse backgrounds. This year, Bulgari returns as a champion for women in the male-dominated industry of film. Last night on April 23, Bulgari presented works by two female filmmakers ahead of the festival.

The brand’s strong presence with females in cinema is seen through Elizabeth Taylor in “Cleopatra” to Sharon Stone in “Casino”. To celebrate their own cinematic history at the event, Bulgari continued their partnership with Tribeca Studios on a multi-year short film series that highlights extraordinary women who are breaking boundaries and cultural norms. This year’s films are “Celestial” and “The 4^th Wave”, with both shorts focusing on young independent female pioneers in the arts who are leading the way into male-dominated fields.

Bulgari and Vanity Fair co-hosted a cocktail reception to premiere the films and present a panel discussion at Spring Studios. The discussion, which was moderated by Claire Howorth, Vanity Fair’s Executive Editor, featured filmmakers and subjects from both films.

Filmmaker Rosie Haber is a gender non-conforming writer and director who lensed “Celestial”, a story about American-born director and technologist Eliza McNitt who prepares her VR installation “Spheres” for her grandparents. McNitt reflects on the teachings of her grandfather who was a scientist, and was responsible for instilling McNitt’s desire to pursue virtual reality.

Director, photographer, and Olympian volleyball player Savanah Leaf directed “The 4^th Wave”, which follows Italian-born rapper Alessandra Prete aka Priestess as she prepares to break into the American rap scene. Prete reflects on the people who have inspired her artistic vision, including notable female figures in history as well as her grandmother, who motivated her to reach beyond her hometown.

“Celestial” and “The 4^th Wave” further strengthen Bulgari’s connection to cinema by addressing contemporary cultural issues through the filmmakers’ exploration of how generational perspectives in technology and their families impact them. They serve as excellent previews to the film festival which has always been a champion of the city and its creatives.