ALZA Festival Archives - Creative Media TimesCreative Media Times

New York’s ALZA Festival is loading up its first-ever microdrama celebration with nine new world premieres ahead of its October 16-18 debut.

The additions include Lifetime’s Reunion Island, a thriller about reality show contestants trapped in a deadly game at a Maui mansion. The cast features Felix Merback and Eric Guilmette, with direction by Gary and Edmund Entin.

Also joining the slate is vertTV’s supernatural horror Bite Club, which reunites horror legends Barbara Crampton and Russell Todd on the 40th anniversary of Chopping Mall. The series follows a student investigating her friend’s murder at a university hiding vampire bloodlines. Sam Irvin directs.

Other premieres include South African dramedy Confessions of a Gold Digger, workplace comedy Bandana Besties, and a trio of thrillers from Reelarc: Fatal Match, Splitlight, and Zero Point.

Beyond screenings, the festival is packing in conversations with industry experts Richard Lawson, Jeffrey Schenck, Jay Blumenfield, Todd Spicer, Jen Cooper, Phil Viardo, Rob McGillivray and Manny Ruiz about how vertical storytelling is reshaping entertainment. A special panel features the leading men of GammaTime microdramas sharing behind-the-scenes stories and debuting an exclusive teaser for The Summer I Turned My Sexiest 2.

“There is no better place than ALZA to hear directly from the people who are helping shape the way we consume entertainment,” says Pete Torres, founder and CEO of ALZA Festival.

Festival passes and tickets are available now at ALZAFestival.com/ticketing.

ALZA-Festival New York is about to give a vertical storyteller the same award previously handed to Darren Aronofsky and Michelle Buteau.

ALZA Festival, launching October 16-18 at AMC 19th St. East 6, just announced five NYC-based creators competing for the iconic “Made in NY” honor. It’s the first time the award has gone to vertical filmmakers, and the public gets to vote at nyc.gov/CreatedinNY starting now.

The finalists: Melissa Becraft and Sarah Pribis with *Investigator Investigator*, a comedy about Broadway stars moonlighting as private eyes. Jesse Fisher and Sasha Herman’s thriller *Watch Hill*, where a third date turns dangerous. Kyle C. Mumford’s *Kyle Has Tourette’s*, a heartfelt comedy based on his own life. Christina Richardson’s *Besties*, about platonic friends navigating blurred boundaries. And Romel Rodriguez’s *The Super NYC*, following a superintendent dealing with eccentric tenants.

All five will premiere new work at the festival’s “Created in NY” showcase, presented with the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment.

“Storytelling is changing, and a new format should mean new recognition for the people creating great work,” says MOME Commissioner Rafael Espinal.

ALZA is the first festival dedicated entirely to microdramas and vertical series. Founder Pete Torres, former COO of Tribeca Festival, is betting that digital-native storytelling deserves real-world celebration. The winner gets announced on the festival’s final day.