ALZA presents micro stories and series at inaugural festival
ALZA Festival will take place for the very first time this year in New York City. It is a unique film festival that will be entertaining its attendees this month. What is ALZA, you ask? As the website states: “ALZA Festival is a first-of-its-kind festival dedicated to micro-stories and vertical storytelling.”
Micro-stories are one of the newest ways to present short-form versions of entertainment that are intended for mobile viewing. Micro-stories are either standalone short films or serialized storytelling.
Micro-series are episodic, with each episode generally presented in the span of one to three minutes. Again, from the website: “They combine the narrative ambition of television with the accessibility and pace of mobile-first entertainment.”
Anyone remember the short-form mobile streaming service Quibi? It had a similar premise, presenting films into “quick bites” that were broken up into chapters of 10 minutes or less. The company theorized that people were most apt to entertain themselves while on the go, meaning they had a short amount of time to devote to streaming.
Most of the content available on Quibi was really good, but it unfortunately only lasted about six months before shutting down completely. The original content created by Quibi was sold to Roku, including Survive, 50 States of Fright, and The Stranger.
ALZA founder and CEO Pete Torres stated that the main purpose of the festival is “bringing together studio founders, creators, directors and talent, connecting them directly to their audiences and fans, as this groundbreaking format reshapes the entertainment landscape.”
When does the first ALZA Festival take place?
ALZA will make its debut from October 16 – 18 at AMC 19th St. East 6. The festival will consist of screenings, creator conversations, premieres, and experiential activations. While ALZA presents content within many different genres, we at The Horror Lounge are naturally most interested in their horror selections, so let’s check out the three genre pieces that will be presented.
Blood Surfer (World Premiere) – Set in a time and place where day walking vampires exist, one such vamp falls for a star of his local surf scene. He is forced to choose between continuing to live his life in the sun, or honoring his family by repaying a blood debt imposed by a vicious, powerful vampire.
Haunted (World Premiere) – When a girl with the ability to see and talk to ghosts falls in love with the son of a serial killer, it’s complicated. In order to be together, the two will have to expose the killer before he can kill her.
Haunted by You (World Premiere) – Grief-stricken after losing her true love, a woman tries to bring him back by performing a forbidden ritual. Meanwhile, her father has chosen a potential husband for her, and it gets complicated when she begins to fall for the new suitor…something that does not sit well with the vengeful spirit she has summoned.
Bite Club (World Premiere) - When a college student decides to investigate the murder of her best friend on campus, she is led to a secret society called The Crimson Circle, which hides ancient vampire bloodlines. Bite Club features legendary horror actor Barbara Crampton, and Russell Todd (Friday the 13th Part 2), who also appeared together in 1986's Chopping Mall.
Want to know more about ALZA Festival and all of the films that will be screened? Jump on their website for further details.
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