New ‘Star Wars’ Movie to Premiere at Festival

Roll out the red carpet, turn on the spotlights: the clones are coming to Tribeca.

The newest film in the Star Wars series, "Star Wars: Episode II-Attack of the Clones," will premiere in New York on Sunday, May 12 at the Tribeca Film Festival, with two screenings for kids and a celebrity gala. The "Star Wars" premiere will be tied to a fundraising benefit for the Children’s Aid Society, festival co-founders Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal and the Society’s director announced yesterday.

There will be two private showings in the morning for kids and families affected by the Sept. 11 terrorist attack and children who participate in Children’s Aid Society programs. An evening screening will be a star-studded fundraiser to benefit the Society, which runs a wide range of programs for disadvantaged children in New York City , including camps, adoption and foster care services, and education, health and recreation programs.

Since Sept. 11 the Society has also provided cash assistance and counseling to thousands of families affected by the World Trade Center tragedy.

Written and directed by George Lucas and starring Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen and Samuel L. Jackson, "Attack of the Clones" is the fifth film, but chronologically the second chapter, of the "Star Wars" saga.

Tickets to the children’s private screenings will be distributed by the Children’s Aid Society through its programs and by the Tribeca Film Festival through civic and city agencies.

Tickets for the evening gala premiere, which cost $500 for the pre-party and screening or $1,000 if you also want a VIP seat, are on sale. To order tickets, call the Children’s Aid Society at 917-286-1530.

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