The Alza Festival will host its inaugural event beginning Friday, October 16, 2026 at 6pm at AMC 19th Street East 6 located at 890 Broadway in New York City. This family-friendly day will feature live performances and film screenings in a movie theater setting.
ALZA Festival is a first-of-its-kind festival dedicated to micro-stories and vertical storytelling.
ALZA will debut in New York City on Oct. 16-18 and feature premieres, conversations, industry gatherings, and more.
"ALZA Festival, founded by Torres, the former COO for Tribeca Festival, along with cofounders Rita Vinnik, a former TikTok executive and Katie Korfhage, who previously served as Tribeca Festival's Vice President of Development, aims to transform digital-native storytelling into curated, in-person cultural moments. It is designed specifically to meet the rise of microdramas and vertical series, connecting creators, audiences, and brands in ways that extend far beyond the screen.
Kicking off Friday, October 16, ALZA Festival's three-day event will feature official premieres, competitive screenings, creator spotlights, industry conversations, masterclasses, networking events and immersive brand activations thereby bringing the most compelling voices in short-form storytelling into a shared, real-world experience. Selected projects will screen before audiences of industry leaders, platforms, brands, media, investors, and fellow creators while competing for ALZA Festival honors.
ALZA Festival is produced by the live events platform Torres Live led by its founding partners Torres, Vinnik and Korfhage.