When a festival built entirely around videos made for phone screens sells out a three-day run in Manhattan, it signals something bigger than a passing fad. The inaugural ALZA Festival, held October 16-18 at AMC 19th Street East 6 in New York City, marked a formal arrival for vertical storytelling—and VERZA TV, the mobile-first streaming platform for microdramas, vertical series, films, and creator-driven original programming, was there as Opening Night Party Co-Sponsor.
New York City’s first festival dedicated to microdramas and vertical storytelling, ALZA brought together creators, filmmakers, industry leaders, brands, and audiences for three days of premieres, screenings, and conversations about the future of entertainment made for the vertical screen. The event featured 35 world premieres. The New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment served as the Founding Industry Partner, and together ALZA and MOME presented the Made in NY Award to Bronx filmmaker Romel Rodriguez for “The Super NYC.”
“Vertical storytelling is not a trend, it is where the next generation of audiences already lives,” said Alan Mruvka, CEO of VERZA TV. “ALZA gave this format the mainstage it deserves, and VERZA TV was proud to help open the festival and celebrate the creators who are proving that a phone screen can carry stories as powerful as any other.”
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Pete Torres, founder of ALZA Festival and former COO of Tribeca Enterprises, emphasized the need for a dedicated platform. “Launching ALZA was about giving vertical storytellers a place to be seen, celebrated, and connected with an industry that is discovering the possibilities of this format,” Torres said. “We’re grateful to Alan and the VERZA TV team for supporting our inaugural edition and helping us bring our creative community together on opening night. Their belief in these creators and their work meant a great deal as we brought ALZA to life.”
VERZA TV congratulates festival producers Torres Live—founder Pete Torres and founding partners Rita Vinnik and Katie Korfhage—on a landmark debut, and salutes this year’s award winners:
- Best Vertical Series – “RelationShiTs,” directed by Carlos Cardona and Lacy Marie Meyer
- Best Vertical Short – “Voicemails From My Neighbor,” directed by Sydni Beaudoin
- Best Director – Salvador Paskowitz, “Layover”
- Best Performance – Gregory Alan Williams, “NOTED: Table For Two – A Vertical Series Anthology”
- Innovation in Vertical Storytelling – Jan Latto and Hannah Rose Doherty, “Newborn”
- One More Episode Award – “The Count,” created by Gary Entin and Edmund Entin
- Made in NY Award – Romel Rodriguez, “The Super NYC”
As a platform built for mobile-first entertainment, VERZA TV partners with independent creators and studios to bring microdramas, vertical series, and original programming to audiences everywhere. The company looks forward to continuing its work with the ALZA Festival community and to welcoming festival creators and audiences to the platform.
About VERZA TV
VERZA TV is a premium streaming platform for mobile-first entertainment, including microdramas, films, creator content, podcasts, and original programming. Built for the vertical screen and the binge habits of modern audiences, VERZA TV works directly with independent creators and studios to distribute original series and films. verzatv.com
About ALZA Festival
ALZA Festival is New York City’s festival for microdrama and vertical storytelling. Produced by Torres Live, its inaugural edition took place October 16-18, 2026, at AMC 19th Street East 6, featuring vertical series premieres, creator spotlights, cinema-quality screenings, industry conversations, and immersive activations. alzafestival.com
Matt Mrowicki
VERZA TV
matt@verzatv.com
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Why it matters: The ALZA Festival’s debut with 35 world premieres and support from the New York City Mayor’s Office signals that vertical storytelling is being taken seriously as a legitimate format, not just a social-media afterthought. For creators and viewers alike, the emergence of a dedicated festival and a platform like VERZA TV means that stories designed for the phone screen now have a pathway to industry recognition and distribution.
