|
|
|
TRIBECA STUDIOS AND LILLY ANNOUNCE WINNERS OF INAUGURAL VITAL STORIES FILMMAKER PROGRAM
Jury members Yvette Nicole Brown, Amanda Farrand, Stacey Walker King, and Lina Polimeni select three short films for production and a world premiere at the 2026 Tribeca Festival
New York, NY, April 6, 2026 – Tribeca Studios today announced the three short films selected to be produced as part of the inaugural Vital Stories filmmaker program, an initiative with Eli Lilly and Company to empower emerging filmmakers to more accurately and authentically represent disease in content. RUN IT BACK (Abby Pierce, Tiny Cruz), Do I Know You From Somewhere? (Angela Wong Carbone, Alan Scott Neal), and Reconstructing Charlie (Lara Everly) were selected by an expert jury comprised of Yvette Nicole Brown (Actor, Writer, Producer), Amanda Farrand (Executive Vice President of Brands and Business Development at Imagine Entertainment), Stacey Walker King (Chief Brand Officer at MACRO), and Lina Polimeni (Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Consumer at Eli Lilly and Company).
The selected winners were chosen following a Creative Summit hosted by Tribeca Studios in Fall 2025 in New York City, which convened 19 film teams for mentorship, workshops, and industry guidance from both the entertainment and medical fields. The three winning projects will receive end-to-end production support, including development funding, mentorship from Tribeca Studios and industry leaders, and a guaranteed world premiere at the 2026 Tribeca Festival. Following their premieres, the projects will be supported through advanced development as longer-form features and/or series.
“This dynamic work with Lilly has enabled us to move beyond conversation and into real creative action,” said Bryce Norbitz, Vice President of Tribeca Studios & Artist Development. “The projects that emerged from this year’s program reaffirm what Vital Stories is all about — championing bold, nuanced, and genuinely entertaining work that reflects lived experiences too often missing from our screens.”
Vital Stories was launched in 2025 in response to a study sponsored by Lilly – in line with its ongoing commitment to the health and wellbeing of patient communities and individuals affected by disease, as well as efforts to challenge misperception around and underrepresentation of disease – in partnership with Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. The study revealed that while millions of Americans live with a health condition or disease, characters with five of the most prevalent conditions, including obesity, cancer, dementia, diabetes, and atopic dermatitis, rarely appear on screen in film and television. When they do, they are often reduced to stereotypes or one-dimensional roles.
The Vital Stories filmmaker program provides creative development and mentorship to a select group of emerging screenwriters and directors dedicated to authentic portrayals of disease. Program participants will also have access to a new content creation toolkit launched by Lilly and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative in response to the study’s findings. Created with guidance from industry experts and patient advocacy organizations, the toolkit is intended to help storytellers craft more accurate, empathetic, and inclusive portrayals of real patient experiences.
“As a medicine company that puts health above all, Lilly is committed to engaging where culture shapes how people understand disease,” said Lina Polimeni, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Consumer at Lilly. “The Vital Stories filmmaker program with Tribeca Studios reflects our commitment to equipping storytellers with the research, tools and guidance needed to portray patient experiences with empathy and nuance. When storytelling captures the human realities of living with disease, it can reduce stigma and inspire earlier action – and the work we’ve seen reinforces the importance and impact of aligning creative expression with the patient perspective.”
Inaugural Vital Stories Filmmaker Program Winners:
RUN IT BACK – Co-written by Abby Pierce and Tiny Cruz, Directed by Abby Pierce, Produced by Hannah Welever
Sweet Tea’s first day out after serving a five-year bid unravels fast: a wild welcome-home party, an awkward boyfriend, spiking blood sugar, and a parole officer who reminds her that her freedom is conditional.
Do I Know You From Somewhere? – Written by Angela Wong Carbone, Directed by Alan Scott Neal, Produced by Grace Merriman and Yoko Kohmoto
Facing her mother’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis and the crushing cost of care, struggling actor Kimmy takes a clandestine, lucrative side gig impersonating strangers’ loved ones. As her mother’s symptoms and the dangers of her job escalate, Kimmy must decide who she's willing to become to keep her mother safe.
