Deborah Voigt (Getty Images)

"It was all good," said the tenor Jay Hunter Morris at the recent Tribeca Film Festival premiere of Wagner's Dream. "I said yes to everything. The cameras aren't the hardest part. The hardest part is singing Siegfried."

Mr. Morris was discussing his role in Wagner's Dream, a documentary about the production process of the Ring cycle at the Metropolitan Opera. Filmmaker Susan Froemke took her cameras through the planning of Robert Lepage's complicated set and through the rehearsals at which Deborah Voigt and Mr. Morris learned their challenging roles. "There really were no limits," Ms. Froemke told us.

"I hope it'll be a bridge," said Mr. Morris. "As opera's been broadcast into theaters, I've gotten so much love. There's a multitude of people who are not from New York. And they love it. I'm shocked too! Who wants to sit through five hours? But they do!"

Mr. Morris is depicted in the film as a surprise addition to the cast after the last-minute withdrawal of his predecessor--it's the film's biggest twist. "It's showbiz," he said. "I've been trying to be in showbiz for 25 years."

Peter Gelb, the Met's general manager whose friendship with Ms. Froemke kick-started the film, told us that if the film's backstage access demystified opera, he was unconcerned. "I'm not interested in mystifying opera. There's this idea that if you're not in the opera suite, you can't enter this world. Breaking that down is what I've been doing since I came in." The film depicts the Met board's grievances with Mr. Gelb's innovations in presenting theRingcycle with Mr. Lepage.

Deborah Voigt told us, "Seeing we singers struggle brings us back to earth a little." She hadn't seen the film at the time of the premiere, purposefully: "I've been preparing these roles. Ask me what I think later, when I'm under the chair crying." Despite some footage of her exhaustion during rehearsal--she flops onto a bed after hitting the right note--Ms. Voigt managed to get through an after-film Q&A session fine.

Wagner's Dream plays for one night only at local theaters tonight.

The marathon that is Tribeca Film Festival has come to a close, so while we gently nurse our livers off life support, you're invited to click through the gallery for a rundown of our interactions with the ultimate motley crew: HRH The Prince Edward, George Lucas, Bobby De Niro, Ed Burns, Geoffrey Fletcher and a litany of others...

(Well, not just a bar, but  Bunker Club. And they don't 'walk in,' so much as get escorted to the venue which is hosting an after-party for Tribeca Film Festival's screening of Lola Versus...)

Anyway,  Ms. Gerwig turns to Ms. Cummings and says, "Hey, did we lose somebody on the way over?"

And Ms. Cummings looks around the room and replies:
(Pick one of the following)

a) No, we gave Zooey Deschanel the wrong directions on purpose.

b) Yes, but Lena Dunham was too busy writing/directing/starring in a new Judd Apatow production based on a dream she had last night to show.

c) I'm not sure. Does anyone remember what Gretchen Moll looks like?

d) I don't think so...actually, what the hell am I doing here?

Left to right: Messrs. Apatow, De Niro, and Fleming. (Getty Images)

Meryl Streep was a last-minute absentee from the Tribeca Film Festival celebrating 100 years of Universal Pictures—and perhaps she’d have bridged the gap between her frequent costar Robert De Niro and funnyman Judd Apatow. The two men sat next to one another onstage but were each asked questions individually by the moderator, Mike Fleming of Deadline. Mr. Apatow attempted to connect with Mr. De Niro early on by noting that the sketch that got his early Ben Stiller Show greenlit was a parody of Cape Fear.

“Do friends ever send you parodies, or are they nervous to do that?” asked Mr. Apatow.

“Sometimes,” replied Mr. De Niro.

Mr. Fleming asked how John Cazale came to be cast in The Deer Hunter. Mr. De Niro was not sure. Mr. Fleming asked if Mr. De Niro had paid Mr. Cazale’s insurance premiums. Mr. De Niro was not sure.

Mr. Apatow interjected: “I’m just waiting to see how you get from The Deer Hunter to Knocked Up! Boy, do I feel like a jackass today!”

Mr. Apatow was asked how The Deer Hunter had affected his life. “We had it on VHS when I was ten,” he replied. “I watched it, and thus… I became this.” He introduced his father sitting in the crowd. Mr. Fleming went on to ask how Mr. Apatow lost his virginity, a story Mr. Apatow shared happily (the girl remarked “I guess it’ll get better”). Mr. Apatow posed the question to Mr. De Niro, who sat stoically. Mr. De Niro was asked the hardest part of playing the lead in Casino. He wasn’t sure.

Mr. Fleming pulled up questions from remote viewers on an iPad. The first had to do with the manner in which changing methods of viewership are changing cinema. Mr. De Niro remarked: “I just don’t know. I watch movies on my computer now! It helps. I don’t know with this new front, with phones and stuff. Soon there’ll be a supermovie everybody will watch on their phones.” Mr. Apatow had watched Mad Men on an iPad on his flight to New York and was in favor.

Mr. Fleming asked Mr. Apatow whether films in the future would be “better or worse.”

“That’s like a nine-year-old in his room wrote that question!” Mr. Apatow replied. He refused to answer, so Mr. Fleming asked Mr. De Niro about the progress on a potential Raging Bull sequel. He wasn’t sure.

Cineaste Kellan Lutz (Getty Images)

The Tribeca Film Festival has announced its sizable jury in advance of the Festival's launch Wednesday--it's to be led by director Irwin Winkler (The Net). The numerous stars are to be split into panels judging six panels: Patricia Clarkson, critic Lisa Schwarzbaum, and Dakota Fanning are among those judging the World Narrative Competition, for instance. Kim Cattrall and Michael Moore are among the judges for the World Documentary Competitition, while Twilight's Kellan Lutz and Whoopi Goldberg are helping to judge the Best New Narrative Director Competition.

The jury prize for Best Jury, though, goes to Documentary and Student Short Films, which features Brett Ratner, Susan Sarandon, The Descendants's Shailene Woodley, and Justin Bieber's manager Scooter Braun. Oh, to be a fly on the wall!

"...the screening will allow the opportunity for Marvel’s The Avengers to celebrate everyday heroes from police agencies, fire departments, first responders and various branches of the U.S. military. These local heroes will have an opportunity to attend the screening and meet the cast."

Something tells us that many of those men in uniform will bypass the ensemble cast--which includes Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Stellan Skarsgård and Samuel L. Jackson-- for a chance to hang out with Scarlett Johansson, who will revisit her role as the Black Widow from Iron Man 2.

Meryl Streep. (Getty Images)

This year's Tribeca Film Festival has announced its special events for this year's program. The events New Yorkers can catch are to include an April 22 interview between movie-industry stalwarts and prominent political commentators Michael Moore and Susan Sarandon--warning, first three rows may get politically awakened!

Jim Sheridan, director of In the Name of the Father and My Left Foot is to be interviewed by his screenwriter daughter Naomi Sheridan on April 28. As for special talks, classic thriller WarGames is to come with a post-show discussion with actress Ally Sheedy, director John Badham, and officials from BitCoin and the U.S. Air Force on April 28; the documentary Let Fury Have the Hour comes with a post-screening talk with artist Shepard Fairey and Eve Ensler among others on April 23.

Perhaps the biggest stars are to be in attendance on April 19 at a talk on Universal Studios' 100th anniversary--Robert DeNiro, Meryl Streep, and Judd Apatow will discuss their favorite major production company. The full Tribeca events slate--including the world premiere of Rob Lowe's political satire Knife Fight on April 25--is available here.