A new festival dedicated to microdramas, the ultra-short vertical series built for the phone, will debut in New York City from October 16-18, 2026, backed by a partnership with the city’s Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME), per The Hollywood Reporter.
Alza Festival will include premieres and screenings of microdramas, industry conversations, networking events, masterclasses and brand activations. The MOME partnership adds a new element to the debut: the launch of the “Created in NY” program, which will run educational panels and workshops, feature a showcase screening block for finalists, and offer a “Made in NY Award.” The organizers said it would mark the first time the award has gone to a content creator.
“New York has always defined what’s next in media, and vertical storytelling is no exception,” said Rafael Espinal, Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. “The launch of ‘Created in NY’ alongside the ALZA Festival is about recognizing that the next generation of filmmakers and creators is already here. Our job is to help open doors, develop talent, and make sure New York remains the best place in the world to build a creative career.”
Alza was founded by Pete Torres, former COO of Tribeca Festival, alongside Rita Vinnik, a former TikTok executive, and Katie Korfhage, who previously served as Tribeca Festival’s VP of Development. The festival has opened a call for submissions.
“Vertical storytelling has evolved into one of the fastest-growing forms of entertainment in the world, yet until now it hasn’t had a dedicated cultural home, so we created ALZA to change that,” said Torres, the festival’s founder and CEO. “Our goal is to bring together creators, platforms, studios, brands, and audiences to celebrate this incredible new medium while helping shape its future. There is no better place than New York City to launch that conversation, and we’re proud to work with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment to spotlight the city’s next generation of storytellers.”
The debut lands as microdramas have moved from a niche experiment to a format drawing serious money and attention. Apps built around the genre have pulled in hundreds of millions of dollars on a per-episode paywall model, with individual titles often produced for between $50,000 and $350,000.
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A new festival dedicated to microdramas, the ultra-short vertical series built for the phone, will debut in New York City from October 16-18, 2026, backed by a partnership with the city’s Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME), per The Hollywood Reporter.
Alza Festival will include premieres and screenings of microdramas, industry conversations, networking events, masterclasses and brand activations. The MOME partnership adds a new element to the debut: the launch of the “Created in NY” program, which will run educational panels and workshops, feature a showcase screening block for finalists, and offer a “Made in NY Award.” The organizers said it would mark the first time the award has gone to a content creator.
“New York has always defined what’s next in media, and vertical storytelling is no exception,” said Rafael Espinal, Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. “The launch of ‘Created in NY’ alongside the ALZA Festival is about recognizing that the next generation of filmmakers and creators is already here. Our job is to help open doors, develop talent, and make sure New York remains the best place in the world to build a creative career.”
Alza was founded by Pete Torres, former COO of Tribeca Festival, alongside Rita Vinnik, a former TikTok executive, and Katie Korfhage, who previously served as Tribeca Festival’s VP of Development. The festival has opened a call for submissions.
“Vertical storytelling has evolved into one of the fastest-growing forms of entertainment in the world, yet until now it hasn’t had a dedicated cultural home, so we created ALZA to change that,” said Torres, the festival’s founder and CEO. “Our goal is to bring together creators, platforms, studios, brands, and audiences to celebrate this incredible new medium while helping shape its future. There is no better place than New York City to launch that conversation, and we’re proud to work with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment to spotlight the city’s next generation of storytellers.”
The debut lands as microdramas have moved from a niche experiment to a format drawing serious money and attention. Apps built around the genre have pulled in hundreds of millions of dollars on a per-episode paywall model, with individual titles often produced for between $50,000 and $350,000.
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