America's first microdrama festival sets New York debut with Eric Roberts premiere
Oscar nominee Eric Roberts is bringing a world premiere to Alza Festival, billed as America's first festival dedicated to microdrama, Deadline. The event runs 16 to 18 October in New York City. Microdramas are scripted series made in ultra-short episodes and shot vertically to be watched on a phone.
Roberts stars in Billionaires' Broken Vow, from Former Prodigy Media, which will receive its world premiere on the Sunday of the festival. That same Sunday programme will include a vertical-format Wuthering Heights, reset on a present-day American ranch. The Friday night slate pairs a Pride and Prejudice microdrama with Moriarty Rising: A Sherlock Holmes Tale.
Twin filmmakers Gary and Edmund Entin will also debut a new title at the festival. Their series is The Count, starring Dominique Toney and Ignacyo Matynia. It sits alongside a mix of original stories and fresh versions of well-known books.
The festival is run by veterans of Tribeca and TikTok. Founder and chief executive Pete Torres launched the event with Rita Vinnik to give vertical series a public, cinema-scale showcase. The October debut has partnered with New York City's Mayor's Office, The Hollywood Reporter.
The inaugural programme is built around vertical series premieres, creator spotlights and live conversations, according to the festival's site, Alza Festival. Organisers also list cinema-quality screenings and immersive activations. Listings and updates are posted at alzafestival.com.
What makes this stand out is the slot. Shows designed for scrolling will get festival premieres, introduced on stage and played on a big screen. For viewers, it is a chance to see how stories written for phones play in a room full of people.
