Billy Joel documentary to open Tribeca film festival

This year's Tribeca Festival in June will open with the world premiere of HBO's two-part documentary Billy Joel: So It Goes.

The announcement was made on Sunday by festival co-founder Jane Rosenthal during an appearance at the NAB Trade Show in Las Vegas.

"Paying tribute to the legendary performer who captured the essence of a New York State of Mind is a perfect way to kick off this year's celebration of creativity and inspiration," Rosenthal declared.

The HBO original two-parter is billed as "an expansive portrait of the life and music of Billy Joel, exploring the love, loss and personal struggles that fuel his songwriting". The show features extensive one-on-one interviews and access to never-before-seen performances, home movies and personal photographs.

Tribeca opening night will be on 4 June at New York's Beacon Theatre, and the festival is scheduled to run through to 15 June.

Additional programming, spanning film, music, TV, audio storytelling, talks, games and immersive media, will be announced in the coming weeks.

Joel, who turns 76 in May, wrapped up a lucrative residency at Madison Square Garden last July, ending a 10-year run of sold-out monthly shows.

Several weeks ago, he postponed a planned tour, citing an unspecified health issue.