New York’s dream factory for independent filmmakers just got even bigger. Tribeca Festival and AT&T have opened submissions for the 10th anniversary of AT&T Untold Stories, the landmark program that gives emerging filmmakers the funding to bring their feature films to the screen — now with a $1.2 million production prize, the largest unrestricted film production award of its kind in the world.
Each year, five finalist teams pitch their projects at the Tribeca Festival, and one filmmaker receives full production funding, hands-on support from Tribeca Studios and a guaranteed premiere at the following year’s Festival. Since launching in 2017, the program has awarded more than $9.2 million, supported over 45 projects and produced eight feature films — and every winning film to date has reached audiences in theaters or on major streaming platforms like Netflix and HBO Max. In 2026 alone, David Fortune’s Color Book, Liz Sargent’s Take Me Home and Lilian T. Mehrel’s Honeyjoon secured theatrical releases.
The 2026 winner, Sid Gopinath’s Minnesota Goodbye, shows the program’s power to turn bold ideas into cinema. One filmmaker will take home the $1.2 million prize at the 2027 Tribeca Festival, along with year-round mentorships and a premiere slot at the 2028 Festival. Filmmakers can apply through January 18 at tribecafilm.com/attuntoldstories — a decade of championing independent voices, and the next great story could be yours.
Photo: CaseyJNewell / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
