David Bowie, Whoopi Goldberg, Fred Durst and director Doug Liman have all been named as jury members at the Tribeca Film Festival - which kicked off in New York on Wednesday.

The announcement was made by Liman at a press conference in downtown Manhattan on Wednesday, which was attended by New York's Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Governor David Paterson.

The panels have been split into different categories, with Bowie and others, including actor Matthew Modine, judging the Documentary and Student Short Film group. Goldberg's panel - which also includes Padma Lakshmi - will review the World Documentary Competition.

The festival will run for 12 days, and includes 121 feature films and 79 short films. A total of 89 movies will be premiered at the event, which is now in its seventh year.

It was founded by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff to boost the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan.

And Governor Paterson called on the movie industry to do its bit and make more films in the Big Apple, speaking on the same day he announced tax breaks for those who shoot in the state.

He told the press conference, "New York has inspired filmmakers since the industry's beginning. But recently, we started losing business to our neighbors, like Canada, Connecticut and Massachusetts. New Yorkers never go down without a fight, and with the significantly expanded state film tax credit I announced today, New York will continue to serve as the most fascinating backdrop in the world. I am proud to have our great state foster an even greater number of productions, and feel fortunate that we have an event like the Tribeca Film Festival to showcase the work of great filmmakers and highlight the importance of this industry in our state."

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)