Vasana Montgomery is breaking her silence after she was removed fromLove Island USAahead of the season eight premiere after videos surfaced of her allegedly using the N-word.
“I want to address a couple videos from my teen years that have recently resurfaced,” she wrote on her Instagram Story Wednesday. ” In those videos, I used a racial slur. There is no excuse for it, and I am deeply sorry. I am embarrassed and disappointed by my words. I take full responsibility for what I said and understand why it has hurt and upset people.
Montgomery continued,” Since then, I have grown a lot as a person and taken the time to educate myself, listen, learn, and better understand the impact that language can have. That growth does not erase my mistake, and I am not asking anyone to excuse it. I believe people should be held accountable for their actions, but I also believe in growth, learning, and becoming better. To anyone I hurt or disappointed, I am truly sorry.”
Shortly after it was announced on May 28 that Montgomery was a part of the new slate of Islanders heading to Fiji for the new season of Peacock‘s hit reality dating show, two clips began to emerge on social media that appeared to feature Montgomery using the racial slur. This prompted instant backlash from fans.
The Hollywood Reporter later learned that she had been dropped from season eight before the first episode aired on June 2.
It’s understood that the videos in question appeared to be privately owned and not shared online until after the cast announcement, meaning the clips would not have been accessible for prior vetting by the Love Island USA team.
Montgomery’s departure came after two Islanders were removed from season seven last year for past use of racial slurs. Yulissa Escobar was pulled from the show days after entering the villa after a video resurfaced of her using the N-word, and Cierra Ortega was removed later in the season after she received criticism for a social media post that showed her using a racial slur.
“CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil paid tribute to Scott Pelley after the former “60 Minutes” correspondent was fired on Tuesday following an explosive clash with the show’s new executive producer, Nick Bilton.
“When I started at CBS, Scott Pelley was in this very chair, and still doing a dozen stories a year for ‘60 Minutes,’” Dokoupil said during Wednesday night’s broadcast. “And amid all of that, still meeting every new correspondent to share his view of the mission here,” said Dokoupil. “He believed freedom of the press, to quote [James] Madison, was ‘the right that guaranteed all the others.’ And the stakes are always that high in that, if you’d made it to CBS News, you were among the best in the world. He worked every single day to live up to that standard.”
During a video compilation of Pelley’s career highlights, Dokoupil added, “He was in some ways a man from another era, and that’s not a knock. He didn’t watch the competition, he said, because he knew who he was. A journalist who valued truth at all costs.”
Pelley was let go from “60 Minutes” after he lashed out at Bilton during a staff meeting on Monday, telling the former NYT technology columnist that he had “slender qualifications” to be in charge of the historic news program. Bilton was inserted into leadership by CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, whom Pelley accused of “murdering ‘60 Minutes’” during the same meeting.
Bilton was announced as the new “60 Minutes” boss after a bombshell move from Weiss, which saw the firing of longtime executive producer Tanya Simon and correspondents Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi. Dokoupil’s comments are notable given that Weiss was the one who gave him the “Evening News” role.
Dokoupil isn’t the only CBS newsman to comment on this unprecedented time at the network. “60 Minutes” legend Steve Kroft told PBS NewsHour that the direction of the show under the guidance of Weiss has been “disastrous.”
“This is journalistic interference,” Kroft said. “It makes no business sense whatsoever. It’s the highest rated news program on television, and it has been that way for more than 50 years. The audience was up about 9% last year. Why would you mess with that?”
It’s the most famous bust in America, and it’s for sale. No, not the ones on Mt. Rushmore, but Marilyn Monroe‘s bras, two of which are being auctioned off by Julien’s on June 4 — already bid up to $5K apiece, more than double their $1K-$2K estimates — as part of a sale marking what would have been her 100th birthday on June 1.
