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Tribeca Film Festival postponed after New York bans large gatherings

The annual film and interactive-storytelling festival didn't specify a plan for rescheduling.

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The Tribeca Film Festival was set to run April 15 through April 26. 

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The Tribeca Film Festival in New York has been postponed, the festival's organizers said Thursday, the latest major event disrupted by coronavirus. The festival -- which has grown into one of the biggest US events for interactive storytelling in virtual reality and other formats (as well as, obviously, a large-scale film event) -- was supposed to run April 15 through April 26. 

Organizers didn't announce a rescheduled date. 

The announcement came within just a few hours that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said any large gatherings of 500 people or more would be prohibited starting Friday at 5 p.m. ET, a decision that also meant shuttering Broadway's theater industry. 

"We founded the Tribeca Film Festival as a way to heal our community after the devastation of the 9/11 attacks in 2001. We were determined to overcome our fear and anxiety by joining together. It is in our DNA to march forward while caring about our community," Jane Rosenthal, festival co-founder and CEO of Tribeca Enterprises, said in a statement. Organizers made the "difficult decision" to postpone following Cuomo's announcement, she said. 

"We are committed to ensuring the health and safety of the public while also supporting our friends, filmmakers and storytellers who look to Tribeca as a platform to showcase their work to audiences. We will be back to you shortly with our plans," she said.  

The festival directed people to check www.tribecafilm.com for updates, ticket refund information and more details about how it will move forward.