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Pic caption: Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro, Uma Thurman. Tribeca Film Festival 2009 - opening day press conference. at BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center. New York City, USA - 21.04.09. . * THURMAN, RYAN & GOLDBERG HEADLINE TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL'S JUDGING PANEL. Hollywood stars UMA THURMAN, MEG RYAN, WHOOPI GOLDBERG and ADRIEN BRODY will head up the judging panel at this year's (09) Tribeca Film Festival in New York.. The actors will be joined by fellow celebrities James Franco, Mary-Kate Olsen, Bradley Cooper, Melissa Leo, Parker Posey and Morgan Spurlock, who are all among the 32 jurors at Robert De Niro's movie event, which kicks off on Wednesday (22Apr09).. The line-up was announced at a press conference in the Big Apple on Tuesday (21Apr09), which featured Thurman, director Spike Lee and festival founders De Niro and Jane Rosenthal.. And New York resident Thurman is delighted to play such a key role in the eighth annual festival.. She says, For me and people who enjoy films, Tribeca has been a major event for which all look forward to with major anticipation. As a New Yorker, it's wonderful to see the impact it has on the city.. This year is especially exciting because I get to be a part of it as a juror.. De Niro founded the event with Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff to help revitalise the lower Manhattan area after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 - and he is proud to continue celebrating New York City as a major film-making centre.. He adds, It's great to see how much the festival has grown since we started it in 2002 and how it has impacted this neighbourhood.. The Tribeca Film Festival, which will host the world premiere of Woody Allen's new movie Whatever Works on Wednesday, runs until 3 May (09). (MT/WN/ZN)