Robert De Niro, Uma Thurman and Spike Lee were among the famous faces to spearhead the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival this Tuesday morning.

The festival, co-founded by De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff, celebrates filmmakers whose work carries a powerful message worth spreading. This morning at an auditorium in the Borough of Manhattan Community College, De Niro, Thurman and Lee joined film directors, festival coordinators and sponsors to express their gratitude and excitement for this year’s event, as well as showcase some highly anticipated films and announce the juror selection.

Started after the September 11 attacks, the festival’s goal is to spur economic and cultural growth in Manhattan — and in these pressing economic times, such an event is as significant and as necessary as ever.

"This year we are acutely reminded why our festival is so important," said co-founder Rosenthal. "As much as ever we need a psychological and economical boost. We need to laugh a little."

That said, in a recession with companies cutting back on spending, Rosenthal gave a special thanks to one of its sponsors since the beginning, American Express:

From day one American Express has been with us on our journey and I am proud to call them our founding partner. In these trying times, American Express has stood side by side with us because they understand the importance of events like our festival, not only for the … effect in our economy, but also emotional impact of our neighbors.

Other sponsors include Apple, Delta and Vanity Fair, to name a few.

Besides supporting New York City, the festival also enables the international film community to share their masterpieces with a broader audience. And from the heaviest hitting narratives (such as "About Elly" or "Burning Season") to the light, romantic comedies (such as "TiMER" and "My Last Five Girlfriends"), the Tribeca Film Festival offers something for everybody. For the first time since the Tribeca Film Festival inception, director and proud New Yorker Lee will feature not one but two films: "Kobe Doin’ Work" and "Passing Strange."

Lee, one of the most awarded and respected directors and producers in the industry, also acknowledged that the entertainment business is indeed suffering from the economy.

"It’s hard to get a movie made," he said. "And most people working today were in films debuted at a film festival." Acting legend De Niro agreed. De Niro said that as an actor, filmmaker and movie fan, he felt "gratified" to be there.

Thurman, a juror for the World Narrative competition, ran down the names of the 31 additional judges for this year’s event. Other jurors include wOw’s star contributor Whoopi Goldberg, actress Meg Ryan, newswoman Rachel Maddow and actress Melissa Leo.

While Thurman revealed that she and the fellow jurors weren’t given a criteria for judging, she did shed light on how she’ll approach each film.

"You sit and watch with an open mind and open heart and have a great experience," said Thurman.

The 2009 Tribeca Film Festival runs from April 22 to May 3 and includes 85 features and 46 short films from 36 different countries. Click here for the complete list of films. Tickets to view films are available for purchase by clicking here. The festival also offers a plethora of free events — including outdoor screenings and film discussions. Click here to check it out.

Uma Thurman announcing the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival jurors, including Meg Ryan, Whoopi Goldberg, Rachel Maddow, Brian Williams, Andre Leon Talley, Rachael Ray and more. Photo Courtesy of Randi Bernfeld