Filmmakers Rejected by Tribeca Launch Rival Festival Across the Street — Rejecta Is Born from Bitterness, Brilliance

NEW YORK, NY — In what some are calling “cinematic vengeance” and others simply refer to as “desperate,” a ragtag group of independent filmmakers rejected by the Tribeca Film Festival have launched their own festival — directly across the street.

The Rejecta Film Festival, described by its founder Jeff Ryan as “equal parts emotional protest and logistical inconvenience,” kicked off this week in what used to be a vacant smoothie bar and is now a fully functioning one-screen cinema powered by extension cords and spite.

“We thought, why not take our rejection, and weaponize it?” said Ryan, clutching a DIY lanyard made from printer paper and floss. “It’s like Sundance but with more trauma and fewer Teslas.”

The premiere film? Mooch, a low-budget crime comedy about emotional debt and literal debt, shot entirely on weekends and fueled by gas station sandwiches. When asked how it was received, one festival attendee — who was actually just looking for a restroom — replied: “Loud, but impressive.”

With banners duct-taped to nearby trash cans and a red carpet made from spray-painted picnic blankets, the festival embraces its underdog roots.

“You know how Tribeca has that glossy energy?” said programming director Sam Levine. “We have glossy too — it’s just from the spilled Monster energy drinks on our risers.”

As of press time, the Rejecta team is in talks to secure a second venue: the parking lot behind a CVS. Tribeca declined to comment, mostly because they hadn’t noticed the festival existed yet.

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