Inside Alza, New York’s First Vertical Film Festival

The festival, founded by former Tribeca executive Pete Torres, showcased a mix of microdrama premieres and industry panels aimed at legitimizing vertical storytelling. Inside an AMC theater, the experience of viewing projects like a vertical adaptation of Pride and Prejudice proved difficult to reconcile with traditional cinema. While mobile platforms like Instagram and dedicated apps have successfully captured attention on small screens, the transition to a theatrical setting highlights the production shortcuts often found in the genre, including heavy reliance on jump cuts and melodramatic pacing.

Industry figures like former Miramax CEO Bill Block, who now leads the platform GammaTime, argue that these dramas fill the void left by declining daytime television ratings. By targeting demographics that consume content in quick bursts throughout the day, platforms are betting on a shift in viewer habits. However, skepticism persists among veteran filmmakers. Salvador Paskowitz, who won the festival’s best director award for his traditionally produced film Layover, warned that an over-reliance on generative AI threatens to hollow out the industry. He cautioned that when studios prioritize automated production, they risk losing the human element that keeps audiences engaged, ultimately turning the medium into a trend that prioritizes volume over quality.