Reconstructing Charlie – Written and Directed by Lara Everly, produced by Claudia Chakmati
Charlie’s long-awaited “post-divorce glow-up” gets hijacked by a breast cancer diagnosis, leading her to move in with her picture-perfect sister for recovery. The two decide to have one wild “last night out for the boobs!”, sending both their lives on a crash course in sisterhood, second chances and letting go.
The selected winners were chosen following a Creative Summit hosted by Tribeca Studios in Fall 2025 in New York City, which convened 19 film teams for mentorship, workshops, and industry guidance from both the entertainment and medical fields. The three winning projects will receive end-to-end production support, including development funding, mentorship from Tribeca Studios and industry leaders, and a guaranteed world premiere at the 2026 Tribeca Festival. Following their premieres, the projects will be supported through advanced development as longer-form features and/or series.
“This dynamic work with Lilly has enabled us to move beyond conversation and into real creative action,” said Bryce Norbitz, Vice President of Tribeca Studios & Artist Development. “The projects that emerged from this year’s program reaffirm what Vital Stories is all about — championing bold, nuanced, and genuinely entertaining work that reflects lived experiences too often missing from our screens.”
Vital Stories was launched in 2025 in response to a study sponsored by Lilly – in line with its ongoing commitment to the health and wellbeing of patient communities and individuals affected by disease, as well as efforts to challenge misperception around and underrepresentation of disease – in partnership with Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. The study revealed that while millions of Americans live with a health condition or disease, characters with five of the most prevalent conditions, including obesity, cancer, dementia, diabetes, and atopic dermatitis, rarely appear on screen in film and television. When they do, they are often reduced to stereotypes or one-dimensional roles.
The Vital Stories filmmaker program provides creative development and mentorship to a select group of emerging screenwriters and directors dedicated to authentic portrayals of disease. Program participants will also have access to a new content creation toolkit launched by Lilly and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative in response to the study’s findings. Created with guidance from industry experts and patient advocacy organizations, the toolkit is intended to help storytellers craft more accurate, empathetic, and inclusive portrayals of real patient experiences.
“As a medicine company that puts health above all, Lilly is committed to engaging where culture shapes how people understand disease,” said Lina Polimeni, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Consumer at Lilly. “The Vital Stories filmmaker program with Tribeca Studios reflects our commitment to equipping storytellers with the research, tools and guidance needed to portray patient experiences with empathy and nuance. When storytelling captures the human realities of living with disease, it can reduce stigma and inspire earlier action – and the work we’ve seen reinforces the importance and impact of aligning creative expression with the patient perspective.”
Inaugural Vital Stories Filmmaker Program Winners:
RUN IT BACK – Co-written by Abby Pierce and Tiny Cruz, Directed by Abby Pierce, Produced by Hannah Welever
Sweet Tea’s first day out after serving a five-year bid unravels fast: a wild welcome-home party, an awkward boyfriend, spiking blood sugar, and a parole officer who reminds her that her freedom is conditional.
Do I Know You From Somewhere? – Written by Angela Wong Carbone, Directed by Alan Scott Neal, Produced by Grace Merriman and Yoko Kohmoto
Facing her mother’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis and the crushing cost of care, struggling actor Kimmy takes a clandestine, lucrative side gig impersonating strangers’ loved ones. As her mother’s symptoms and the dangers of her job escalate, Kimmy must decide who she's willing to become to keep her mother safe.
Reconstructing Charlie – Written and Directed by Lara Everly, produced by Claudia Chakmati
Charlie’s long-awaited “post-divorce glow-up” gets hijacked by a breast cancer diagnosis, leading her to move in with her picture-perfect sister for recovery. The two decide to have one wild “last night out for the boobs!”, sending both their lives on a crash course in sisterhood, second chances and letting go.
