Tribeca and AT&T Open Submissions for $1.2 Million Untold Stories Prize

Tribeca Festival and AT&T have opened submissions for the 10th anniversary edition of AT&T Untold Stories, the filmmaker development program that awards one emerging director $1.2 million to produce a feature film.

The prize increased from $1 million to $1.2 million in 2026. Tribeca and AT&T bill it as the largest unrestricted film production award of its kind in the world. Submissions for the upcoming edition close on Jan. 18.

The program works on a competitive pitch model. Each year, five filmmaking teams present their projects live at the Tribeca Festival. One winner receives full production funding, year-round mentorship and support from Tribeca Studios. The winning film also gets a guaranteed premiere at the following year's festival.

The next recipient will be selected at the 2027 Tribeca Festival. That filmmaker will receive $1.2 million toward production ahead of a guaranteed premiere at the 2028 edition.

"Tribeca is incredibly proud of our decade-long collaboration with AT&T and the success of the filmmakers who have come through Untold Stories," said Bryce Norbitz, VP of Tribeca Studios and artist development. "We've watched pioneering storytellers take bold new ideas from concept to screen, garner the support of major distributors, and reach the audiences their stories deserve."

Norbitz added that the program's continued growth is "a testament to the power of investing in emerging voices, especially at a time when independent filmmaking has never been tougher."

Launched in 2017, Untold Stories has distributed more than $9.2 million in funding, supported more than 45 projects and produced eight feature films. Recent winners include David Fortune's "Color Book," Lilian T. Mehrel's "Honeyjoon" and Liz Sargent's "Take Me Home," all of which secured theatrical releases in 2026.

The program's alumni list runs deep. Past recipients include Faraday Okoro's "Nigerian Prince," Sasie Sealy's "Lucky Grandma," Kate Tsang's "Marvelous and the Black Hole," Nardeep Khurmi's "Land of Gold," So Young Shelly Yo's "Smoking Tigers" and Sid Gopinath's 2026 winner "Minnesota Goodbye."

That track record gives the 10th anniversary cycle particular weight. With theatrical distribution for independent features increasingly scarce, a guaranteed festival premiere plus $1.2 million in unrestricted funding offers emerging directors a rare combination of money and institutional backing. Filmmakers can submit projects through Jan. 18 at Tribeca's Untold Stories website.