AT&T Presents: Untold Stories to Award $1 Million to Diverse and Deserving Filmmaker Ahead of 2018 Tribeca Film Festival April 4th, 2018 AT&T Presents: Untold Stories to Award $1 Million to Diverse and Deserving Filmmaker Ahead of 2018 Tribeca Film Festival
5 Filmmakers Compete for Top Prize; 2017 Winner, Nigerian Prince, to Premiere at Festival on April 24
NEW YORK, NY- April 4, 2018 - For the 2nd year in a row, AT&T* and Tribeca will host AT&T Presents: Untold Stories. AT&T will award $1 million to a talented filmmaker to create his or her film. And Tribeca will provide mentorship from seasoned industry professionals.
AT&T, Tribeca, and the year-round nonprofit Tribeca Film Institute, will host a live pitch event with 5 aspiring filmmakers. The winner of the live pitch will receive a $1 million prize to produce their film.
The live pitch event and winner announcement will take place in New York City on April 11 - a week before the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival begins. For the 5th straight year, AT&T is the presenting sponsor of the festival, which runs April 18-29.
AT&T Presents: Untold Stories is a celebration of diversity and inclusion in film and gives an opportunity to the creative minds who need a platform to tell their unique stories, said Fiona Carter, AT&T Chief Brand Officer. We are honored once again to shine a light on brilliant filmmakers. Faraday Okoros winning film from last year, Nigerian Prince, is a testament to the unwavering power of this program. We cant wait to unveil his work and introduce the world to another Untold Story at this years Festival.
Full funding, mentorship, guidance and guaranteed distribution...Untold Stories is a trailblazing program that supports the filmmaker and the film. Its only through programs like this that we will see a rapid and meaningful change in our media landscape, said Jane Rosenthal, co-founder and CEO of the Tribeca Film Festival and co-founder and co-chair of the Tribeca Film Institute.
AT&T Presents: Untold Stories exemplifies TFIs year-round work bringing economic equity to the independent film space, said Amy Hobby, Executive Director of Tribeca Film Institute. In addition to launching the winning team, the program provides high level exposure to industry, as well as guidance and mentorship to inform the long careers ahead for these talented storytellers.
The live pitch event
To kick off AT&T Presents: Untold Stories, Tribeca Film Institute selected 5 talented and diverse filmmakers to present their story ideas and film scripts to a Greenlight committee. This includes AT&T Chief Brand Officer Fiona Carter and several distinguished film experts, including Lisa Cortes (Director and Producer), Alexander Dinelaris (Writer and Producer), Alfre Woodard (Actress), Griffin Dunne (Actor, Director and Producer) and Ilana Glazer (Actor, Writer and Producer). Learn more about each of them here.
Fans can tune into a livestream of the pitch event on Tribecas Facebook page. The Greenlight committee will announce the winner later that day at a luncheon celebrating inclusivity in storytelling.
Winnings go beyond $1 million grant
In addition to the $1 million top prize, AT&T and Tribeca will help with awards submissions, qualifying screenings, advertisements and promotion of the film. The film will premiere at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival and will run across AT&Ts video platform. AT&T will also provide a $10,000 grant to the other 4 participating filmmakers to help achieve their film goals.
AT&T events at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival
April 18-20: AT&T Presents TFI Network: a part of the Tribeca Film Festival and the Untold Stories Program. The 3-day networking event for Tribeca Film Institute grantees and other selected filmmakers, will include panels and presentations from some of the industrys most iconic filmmakers and experts. One panel will focus on AT&T Presents: Untold Stories and include AT&T Chief Brand Officer Fiona Carter and this years $1 million grant recipient.
April 24: Premiere of Nigerian Prince, the first film to come out of the exclusive AT&T Presents: Untold Stories film initiative. Following a red carpet opening and premiere of the film, the films cast, including winning filmmaker Faraday Okoro, will join attendees at an after party.
Nigerian Prince, directed by Untold Stories winning filmmaker Faraday Okoro, is a story about a stubborn Nigerian-American teenager who after being sent to Nigeria against his will, joins forces with an internet scammer in order to return to the United States.
April 25: AT&Ts DIRECTV Premiere of the film, Woman Walks Ahead, will kick off with a red carpet event. Directly following the premiere, the films cast will join attendees at an after party.
Woman Walks Ahead, directed by Susanna White, is the story of Catherine Weldon, a portrait painter from 1890s Brooklyn, who travels to Dakota to paint a portrait of Sitting Bull and becomes embroiled in the Lakota peoples struggle over the rights to their land.
April 27: AT&Ts Free Film Friday gives fans the chance to see exclusive film screenings for free. For more details, go to TribecaFilm.com/ATTFreeFilmFriday.
Learn more about AT&T Presents: Untold Stories at TribecaFilm.com/ATTUntoldStories. And stay up-to-date on this years festival news by downloading the official Tribeca Film Festival mobile app, presented by AT&T, through iTunes, Google Play, or your app store today.
AT&T Presents: Untold Stories II Selected Projects and Filmmakers
For more information on each of the filmmakers and their projects, please go to: TribecaFilm.com/ATTUntoldStories. (Photos available upon request)
Emmett. Directed by Bridget Stokes and Written by Vicky Wight
Emmett is a genius when it comes to school, but when it comes to coping with the emotional ins and outs of adolescence, he needs his friends both old and new, to help him c
