This year’s finalists will have the opportunity to win $1 million and take their pitch from idea to full-length feature film that will premiere at the 2026 Tribeca Festival next summer
Key Takeaways:
- AT&T has awarded more than $7.5 million to Untold Stories finalists since its inception, providing the highest financial award to a single filmmaker of any film festival.
- Star-studded Greenlight Committee includes Kellyn Kenny (Chief Marketing & Growth Officer, AT&T), Gina Rodriguez (Jane The Virgin, Will Trent), Stephanie Hsu (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Everything Everywhere All At Once), Andrew Ahn (Deli Boys, Bridgerton), Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Without a Trace, Hard Truths), and David Fortune (Color Book – 2023 Untold Stories winner).
- Honeyjoon, the 2024 Untold Stories winning film from writer/director Lilian T. Mehrel will premiere at this year’s Tribeca Festival at the SVA Theater on June 7 at 1 p.m. E.T.
AT&T, together with Tribeca Festival, is once again connecting the next generation of filmmakers to greater possibilities with the eighth installment of the year-round mentorship program: AT&T Untold Stories. This year’s winner will receive $1 million to take their pitch from idea to full-length feature film that will premiere at next year’s 2026 Tribeca Festival.
In addition to the $1 million award – the largest film production prize in the world – AT&T and Tribeca assist the winner throughout development, production, and distribution of their film, including keeping them connected through AT&T connectivity services. Since its inception in 2017, the Untold Stories program has received more than 2,750 submissions. Past winners’ films have gone on to appear on all major streaming platforms, have had more than 120 festival appearances globally, and have an average Rotten Tomatoes score of 94%.
2025 Untold Stories finalists include:
- Meagan Noel Fulps (Los Angeles, California) – “Fight Like a Mother”
- Jazz Pitcairn (New York, New York) – “Ivan”
- Liz Sargent (Los Angeles, California) – “Take Me Home”
- Orlando Javier Torres (New York, New York) – “Un Lugar De Agua”
- Masami Kawai (Eugene, Oregon) – “Valley of the Tall Grass”
Finalists will pitch their story ideas at the Tribeca Festival Hub at Spring Studios in New York City at the Indeed Theater on Thursday, June 5, to an accomplished, expert panel of jurors including Kellyn Kenny (Chief Marketing & Growth Officer, AT&T), Gina Rodriguez (Jane The Virgin, Will Trent), Stephanie Hsu (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Everything Everywhere All At Once), Andrew Ahn (Deli Boys, Bridgerton), Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Without a Trace, Hard Truths), and David Fortune (Color Book, 2023 Untold Stories winner). The event will be moderated by journalist and host Brooke Baldwin.
“Untold Stories reflects what Tribeca is all about—supporting fresh, original voices and giving emerging filmmakers the chance to tell stories that matter to them,” said Jane Rosenthal, co-founder and CEO, Tribeca Festival. “Thanks to AT&T’s unwavering support, this program doesn’t just fund films—it helps develop and nurture the people behind them. It’s always exciting to see each finalist take the next step and bring their vision to life.”
Also at this year’s festival, the 2024 Untold Stories winner Honeyjoon, directed and written by Lilian T. Mehrel will make its world premiere on June 7th at the SVA Theater.
Honeyjoon finds American June (Ayden Mayeri) on vacation in the beautiful Azores islands with her Persian-Kurdish mother, Lela (Amira Casar), one year after the loss of her father. Accidentally surrounded by overly affectionate honeymooners, the pair have plans to navigate their trip in completely different ways. June’s goal of regaining her joie de vivre is put to the test as Lela pines for a deeper investigation into their shared loss. When a tour guide Joao (José Condessa), challenges their status quo with his many, many charms, the two begin to reawaken and learn that what they truly need to move forward may be found within the distance between them.
Additional information about the 2025 Untold Stories finalists:
Fight Like a Mother
On the brink of her final Olympic run, elite boxer Willa Wiley unexpectedly becomes pregnant. Determined to do it all, she embarks on a postpartum comeback while shouldering a festering secret—one that threatens her closest relationships and forces her to confront her narrow perception of motherhood.
Meagan Noel Fulps (Director, Screenwriter)
George Benedetti (Producer)
Ivan
As Hurricane Ivan barrels towards the coast of Grand Cayman, Mia Clark-Thompson fights to maintain her lead in the upcoming election for parliament, when a formidable political challenger joins the race… her father. Inspired by true events.
Jazz Pitcairn (Director, Screenwriter)
Nikkia Moulterie (Producer)
Take Me Home
Anna, a 38-year-old Korean adoptee with a cognitive disability, cares for her aging parents in a fragile balance of meeting each other’s needs. When a Florida heat wave shatters their family and Anna’s routine, her future is uncertain – until she creates a world where she can thrive.
Liz Sargent (Director, Screenwriter)
Apoorva Charan (Producer)
Minos Papas (Producer)
Un Lugar De Agua
In 1996, a desperate young factory worker vanishes at sea after a botched robbery in a small Puerto Rican town. Twelve years later, a single mother must decide what to believe when a mysterious castaway emerges from the same waters with echoes of her lost first love.
Orlando Javier Torres (Director, Screenwriter)
Mariela Ramos-Oquendo (Producer)
Juan Medina (Associate Producer)
Valley of the Tall Grass
When a TV/VCR combo set is thrown out, it unexpectedly survives and circulates through an Oregon town. In this intersecting tapestry of Indigenous characters, rambunctious sisters, struggling artists, a metal scrapper, and his skater daughter all find connection through this seemingly obsolete object.
Masami Kawai (Director, Screenwriter)
Sophie Luo (Producer)
