April 11th, 2018

NEW YORK, NY– April 11, 2018 –Sasie Sealy and Angela Cheng are the second winners to be awarded $1 million from AT&T Presents: Untold Stories, an inclusive film program in collaboration with Tribeca, along with the year-round nonprofit Tribeca Film Institute.

Sealy and Cheng impressed the Untold Stories Greenlight Committee, made up of several distinguished film experts, including Lisa Cortes (Director and Producer), Alexander Dinelaris (Writer and Producer), Alfre Woodard (Actress), Griffin Dunne (Actor, Director and Producer) Ilana Glazer (Actor, Writer and Producer) and AT&T Chief Brand Officer Fiona Carter.

The committee heard pitches for 5 films, deliberated and named Sealy and Cheng's "Lucky Grandma" as the winner. The win was announced at an event today celebrating inclusivity in storytelling attended by Tribeca Film Festival Founders Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal, along with Tribeca Film Institute (TFI) Executive Director Amy Hobby, Jeffrey Wright, Jenny Lumet, Andre Holland, Nelson George, Michelle Hurd, Yance Ford, Tracey Edmonds, actor Justin Bartha, actor Paul Schneider, actor Alysia Reiner, Frida Torresblanco, Caroline Baron, Geoffrey Fletcher, TFI's David Earls, AT&T's Marissa Shorenstein, and last year's 2017 Untold Story recipients director Faraday Okoro and producer Oscar Hernandez, and more.

The Greenlight Committee said: "We were incredibly excited by, and impressed with all five of the filmmakers. We can't wait to see everything that they are going to do and we believe all of these films will be made because there is thirst for original artistic voices that reflect who we are and where we are in the 21st century. We had lengthy and lively conversation about every one of these projects. We carefully considered everything they submitted, the new arenas they brought us into and their well-presented pitches. This was not an easy decision to make, but we have selected our winner. The story has a broad reach demographically and globally. It evokes a uniquely specific world that is universal to us all and has a sheer originality and quality of writing."

What's next? Sealy and Cheng will now use the next year to create or finish their film. It's a story about an ornery, chain-smoking Chinese grandmother with a small-time gambling habit. When a local fortune-teller predicts a most auspicious day in her future, Grandma decides to go "all in" and lands herself on the wrong side of luck, and in the middle of a Chinese gang war.

AT&T and Tribeca will also help with awards submissions, qualifying screenings, ads and promotion of the film.

Sealy and Cheng's film will premiere at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival and will run across AT&T's video platform.

AT&T will give the other 4 participating filmmakers $10,000 each to achieve their film goals. They include: Director/Producer Bridget Stokes and Vicky Wright for Emmett; Writer/Director Neil Paik for The Beautiful Ones; Writer/Director Alex Heller, Producer Eugene Sun Park for The Year Between; and Director Jennifer Suhr and Producer Carolyn Mao for Your and Me Both.

The Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, runs April 18-29, 2018. For more information, and all festival updates, download the official Tribeca Film Festival mobile app through iTunes, Google Play, or your app store today. Check back here and follow us on Twitter @att for more information on all of our activities at the 2018 Festival.

About the Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival is the leading cultural event that brings visionaries and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, gaming, music, and online work. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is a platform for creative expression and immersive entertainment. The Festival champions emerging and established voices; discovers award-winning filmmakers and creators; curates innovative experiences; and introduces new technology and ideas through premieres, exhibitions, talks, and live performances.

The Festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World Trade Center. Now in its 17th year, the Festival has evolved into a destination for creativity that reimagines the cinematic experience and explores how art can unite communities. www.tribecafilm.com/festival

About the 2018 Partners
As Presenting Sponsor of the Tribeca Film Festival, AT&T is committed to supporting the Festival and the art of filmmaking through access and innovation, while expanding opportunities to diverse creators around the globe. AT&T helps millions connect to their passions – no matter where they are. This year, AT&T and Tribeca will once again collaborate to give the world access to stories from underrepresented filmmakers that deserve to be seen. AT&T Presents Untold Stories. An Inclusive Film Program in Collaboration with Tribeca, is a multi-year, multi-tier alliance between AT&T and Tribeca along with the year-round nonprofit Tribeca Film Institute.

The Tribeca Film Festival is pleased to announce its 2018 Signature Partners: Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Bai Beverages, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC Tribeca PAC), BVLGARI, CHANEL, CHLOE WINE COLLECTION, ESPN, HEINEKEN, HSBC, IBM, IWC Schaffhausen, Kia, Montefiore, National CineMedia (NCM), Nespresso, New York Magazine, Nutella, NYC Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, PwC, Spring Studios New York, and TUMI.

Media contacts:

Brett LeVecchio, AT&T Corporate Communications, bl022d@att.com

Tammie Rosen, Tribeca Film Festival, trosen@tribecaenterprises.com