The bras are just two of dozens of personal items up for grabs, including a gold-plated lipstick tube with 70-year-old hot pink lipstick still inside (current bid: $7K), eyeliner for $1,250, and mascara for $800. For buyers thinking big, the 1960s front gates from her Brentwood home at 12305 Helena Drive — roughly one ton of wrought iron — are currently at $15K, shipping not included. They left the property in 1984 when a fan bought them from the then-owner and installed them in the basement of his Minneapolis home, which is either devotion or a storage problem.
The top lot is expected to be her 1950s minaudière evening purse (estimate: $100K-$200K; current bid: $40K), now owned by fashion designers Tommy and Dee Hilfiger. Most of the personal items trace back to the estate of Monroe’s acting coach Lee Strasberg, who inherited 75 percent of her estate and all her personal effects. Most have also been on the block before — Christie’s in 1999, Julien’s in 2003 and 2016.
The sleeper items may be the most interesting: never-before-seen photographs and transparencies from Monroe’s 1954 trip to Japan with Joe DiMaggio, with current bids starting at $100.
Catherine O’Hara, James Van Der Beek, Robert Duvall, Eric Dane and James Tolkan are among the entertainment legends the industry lost this year.
Eric Dane, Robert Duvall, Chuck Norris, James Tolkan, Catherine O’Hara and James Van Der Beek
Getty Images (6)
The entertainment industry is already mourning the loss of several Hollywood legends this year, including actors, singers, performers, creatives and executives.
The Hollywood Reporter is highlighting some of the most well-known figures who have died in 2026, from Catherine O’Hara and James Van Der Beek to Robert Duvall, Eric Dane and James Tolkan.
May 11, 1932 – Jan. 19, 2026 Valentino, the legendary Italian fashion designer who seamlessly blended opulence and high style to create clothes that delighted generations of high-profile women, died Jan. 19 at his Rome residence, his foundation announced. He was 93. Read his obituary.
Catherine O’Hara
Image Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
March 4, 1954 – Jan. 30, 2026 Catherine O’Hara, a gifted comedic actress and two-time Emmy winner known for her roles in Home Alone, Schitt’s Creek and The Studio, died Jan. 30 at her home in Los Angeles after a brief illness, her reps at CAA confirmed. She was 71. Read her full obituary here.
James Van Der Beek
Image Credit: Rich Fury/Getty Images
March 8, 1977 – Feb. 11, 2026 James Van Der Beek, the charismatic actor who starred as the sensitive and insecure Dawson Leery on The WB teen melodrama Dawson’s Creek, lost his battle with colorectal cancer on Feb. 11. He was 48. Full obituary here.
Robert Duvall
Image Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Jan. 5, 1931 – Feb. 15, 2026 Robert Duvall, the steely-eyed actor whose performances in the first two Godfather films, Apocalypse Now, The Great Santini, Lonesome Dove and The Apostle made him one of the finest actors of any generation, died on Feb. 15. He was 95. Read his full obituary.
Eric Dane
Image Credit: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
Nov. 9, 1972 – Feb. 19, 2026 Eric Dane, the hunky actor who found fame and the nickname “McSteamy” for his eight-year run as the plastic surgeon Mark Sloan on the ABC drama Grey’s Anatomy, lost his battle with ALS. He was 53. Full obituary here.
Chuck Norris
Image Credit: Orion/Courtesy Everett Collection
March 10, 1940 – March 19, 2026 Chuck Norris, the martial arts champion and karate school teacher who jumped fist- and feetfirst into stardom with 1980s action movies like Missing in Action and the long-running CBS drama Walker, Texas Ranger, died on March 19. He was 86. Read his obituary.
Nicholas Brendon
Image Credit: Online USA
April 12, 1971 – March 20, 2026 Nicholas Brendon, the actor best known for playing lovable underdog Xander Harris on all seven seasons of the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, died on March 20. He was 54. Full obituary.
James Tolkan
Image Credit: Barry Brecheisen/Getty Images
June 20, 1931 – March 26, 2026 James Tolkan, the character actor who expressed a disdain for “slackers” in the Back to the Future trilogy and portrayed Tom Cruise’s no-nonsense commanding officer in Top Gun, died on March 26. He was 94. Read his full obituary here.
