ALZA puts vertical storytellers in the spotlight

ALZA Festival has announced the five projects in its Created in NY showcase, bringing New York’s vertical storytellers into a shared festival setting. The September 29 announcement, published by the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, comes ahead of the festival’s October 16–18 debut at AMC 19th St. East 6. One finalist will receive a Made in NY Award on the final day. The selection includes Investigator, Investigator, Watch Hill, Kyle Has Tourette’s, Besties and The Super NYC. Their premises range from private investigators and a dangerous date to friendship and apartment-building comedy. All five will premiere new work in the showcase. Together, the selection gives audiences a chance to encounter several creative approaches within the same frame. A place to talk about performance The festival’s published industry programme gives actors a prominent place in the conversation. A GammaTime session moderated by Molly Anderson is scheduled to bring together five performers to discuss their experience of the format, supported by scenes, trailers and first looks. A separate casting discussion will consider the qualities that help performers connect with viewers on a vertical screen. The programme also includes a comparison of vertical and horizontal storytelling, and a masterclass led by Richard Lawson and Denee Busbee covering structure, pacing, performance and composition. These sessions make room for the practical decisions behind the finished episode. Editorial perspective: making the work visible For an emerging actor, a useful festival encounter can begin with a specific scene: how a reaction changes its meaning, how a character’s intention remains clear, or how two performers build tension in a short exchange. Seeing work together creates space to discuss those choices in detail. That is the encouraging possibility of this programme. Recognition, screenings and craft conversations can help viewers put names to the people behind a series. They can also give creators a language for discussing what they want to make next, with performance and character at the heart of the conversation. The event is still ahead as of October 5. Submissions for this edition are closed; the official programme is the place to check the latest screening and session information. Sources checked 5 October 2026: NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment: ALZA Festival announces Created in NY finalists (2026-09-29). https://www.nyc.gov/site/mome/news/09292026-created-in-ny.page ALZA Festival: Official industry programme (2026-09-29). https://www.alzafestival.com/industry ALZA Festival: Submission status (undated; checked 5 October 2026). https://www.alzafestival.com/submissions