Six years running, Robert DeNiro and Jane Rosenthal's ambitious plan to revitalize lower Manhattan is going strong with over 160 films showing over the next week and a half. The confoundingly wide range of films on offer includes pop fare (the U.S. premiere of Spider-Man 3), foreign film, documentaries, short films, and independents galore. Theater tickets have been raised to a whopping $18.00 a pop; it's yet to be seen how the public will respond. There are also free events, including outdoor screenings at the Financial Center Plaza. Dirty Dancing, celebrating it's twentieth anniversary plays tonight. Next week, the neighborhood hosts a Family Festival Street Fair.

Former VP and star of the Oscar-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth Al Gore hosted the fest's opening night yesterday to announce a slate of global warming-themed films. Gore shared the organic-fiber red carpet with with Martin Scorsese, Edie Falco and Entourage star Adrian Grenier. It's too early to say which film discoveries might emerge, but no matter what, stars will grace the red carpet premieres. So far, Jürgen was underwhelmed by a screening of the Italian costume drama Napoleon and Me. The Village Voice bravely poured through the enormous catalogue and suggests twenty-five films to look for, and intrepid S.T. VanAirsdale covers the fest for Reeler TV.