New York Launches Its Inaugural Microdrama Film Festival to Connect with Viewers
It’s still up in the air whether audiences are keen on watching vertical content on traditional horizontal screens, but many creators were optimistic about their latest works at Alza — New York City’s inaugural microdrama film festival. Launched by former Tribeca Festival COO Pete Torres, Alza ran from October 16th to 18th and aimed to highlight the “creativity, innovation, and cultural impact of stories crafted for the vertical screen.” The festival showcased a variety of microdrama and film premieres, along with industry panels featuring executives who seemed genuinely convinced that vertical entertainment is poised to play a significant role in the future.
As I settled into an AMC theater in Manhattan for screenings of director Jerry Bradford’s vertical take on Pride and Prejudice and the original Billionaire’s Broken Vow starring Eric Roberts, I found the premise a bit hard to swallow. While both were full-length features, they were riddled with jarring jump cuts and abrupt soundtrack shifts, reminiscent of how films are chopped into short “episodes” for microdrama apps. This wasn’t as jarring with shorter series like the romantasy horror Blood Surfer or collections like disability rights activist Lachi Music’s “Glam Struts.” However, it felt odd to see content designed for mobile viewing projected on massive screens, especially in a theater also showing titles like Resident Evil, The Social Reckoning, and You Can See Everything.
Most fans of vertical videos and microdramas typically enjoy them on their mobile devices, but platforms like Instagram and Vurt are rolling out smart TV apps aimed at keeping vertical video viewers glued to their couches. The rise of YouTube — accessible in numerous ways — has prompted major streaming services to experiment with vertical clip feeds. Alza was buzzing with attendees who believed they were at the forefront of legitimizing vertical content as an art form that could transform the entertainment landscape. While some microdramas have indeed found success, Alza’s lineup left me questioning whether the future truly lies in vertical formats.
As unconventional as I found much of the content at Alza, it did seem to resonate with some festival-goers, particularly middle-aged women. The screenings weren’t packed, but during a few steamy romance dramas, I was taken aback by the laughter and gasps from the front rows, where festival staff encouraged optimal seating for the best experience.
GammaTime, the microdrama platform founded by former Miramax CEO Bill Block, has made appealing to female viewers a key objective. In discussions with Block and GammaTime’s head of development, Amy Sullivan, they shared that the platform’s content library is tailored to resonate with viewers’ moods throughout the day.
“We’re creating content that speaks to mainstream women who are part of this mobile-first movement, who are on their phones morning, noon, and night,” Sullivan explained. “We offer easy watches, rom-coms, and some spicier options for later in the evening. We aim to meet viewers where they are at all times.”
Block highlighted daytime TV watchers as a demographic GammaTime is keen to attract. While soap operas remain popular in the U.S., their ratings have been declining as audiences shift their attention elsewhere. Block argued that traditional daytime viewers haven’t vanished; instead, they’ve migrated to on-demand streaming services and social media.
“They’re still around, but they’re watching while pretending to work a bit at the office,” Block said, referring to those who turn to microdrama apps for a quick entertainment fix. “This is the new daytime, the new 5–6 PM, and the new 10 PM.”
Block and Sullivan noted that even with low production costs, running a successful studio is still quite expensive. Reaching diverse viewer demographics while managing various ad partnerships is challenging, which is why GammaTime has outsourced much of its marketing overseas.
“We’ve got an edge in Tel Aviv, and I’d say the brains of the operation is our partner Slava Mudrykh and his customer acquisition, AI, and marketing teams,” Block said. “This is all about Instagram and TikTok — that’s where you’re acquiring new users.”
Microdramas often feature AI-generated effects and melodramatic soap opera vibes, and I encountered plenty of both during the Alza screenings. As more companies attempt to establish a foothold for microdramas in the West, it’s still hard to envision this content gaining the same traction it has in China. Even though Salvador Paskowitz — co-writer of The Age of Adaline — won Alza’s best director award for his 90-minute comedy Layover, he expressed skepticism about verticals and microdramas being a lifeline for struggling filmmakers and actors in Los Angeles. Paskowitz believes this entertainment format has lost its potential as a career-building avenue for production workers due to the surge of generative AI.
“Companies like ReelShort and DramaBox were the first wave of these newer verticals, but they’ve gone overboard with AI, and I see them as cruise ships that have run aground,” Paskowitz remarked. “Now, many American companies sense an opportunity, but there’s so much uncertainty in this space, and often, it seems like nobody actually watches what they’re producing.”
Paskowitz insists that filmmakers owe it to their audiences and the brands they collaborate with to deliver projects that look good. He also believes that studios aiming to become the “HBO of verticals” are losing sight of what viewers genuinely want to see, especially with the ease of using generative AI in production. He was adamant that any use of AI in filmmaking is a slippery slope that risks erasing the human touch, which is why Layover was produced through traditional methods.
“I’m even against hybrid productions because it’s easy to start cutting corners, and the audience will notice,” Paskowitz explained. “That idea sends chills down my spine because it starts with ‘Let’s replace that tree, let’s replace all these buildings, let’s replace all the background work.’ And then at some point, it’s ‘Look, we’ve come so far. Let’s just replace all the actors.’”
As the festival progressed, I noticed that while some projects incorporated AI elements, the majority featured human actors who were proud of their work and eager to share it. These microdramas may not win accolades beyond Alza, but real people are behind them. That’s likely why I was taken aback when Block jokingly remarked that the rise of vertical content “is all part of the decline of the West.”
After our chat, Block and Sullivan emphasized that he wasn’t being serious, which might be true given their industry. However, even if Block was just joking, his words lingered with me because they hint at a deeper truth. The production of verticals and microdramas has ballooned into a multibillion-dollar industry, reflecting a society that encourages engagement with nearly every aspect of life through the small screens in our pockets. It’s no wonder Hollywood views vertical microdramas as the next big thing. Yet, their cheesy production values and formulaic narratives don’t exactly scream red carpet readiness.
