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EXCLUSIVE: Tribeca Studios has partnered with the pharmaceutical company Lilly to launch Vital Stories, a new creative initiative designed to empower filmmakers to tell authentic, inclusive, and emotionally resonant stories centered on health experiences. The program aims to address underrepresentation and misrepresentation of health conditions in media by supporting creators who weave patient and treatment narratives into everyday storytelling. It launched today with a Creative Summit in New York City that runs through tomorrow, where the creatives behind 19 projects are receiving intensive, in-person mentorship. Participants are receiving guidance from both film and medical experts, exploring best practices from Lilly’s Advancing Health Storylines in Popular Entertainment toolkit, and engaging in sessions with leading industry voices. Notably, several are returning Tribeca alumni, including Al’ikens Plancher, whose short Konpa premiered in competition at the Tribeca Festival and was supported by Tribeca Studios. Speakers and mentors for the summit include Mollye Asher (Nomadland), Maria Altamirano (All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt), Cristina Garza (Cardigan Corp), Ben Grayson (Limitless), Jenny Halper (Maven Screen Media), Jonathan Levy (UTA), Riva Marker (Linden Entertainment), Nick Massari (FirstGen Content), Lina Polimeni (Eli Lilly and Company), Keelin Ryan (Tribeca), Dr. Stacy L. Smith (Annenberg Inclusion Initiative), and Samantha Perelman (AMC Networks). Three projects being looked at during the program will ultimately receive production support for short films or proofs of concept, guaranteed premieres at the 2026 Tribeca Festival, and continued Tribeca backing through distribution and long-form development. For the list of Vital Stories fellows and more information on their projects, read on.
