Archive · 6 Nov 2025
Tribeca Studios and Lilly Launch 'Vital Stories' Initiative for Health Filmmaking
Tribeca Studios, known for its film festival, has teamed up with a big medicine company called Lilly.
Together, they started a program called 'Vital Stories.'
This program helps filmmakers tell true stories about health and sickness.
They want to make sure that movies and TV shows show people's health journeys in a real and kind way, because sometimes these stories are not shown enough or are shown incorrectly.
A special meeting called a Creative Summit is happening in New York City.
Here, creators of 19 different movie ideas are getting advice from people who know a lot about movies and also from doctors.
Three of these movie ideas will get help to actually be made into short films.
These films will be shown at the next Tribeca Film Festival.
The program hopes to help share important stories about health.
Tribeca Studios and pharmaceutical company Lilly have launched the 'Vital Stories' initiative.
The program aims to empower filmmakers to create authentic and inclusive stories about health experiences.
A Creative Summit in New York City is providing mentorship from film and medical experts to creators of 19 projects.
Three selected projects will receive production support for short films, a premiere at the 2026 Tribeca Festival, and further distribution support.
The initiative seeks to combat underrepresentation and misrepresentation of health conditions in media.
- Who
- Tribeca Studios and pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly
- What
- Launched the 'Vital Stories' creative initiative and a related Creative Summit.
- When
- Launched today with the summit running through tomorrow.
- Where
- New York City
- Why
- To empower filmmakers to create authentic and inclusive stories about health experiences and to address underrepresentation and misrepresentation of health conditions in media.
Initiative Goal
Initiative Impact
Story Focus
Initiative Goal
Empower filmmakers to tell authentic, inclusive, and emotionally resonant stories centered on health experiences, weaving patient and treatment narratives into everyday storytelling.
Initiative Impact
Address underrepresentation and misrepresentation of health conditions in media by supporting creators.
Filmmaker Support
Initiative Goal
Provide intensive, in-person mentorship from film and medical experts, guidance on best practices, and engagement with industry voices.
Initiative Impact
Offer production support for short films or proofs of concept for three selected projects, with guaranteed premieres at the 2026 Tribeca Festival and continued backing through distribution and long-form development.
- Initiative Name
- Vital Stories
- Partners
- Tribeca Studios and Eli Lilly and Company
- Goal
- Empower filmmakers to tell authentic, inclusive, and emotionally resonant stories about health experiences, addressing underrepresentation and misrepresentation in media.
- Launch Event
- Creative Summit in New York City
- Number of Projects Supported
- 19 projects receiving mentorship at the summit, with 3 selected for further production support.
- Future Plans
- Premiere for 3 selected projects at the 2026 Tribeca Festival, with continued distribution and long-form development support.
- Mentors/Speakers
- Film and medical experts including Mollye Asher, Dr. Stacy L. Smith, and Lina Polimeni.