Katherine Oliver

You have a problem running an event when Mayor Mike is your most charismatic speaker. Such was the case at the opening press conference of the Tribeca Film Festival where he joined festival co-founders Bobby De Niro, Charlie Gargano and others to try out a few zingers, as witnessed by our Jake Brooks.

"This has been an exciting twenty-four hours for me. Last night I was introduced by Elizabeth Hurley," said the mayor, who looked tan—either because of the theater lights or all that time spent playing golf in the Caribbean—in a pink shirt and light purple tie. "Today, it's Robert De Niro." He then added with a mischievous grin, that he has to be nice to Mr. De Niro to get "a last-minute reservation at Nobu," which De Niro, in part, owns.  read more »

He also quipped that film commissioner Katherine Oliver had "worked [Kofi Annan] over" to let Sydney Pollack shoot The Interpreter at the U.N. "Nobody stands in Katherine Oliver's way," he said. When a reporter asked why it had taken so long to create a festival of TFF's stature, Mike responded, "Well, I wasn't mayor before then. I'm not taking credit. I'm just stating a fact." Bobby D stood there and laughed.

It looks like Katherine Oliver, the fancy-footed commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre  read more »

It's not quite tsunami relief, but Mike Bloomberg's Commissioner of Film, Theater, and Broadcasting, Kate Oliver, is circulating an email to raise $30,000 for her own favorite charity: sending Kate Oliver to Cannes.

"The New York Production Alliance, is asking each of its member organizations to help us raise $30,000 to defray the costs for Pat Swinney Kaufman (NYS Governor's Office Motion Picture and Television Development) and Katherine Oliver (NYC Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting) to travel to the Cannes Film Festival to push the 'New York Incentive Package,'" the email reads.

They're asking members to pledge between $500 and $2,000.

The email also quotes Oliver saying:  read more »

"Costs here are $35k --plus we have to consider staff and travel and accomodation. Wondering if we can reach out to our NY industry ... vendors, suppliers,labor etc and see if there have interest in offering support. This is the year for us to promote the MADE IN NY incentive program...INTERNATIONALLY. We would appreciate your support and guidance."

Were this administration less unimpeachably pure, some might look askance at this kind of request from the Mayor's office.

"Is that Nell's?" a harried young man asked, standing on the north side of 14th Street near Eighth A  read more »

Wednesday, Jan. 4It's starting to look a little ugly.  read more »