Tribeca Festival Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment As the Tribeca Festival approaches its 25th anniversary edition in 2026, the festival is opening up its Tribeca NOW category to include social media creators telling stories across TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. The move makes the New York event the first major film festival to add such content to its official selection. NOW submissions, due Feb. 5, will be "evaluated holistically, celebrating not only standout pieces of content but also a creator's full body of work and storytelling voice," Tribeca said in Thursday's announcement. Related Stories Lifestyle How TikTok Is Pirating Broadway -- and Why Some Producers Are Loving It Business Big Tech's Battle for the Living Room Heats Up As Instagram Launches Reels App for TVs "Storytelling is evolving-and so is Tribeca," Tribeca co-founder and Tribeca Enterprises board co-chair Jane Rosenthal said in a statement. "For 25 years, we've been drawn to new forms of creative expression and the artists pushing those boundaries. Today's creators are among the most inventive storytellers working in any medium. Expanding Tribeca NOW honors how audiences experience stories today - on every screen, in every form. That spirit of reinvention is what Tribeca was built on." The expanded qualifications for NOW submissions comes as Tribeca launched numerous creator-centered initiatives in recent years, including a Creator Vertical in 2024, in partnership with Whalar Group, and the UpNext Creators initiative, a digital showcase highlighting talent across TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. The UpNext Creators Initiative made its in-person Festival debut last year when 12 creators were invited to Tribeca's red carpet events and screenings, giving them the same industry access and recognition reserved for filmmakers and Festival selections. UpNext Creator alumni include Saturday Night Live's Veronika Slowikowska and SubwayTakes' Kareem Rahma. Other Tribeca NOW alumni include Lena Waithe, Mark Duplass and the creators behind the digital series High Maintenance before it was acquired by HBO. "Tribeca's interdisciplinary programming has always celebrated the best in cinematic storytellingacross all platforms, injecting fresh creative voices into the independent ecosystem whereverthey are found," Tribeca Festival director and senior vp, programming, Cara Cusumano, said in a statement. "This evolution of our signature NOW program will not just connect breakout digital storytellers with new audiences, but also with the traditional film industry, broader creative community, and potential future collaborators the way we have been doing for filmmakers and artists for 25years." The 2026 Tribeca Festival is set for June 3-14, 2026. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up Warner Bros. A Sprint Towards a Deal, Then An Ultimatum: How Netflix Won Warner Bros. Representation The Stokes Twins Sign With CAA (Exclusive) Streaming Services Disney+ Launches Middle East's First Streaming Bundle With Shahid, OSN+ CBS News Bari Weiss' Next CBS News Move: Town Halls With JD Vance, Sam Altman and Debates About God and Feminism Business Features The Last Hollywood Gold Mine: Why the Fight for Warner Bros. Is a Bidding War Warner Bros. Discovery Netflix's Ted Sarandos, Greg Peters Visit Warner Bros. Studio Lot With David Zaslav Warner Bros. A Sprint Towards a Deal, Then An Ultimatum: How Netflix Won Warner Bros. Representation The Stokes Twins Sign With CAA (Exclusive) Streaming Services Disney+ Launches Middle East's First Streaming Bundle With Shahid, OSN+ CBS News Bari Weiss' Next CBS News Move: Town Halls With JD Vance, Sam Altman and Debates About God and Feminism Business Features The Last Hollywood Gold Mine: Why the Fight for Warner Bros. Is a Bidding War Warner Bros. Discovery Netflix's Ted Sarandos, Greg Peters Visit Warner Bros. Studio Lot With David Zaslav