Tribeca and Epic Games Unveil New Details for “Writing in Unreal” Filmmaker Program in New York City on November 16-18

Tribeca Enterprises and Epic Games shared new details on the “Writing in Unreal” program, including the list of filmmakers who were selected to participate, as well as a robust schedule of feature presentations, industry conversations, and case studies with leading experts exploring virtual production from multiple angles. The Writing in Unreal program will take place in New York City on November 16 - 18.

“The goal of this program is to open new doors for independent filmmakers and enable them to gain firsthand knowledge from Unreal Engine experts and fellow colleagues on how to use the award-winning engine and its cutting-edge suite of tools in their filmmaking process and to craft their stories. Those interested in attending and learning more can register at tribecafilm.com/unreal.

Tribeca and Epic are proud to welcome Academy Award-nominated director Darren Aronofsky and prolific film producer Effie T. Brown, who will serve as advisors to the participating teams, providing invaluable feedback before the program concludes.

“Unreal Engine has redefined how storytellers imagine and build stories, and we’re committed to helping filmmakers understand how real-time tools will revolutionize how they produce their projects no matter their budget or team size,” said CTO of Epic Games, Kim Libreri. “Virtual production is the future of filmmaking and our hope is that participants will emerge from the program with a solid understanding of how to use Unreal Engine to fit the needs of their projects.”

The industry presentations include:

• “FIX IT IN PRE”: A NEW PIPELINE FOR FILMMAKING: Moving past the “fix it in post” model of production, the virtual production pipeline relies on preparation to ensure a successful production. Join Epic Games’ Industry Manager of Film & Television, Miles Perkins, Mariana Acuña Acosta (Co-Founder, Glassbox Technologies), and Felix Jorge (CEO, Creator Director & Founder, Happy Mushroom) and Liz Montes (Head of Production, The Third Floor) who will walk you through the advantages of this new workflow.

• WHAT YOU WRITE IS WHAT YOU SEE: A CASE STUDY: Explore the real-time process of writing in Unreal through the eyes of Emma Needell (Writer, The Water Man) and Vivian Yoon (Writer for studios such as Netflix, Amazon, RYOT Studio), who will illustrate how Unreal Engine strengthened the creative development of their upcoming projects from inception to final draft. The discussion is moderated by Karen Dufilho (Executive Producer, Epic Games).

• A COHESIVE COLLABORATION: THE SHARED VISION OF THE DIRECTOR & THE DP: Unreal Engine is capable of bridging the gap between a director and the production team, removing the guesswork and working toward a shared vision. Learn how a director and cinematographer work together in Unreal Engine to develop the cinematic language of the film and how this leads to a more visually cohesive production from Cinematographer and Director Kathryn Brillhart and James Geduldick (Cinematographer & Director, Virtual Production & SVP Dimension North America).

• THE BOTTOM LINE: INDIE PRODUCING IN UNREAL ENGINE: Virtual production keeps producers and the production team steps ahead of a typical process, providing an affordable way to location scout, the ability to error-proof budgets by pre-visualizing scenes, and much more. It can also create content used in pitch materials to attract production companies, investors and financiers, ensuring that filmmakers are finding partners who can share their vision. Jake Sally (COO, Jadu), Erik Weaver (Head of Adaptive Virtual Production, ETC) will speak to the cost-saving and efficiency techniques that virtual production provides.

This is the first time Unreal Engine is being used in a program to support writers. Ten film projects were chosen whose writers and directors have been paired with Unreal Engine artists to workshop their scripts using real-time 3D tool. They include:

• BIRTH/REBIRTH: A psychological horror film about motherhood and creation, inspired by Mary Shelley’s ’Frankenstein’ – Laura Moss (Co-Writer/Director) and Brendan O’Brien (Co-Writer)

• GUADALUPE MOUNTAIN: Forgotten in the midst of her parents’ crumbling marriage, a young barrel racer named Lola attempts to escape a predator by harnessing her secret source of power - Emily Ray Reese (Writer/Director)

• HIGH: In the aftermath of a freak accident, a nomadic telecom tower climber is forced to repair the connections he needs most - with his family - Tisha Robinson-Daly (Writer/Director) and Jonathan Mason (Writer/Director)

• LITTLE LYING WILD: When the moon falls from the sky in rural Belize, a young girl finds a body no one believes exists. She sets out on her own to solve the crime - and stop the unseen monster from killing again - Samantha Aldana (Writer/Director) and Bryce Parson-Twesten (Co-Writer)

• LONG LIVE DICK PARKER: After receiving a Cold War relic, Michie sets out on an odyssey to find his old ruffian friend, Dick Parker, but he receives more than he bargained for when a local militia upends his life to weaponize the device - Alex Coppedge (Writer/Director)

• ROCK SPRINGS: A grieving young girl, along with her mother and grandmother, move to Rock Springs, Wyoming after the death of her father, only to discover there is something monstrous hidden in the town’s history and the woods behind their new home - Vera Miao (Writer/Director)

• SMOKING TIGERS: The portrait of a lonely 16-year-old Korean American girl named Hayoung who is taken under the wings of three wealthy students she meets at an elite academic boot-camp. As she falls deeper into their world, Hayoung works harder to hide her problematic family and lower-income background from her new friends, only to discover the bittersweet pains of adulthood that will forever shape her life - So Young Shelly Yo (Writer/Director)

• SUNSHOWERS: In a whimsical town where it rains all year, colorful umbrellas are the ultimate accessory. When a teenage artist is chosen to design her town’s newest umbrella, her anxiety about the task makes colors disappear from her vision, a secret she struggles to hide from her color-obsessed town - Joosje Duk (Writer/Director)

• THROWN: Philosophy professor Kit Howley develops a destabilizing obsession with mixed martial arts--and unlikely friendships with two very different MMA fighters - Maya Singer (Writer/Director)

• ZENITH: When a black Mennonite begins to experience symptoms of pregnancy, she flees the rural white community she was raised in and ventures into a black inner-city neighborhood where she discovers a possible trail to her biological mother - Ellie Foumbi (Writer/Director)

For more information and the latest updates, visit Tribecafilm.com or Facebook.com/tribeca and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

About Tribeca Enterprises:
TribecaTribeca Enterprises is a multi-platform storytelling company, established in 2003 by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal. Tribeca provides artists with unique platforms to expand the audience for their work and broadens consumer access to experience storytelling, independent film, and media. The company operates a network of entertainment businesses including the Tribeca Festival; the Tribeca TV Festival; its branded entertainment production arm, Tribeca Studios; and creative production company, m ss ng p eces. In 2019, James Murdoch’s Lupa Systems bought a majority stake in Tribeca Enterprises, bringing together Rosenthal, De Niro, and Murdoch to grow the enterprise.

About Unreal Engine
Epic Games’ Unreal Engine is the world’s most open and advanced real-time 3D tool. Creators across games, film, television, architecture, automotive and transportation, advertising, live events, and training and simulation choose Unreal to deliver cutting-edge content, interactive experiences, and immersive virtual worlds. Follow @UnrealEngine and download Unreal for free at unrealengine.com.