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AT&T UNTOLD STORIES RECIPIENT
by Karen Pecota

AT&T teams up with the TriBeCa Film Festival to give a $1Million Grant to one underrepresented filmmaker, in order to help him/her pursue their dream as a storyteller using film as the platform. It takes a village to acquire quality status in the film industry; it also takes large amounts of money to finance such endeavors to set one on a path for success. AT&T is on a mission to support this industry and its people practically, including mentorship and distribution.

To apply for the AT&T Grant, the filmmaker must present and pitch their idea to a group of seasoned filmmakers. These industry leaders choose one underrepresented filmmaker to make a full feature film with a guaranteed slot to showcase his/her wares at the following TriBeCa Film Festival, including a first look by the streaming guru, HBO Max.

The type of films allowed for submission would be like the narrative that filmmaker David Frankel was chosen to showcase at TriBeCa Film Festival 2022, JERRY & MARGE GO LARGE. Frankel's story was taken from an article written in 2018 by journalist Jason Fagone for the Huffington Post, based on true events.

The AT&T winner for 2021 went to Nardeep Kuhmir for LAND OF GOLD (see my film review in this coverage) and showcased his film at TriBeCa 2022. He says, "You will be surprised how it feels to be a winner of this prestigious award." An overwhelming experience is for sure to be imagined.

The 2022 award goes to SMOKING TIGERS from So Young Shelly Yo (writer/director) and Guo Guo (Producer). Their story shares, "Over one summer spent at an elite academic bootcamp, a lonely Korean American teenager hides her true identity to fit in, only to discover the bittersweet pains of adulthood." We will view their final production at TriBeCa 2023.

Hats off to the AT&T team for their encouragement and support to the independent filmmaker. Did you know that of the 40% of all films pitched and being made, AT&T has provided over $5 Million to independent filmmakers sharing diverse and real untold stories to a wider audience and future generations.