Ted Turner
Image Credit: Jean-Louis Atlan/Sygma/Getty Images
Nov. 19, 1938 – May 6, 2026 Ted Turner, the media visionary who forever altered the news business by founding CNN and helped introduce Americans to pay TV by creating cable channels like TNT, Turner Classic Movies and Cartoon Network, died on May 6. He was 87. Read his obituary.
Kelly Curtis
Image Credit: Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
June 17, 1956 – May 30, 2026 Kelly Curtis, an actress, documentarian and daughter of Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, died on May 30, her younger sister, Jamie Lee Curtis, announced. She was 69. Read her full obituary.
Peabo Bryson
Image Credit: Julie Yarbrough
April 13, 1951 – June 2, 2026 Peabo Bryson, the two-time Grammy-winning R&B artist memorable for his work on the hit Disney songs “Beauty and the Beast” and “A Whole New World,” died on June 2. He was 75. Full obituary.
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COL Group‘s FlareFlow and Singapore-based Bomanbridge Media have teamed on one of the first premium vertical-format documentary series, a wildlife title set to go live on the platform across 200-plus countries in late Q3 2026.
Unveiled at Owl&Co’s Vertical Media Summit in Los Angeles, “Mapogo: The Lion Throne” was shot over multiple years in South Africa’s Sabi Sands Game Reserve and tracks the ascent and collapse of the Mapogo Lion Coalition – a pride whose members, including Mr. T, Kinky Tail and Makulu, are believed to have killed more than 100 rival lions during their rule and have sustained devoted online followings long after their reign ended.
Microdrama performer Sam Myerson will narrate the series. Myerson broke out with “Oops, I Married My Bestie’s Brother,” which accumulated 220 million views within 10 days of release on FlareFlow.
“Narrating ‘Mapogo’ is an incredible opportunity to show how the core elements of a great microdrama are entirely universal,” Myerson said. “The same things that keep fans hooked on microdramas, like intense drama, high stakes, and shifting loyalties, are exactly what make these lions so fascinating. We are bringing that same fast-paced, gripping energy to a new documentary format of microdrama.”
The project is positioned as the flagship title for FlareFlow’s Vertical 2.0 initiative, which aims to push the platform’s short-form mobile format beyond scripted content and into premium factual programming. FlareFlow currently carries around 5,200 series and counts 33 million registered users across more than 200 countries and territories, with content available in 14 languages.
Timothy Oh, general manager of international business at COL Group and chief marketing officer of FlareFlow, said: “‘Mapogo: The Lion Throne’ is the perfect story to launch documentary as part of Vertical 2.0 because its emotional DNA already mirrors the very best premium scripted storytelling. This is one of wildlife’s most legendary true sagas, packed with all the betrayal, power, loss and suspense that vertical audiences connect with instinctively.”
Bomanbridge, which is headquartered in Singapore with an additional office in London, brings a catalogue exceeding 5,700 hours across factual, wildlife, history, lifestyle and scripted genres. The company has recently broadened its footprint in premium natural history through the acquisition of U.K.-based distributor West One International – now rebranded as Bomanbridge West – and a production partnership with German natural history outfit Doclights.
“The factual genre has always evolved alongside shifts in audience behavior and viewing technology,” said Sonia Fleck, CEO of Bomanbridge Media. “As viewing habits become increasingly mobile-native, we believe the next generation of factual storytelling must evolve alongside them.”
COL Group is listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange’s ChiNext board and is among the earliest companies to develop the microdrama sector in both China and the U.S.
Quentin Tarantino is sharing his opinion on the new films coming out as of late, slamming them for the “just plain stupid shit [that] usually torpedoes every new movie coming out of the flavorless sausage factory that used to call itself Hollywood.”
