Hip Hop X MCM X Tribeca Film Festival

PHOTOGRAPHY PAUL FARKAS

Tribeca Film Festival is back for its 17th year for another full season of parties panels and films that span documentaries, thrillers, romances, sci-fi and more. We kicked off our time at the festival by heading to PUBLIC Arts at the PUB- LIC Hotel in the LES for MCM's debut of the first global teaser for The Remix: Hip Hop X Fashion Documentary.

The exclusive viewing party payed homage to hip hop. The documentary honored the cultural influence of stylists such as Misa Hylton who defined ’90s hip hop fashion by creating some of the most iconic looks with top artists such as Lil’ Kim, Mary J. Blige, and Missy Elliot. The film's producer, Lisa Cortes and director Farah X talked about the upcoming documentary which will debut in full, this fall.

The night's emcee and TV personality, Bevy Smith welcomed a number of performers who hit stage wearing styles for the upcoming MCM X PUMA collaboration that has yet to be released. Paula Weinsten of Tribeca Film Festival said a few words about the importance of the film and providing recognition to the efforts of those featured in the film. DJ Olivia Dope and 9th Wonder spun throughout the night along with hip hop dancers that hit the stage. The night culminated in two performances with this years 2 time Grammy nominated rapper, Rapsody and one of hip hop's founding father's Big Daddy Kane - all rocking the upcoming collaboration.

Additional attendees at the event included: Stefano Tonchi (Editor, W Magazine) Rich The Kid (Rapper), Naturi Naughton (STARZ's Power), Ryan Leslie (Recording Artist + Producer), Casanova (Rapper), Sheldon Bailey (Actor), Young Paris (Rapper), DJ Trauma, T-Barz (Rapper), Vickatrillion (Model + DJ), Talia Coles (R&B/ Soul), Luann de Lesseps (BRAVO's RHO- NY), Gillian Hearst Simonds (Contributing Editor to Towne & Country), Hailey Laine (Wilhelmina Model) and Makalea Reve Heard (Wilhelmina Model).

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Harmony Program, an organization that brings free instrumental music education into under-served communities across New York City and Long Island. Over the past ten years, the Harmony Program has provided over 1,000 children with free instruments and over 350,000 hours of music Instruction.The Harmony Program was created in 2003 by Anne Fitzgibbon as a pilot program within the New York City Mayor’s Office. Anne was later awarded a yearlong Fulbright Fellowship in 2007 to study El Sistema, Venezuela’s world-renowned national youth orchestra program, and adapted tenets of that successful model to the meet the needs of children and families in New York.

Harmony Program’s 10th Anniversary Benefit Concert celebrates Harmony Program’s decade long deliverance of quality music education directly into communities who need it most, providing students with free instruments, intensive music instruction, orchestral training, and a variety of transformational cultural experiences. Year after year, their students emerge from the program with life-long friendships, increased self-confidence, and improved academic achievement — all from a shared love of music.

Harmony Program hosted their 10th anniversary gala and benefit concert this month with students as they play alongside Grammy-award winning violinist Joshua Bell, Grammy-award nominated producer and cuatrista Jorge Glem, New York Philharmonic Principal Clarinet Anthony McGill, string trio Time for Three, and soprano Larisa Martínez, to name just a few.

Warner Music Group was the lead sponsor of the gala and has supported the work of Harmony Program in the past, most recently with its inaugural Warner Music Prize, which seeks to foster the talents of promising young musicians. Warner is committed to strengthening the relationship between the two organizations.