Festival Brands Publicist (Seasonal)

Role: Seasonal Festival Brands Publicist
Duration: Monday, March 23 – Monday, June 22, 2026 (13 weeks)
Location: New York–based; on-site during the Festival
Type: Seasonal / Temporary
Reports to: Head of Communications, Tribeca Enterprises
Salary: $1,100/ week (13 weeks)


Role Overview
Tribeca Festival is seeking a seasoned Publicist to lead communications and PR efforts for Festival Brand Partners and the Tribeca X program for the 2026 Festival. Reporting to the Head of Communications at Tribeca Enterprises, this role works in close partnership with the Festival’s PR agency of record and serves as Tribeca’s day-to-day lead on brand-partner and Tribeca X communications.

The Seasonal Festival Brands Publicist is the primary point of contact for brand-partner PR, collaborating closely with Tribeca’s Partnerships and Activation team, Tribeca X team, and external brand and agency partners. A core focus of this role is positioning Tribeca as a premier destination for brand activation—requiring deep working knowledge of, and strong relationships within, the advertising, marketing, and business media landscape.

This is a highly hands-on role for a strong operator—someone comfortable setting strategy while also executing day to day, from writing and media outreach to on-site event support. The Festival Brands Publicist functions as the central liaison between the Tribeca Communications team, brand partners, and the Festival’s PR agency of record, ensuring seamless coordination.

Key Responsibilities
Brand Partner PR Management

• Serve as Tribeca Festival’s primary PR representative for all Festival Brand Partners: https://tribecafilm.com/partners.
• Manage day-to-day communications between Tribeca and brand partners to support shared PR goals from pre-Festival announcements through on-site activations.
• Coordinate closely with Tribeca’s Partnerships and Activation teams to ensure alignment and consistency across messaging.
• Manage a portfolio of approximately 20–25 brand partners, with a subset requiring dedicated, high-touch support.
• Adapt quickly to evolving priorities, including late-stage partner additions.

Tribeca X Communications

• Support the development and execution of PR strategy for the two-day Tribeca X program: https://tribecafilm.com/tribecax.
• Draft, coordinate, and support placement of Tribeca X programming announcements.
• Liaise between Tribeca X speaker and talent teams and the Tribeca Communications team, coordinating press announcements and interview availability pre-Festival and on-site.
• Support credentialing for priority media attendees and guests
• Provide on-site PR support for Tribeca X, including press coordination and event staffing.

Press Strategy & Media Outreach

• Support positioning of the Tribeca Festival as a leading platform for brand activation and innovation.
• In coordination with the Festival’s PR agency of record, conduct targeted media outreach to advertising, marketing, business, and culture outlets, including Ad Age, Adweek, Campaign US, Digiday, and WSJ CMO Today.
• Pitch and secure coverage around brand participation, Tribeca X programming, executive thought leadership, and broader Festival business narratives.

Press Materials & Editorial Support

• Review and edit brand-led press releases and media alerts within 24 to 48 hours to ensure accurate Tribeca messaging, alignment with Festival standards, and timely dissemination.
• Draft joint press releases, media alerts, and announcements for select brand partnerships and programs.
• Draft and disseminate press recaps for high-profile brand activations when appropriate.

On-Site Brand Activation Support

• Serve as Tribeca’s on-site PR contact for brand activations, including red carpets, panels, pitch sessions, screenings, and dinners.
• Coordinate with brand and agency PR teams on:Red carpet staffing and logisticsPress attendance and on-site coveragePhotographer coordinationTalent participation and access
• Staff select brand activations and the full two-day Tribeca X program.

Festival Business Narrative

• Support development of overarching stories highlighting how brands activate at Tribeca.
• Assist with Festival-wide announcements related to brand growth, scale, or milestone partnerships.

Meetings & Collaboration

• Participate in weekly check-ins with Tribeca’s Communications and Partnerships/Activation teams.
• Participate in weekly check-ins with Tribeca’s Communications and Tribeca X teams.
• Join ad hoc calls with brand partners and external agencies as needed.
• Participate in daily morning briefing meetings during the Festival.
  

What Success Looks Like

• Brand partners feel supported, aligned, and visible throughout the Festival lifecycle.
• Advertising and business trade coverage consistently positions Tribeca as a top-tier destination for brand activation.
• Day-to-day coordination with the PR agency of record runs smoothly, allowing senior communications leadership to remain focused on high-level strategy.

Qualifications

• 8–10 years of experience in brand, advertising, or business publicity.
• Strong working knowledge of the advertising, marketing, and business media landscape, with existing relationships across key trade outlets (e.g., Ad Age, Adweek, Campaign US, Digiday, WSJ CMO Today).
• Experience working with consumer brands, agencies, or cultural institutions.
• Excellent writing and editing skills, with experience drafting press releases and media materials.
• Comfortable staffing live events and managing multiple stakeholders simultaneously.
• Highly organized, responsive, multi-tasker who is able to operate independently and quickly during peak periods.
• Festival, live events, or experiential marketing experience strongly preferred.

Salary

• $1,100 per week for 13 weeks. March 23 – June 22, 2026