NEW YORK - When it debuted in 2002, many doubted that the TriBeCa Film Festival had any real lasting power.

Held only a month before the famed Cannes Film Festival and featuring a very diverse lineup, the New York festival -- founded by Robert De Niro after the 2001 terrorist attacks as a way of breathing life back into his city -- could have easy foundered.

But eight years later, the festival remains -- and will take place this year smack dab in the middle of the world financial crisis.

TriBeCa (Triangle Below Canal Street) is located west of Ground Zero and Wall Street, which was hit hard by the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.

De Niro has lived in the neighbourhood since the 1980s and owns many buildings and restaurants in the area, including hotspot Nobu. The actor is very involved with his community and decided to create the festival as a way of stimulating the area's economy and give some hope back to its residents.

During a press conference yesterday, the private De Niro stayed in the shadows, preferring not to take centre stage.

But his involvement definitely hasn't hurt, with the festival bringing in more than $530 million for New York City since its inception and film screenings that have drawn more than two million people.

"It's an honour for me, it's been a long time that I've wanted to be part of this festival as a juror," said a humble-sounding Uma Thurman, dressed in jeans and a suit jacket and standing at least a head taller than her fellow jury members.

The jury is an eclectic bunch this year, including Mary-Kate Olsen, Meg Ryan, Whoopi Goldberg, Rachael Ray, Adrien Brody, James Franco, Andre Leon Talley (Vogue) and Debra Messing.

Among the big industry names on the bill is Steven Soderbergh, who will debut The Girlfriend Experience, a movie about the life of an escort.

Spike Lee, the through and through New Yorker and director, will premiere his latest film, Kobe Doin' Work, after the festival spent the past seven years trying to recruit him. The film follows Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, to whom Lee was able to get unprecedented, 24-hour access.

Lee joked that his films usually aren't ready before the Toronto Film Festival, which is why this will be his first appearance at TriBeCa.

The festival gets underway tonight with Woody Allen's Whatever Works, and the theatre will be packed to the rafters; after five years spent making movies in Europe, the screening marks the return of New York's prodigal son. Whatever Works will be released for the general public in June.

This year, 85 feature-length films, along with 46 shorts, will be screened during the festival, down from 200 last year.

Festival co-founder Jane Rosenthal said that while the lineup was lighter because of the state of the economy, it promises to be as strong as ever.

In all, five Canadian films will hit TriBeCa theatres during the festival. The film Antoine will be part of that lineup. The movie, by Montreal's Laura Bari, depicts both the imaginary and real lives of a little blind boy. The film was discovered after a team from the festival went "film shopping" in Montreal.

"It was worth it because we came back with Antoine," said Nancy Schafer, the festival's executive director.

As for De Niro, the actor said little on what's next for TriBeCa, only that he was happy with what it has accomplished to date.

"I can't predict what the future holds for the festival," he said.

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