A long-term collaboration between AT&T and the Tribeca Festival, Untold Stories is an inspiring mentorship program that connects rising, historically underrepresented filmmakers to greater possibilities by empowering them with the necessary resources and support they need to bring their unique stories.
2024 Untold Stories finalists include:
- Carmen Corral and Gabriela Garcia Medina - “For Your Own Good”
- Lilian T. Mehrel - “Honeyjoon”
- Adrian Cardenas - “In an Orderly Fashion”
- Kanani Koster - “Shoots”
- Desdemona Chiang and Julia Morizawa - “Something About the Tide”
Stream the full pitch event here to see which filmmaker was selected by an esteemed Greenlight Committee comprised of renowned industry pros, including Yvette Nicole Brown, Daveed Diggs, Cynthia Erivo, Tanya Saracho, So Young Shelly Yo and Kellyn Smith Kenny to receive $1M to turn their idea into a full-length feature film that will premiere at the 2025 Tribeca Festival.
Throughout the year, the Untold Stories winner receives unmatched support and guidance on the filmmaking process, demonstrating the holistic commitment from AT&T and Tribeca. Tribeca Studios works closely with the winner, offering creative feedback, giving script notes, and providing production, casing and crew consultations. We also coordinate screenings of rough cuts to ensure the film is festival ready. Beyond the expert support provided before the world premiere at Tribeca Festival, the winner is also counseled on their film’s festival strategy, distribution plan and more.
2023 One Million Dollar Recipient
Following the passing of his wife, a devoted father learns to raise his son with Down syndrome as a single parent. Through their journey to a professional baseball game, he fights to keep his promise to his child while healing from the loss of his significant other.
Premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Festival.
2022 One Million Dollar Recipient
Set in Los Angeles in the early 2000s, Smoking Tigers is a portrait of a lonely 16-year-old Korean American girl named Hayoung who is taken under the wings of three wealthy students she meets at an elite academic boot-camp. As she falls deeper into their world, Hayoung works harder to hide her problematic family and lower-income background from her new friends, only to discover the bittersweet pains of adulthood that will forever shape her life.
Premiered at Tribeca Festival, 2023.
2021 One Million Dollar Recipient
First-generation Punjabi truck driver Kiran is about to become a father, but his irresponsibility is alienating everyone close to him. When he hears pounding on a shipping container at work and discovers an undocumented girl named Elena inside, everything changes as he sets out on a cross-country road-trip in search of her family. Over the arduous journey, the pair evade the police while feuding and bonding over music, paint swatches, and what it means to be seen as “other” in white America.
Watch now on Max.
2019 One Million Dollar Recipient
Teenage delinquent Sammy Ko teams up with a surly children's party magician on a bizarre adventure to navigate her tumultuous home life and inner demons. A coming-of-age comedy that touches on unlikely friendships, grief, and finding hope in the darkest moments.
Available to stream on multiple platforms
2018 One Million Dollar Recipient
Set in New York City’s Chinatown, the film follows an ornery, chain-smoking Chinese grandma who goes all in at the casino, landing herself on the wrong side of luck… and in the middle of a gang war.
Available to stream on multiple platforms.
2017 One Million Dollar Recipient
A troubled American teenager, sent away to his mother's native Nigeria, finds himself entangled in a dangerous web of scams and corruption with a con-artist cousin as his guide.
Available to steam on Netflix and other platforms.