The Pulp Fiction director penned a new op-ed for Sight and Sound magazine, where he explained that since the pandemic, he can’t seem to find a new movie that he doesn’t “pick to death.”
“Since the pandemic, for me anyway, it seems almost impossible for a new movie to come out that I don’t pick to death. Flaws, implausibilities, audience pandering, miscast performers or just plain stupid shit usually torpedoes every new movie coming out of the flavorless sausage factory that used to call itself Hollywood,” he wrote. “These days, the entire concept of what is a movie is more inclined to inspire contempt in me than generosity. Which is fair enough, because by comparison the movies of the last six years make the 80s seem like the 30s.”
Tarantino cited a few films that he’s seen since the pandemic that he’s “liked,” still noting that none have really caught his eye — except for one.
“I’ve seen movies I’ve liked since then — West Side Story (2021); Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1 & 2 (both 2024), a few others, but nothing that really held me in its grip and swept me away to the magical land of enjoyment that I used to visit and was the reason why I loved movies above all artforms,” Tarantino said. “These days I’d rather read a book.”
The “suspenseful new movie” that self-admittedly grabbed the Oscar winner “and held me for its entire duration” was Joe Carnahan’s The Rip for Netflix, which stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.
“The film is an exciting cop thriller with a novel premise that manages to deliver the goods in really clever ways,” Tarantino wrote of The Rip. “The whole package worked for me: Carnahan’s direction, the splendid cast, the look of the film (courtesy of cinematographer Juan Miguel Azpiroz) — but the real powerhouse component of this splendid collection is the sensational screenplay by Carnahan and Michael McGrale.”
The Rip recently made headlines as Damon and Affleck’s production company is facing a defamation lawsuit from two Miami-Dade police officers who claimed the movie has caused them reputational damage because its content blends fictionalized details with facts from their real-life experiences.
As for Tarantino, the director is in the midst of working on his first stage play, The Popinjay Cavalier, which will open on London’s West End in 2027. The show is described as “a rambunctious comedy of deception and disguise inspired by the grand swashbuckling epics of stage and screen.”
“Dave Vs. Hollywood,” a new comedy mockumentary from directors Brad Dickson and Daniel Katz, will have its World Premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre on June 26 for the upcoming Dances With Films: Los Angeles festival.
Per the official description, “Dave Vs. Hollywood” follows “a struggling actor (Preston Tyler Ward) who moves to Los Angeles without any connections or contacts. After fruitlessly pursuing the traditional route to success, paved with humiliations and indignities, he decides to try a subversive, ‘anything goes’ approach. Are there any depths to which Dave won’t sink in his effort to make it in Hollywood?”
Vincent Spano, Chloe Paige Flowers, and Eric Roberts round out the cast, with Spano also serving as producer alongside Katz, Gregory Standifer, and Faustus McGreeves.
Mubi Fest Chicago is returning July 10-12, headlined by a special screening of Jane Schoenbrun’s Cannes-winning “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma.”
With screenings held at the Music Box Theatre, the Salt Shed and the Gene Siskel Film Center, this year’s theme is centered around “Better Together.”
Additional screenings include a preview of “Rosebush Pruning” starring Elle Fanning, Riley Keough and Pamela Anderson, a live score performance of Kelly Reichardt’s “The Mastermind” with composer Rob Mazurek, and a scented screening of the acclaimed body horror hit “The Substance,” along with anniversary screenings of “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping” and “Ocean’s Eleven.”
The Mubi Market will also return to the Salt Shed, bringing new and returning local businesses and an exclusive MUBI merch pop-up.
Watch the official festival teaser below.
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‘Fractured,’ Psychological Thriller Starring Bruce Dern and Julia Ormond, Sets Dances With Films World Premiere
“Fractured,” a psychological thriller led by Bruce Dern and Julia Ormond and directed by Mädchen Amick, is set to world premiere at the Dances With Films festival.
The TCL Chinese Theatre screening will take place on Thursday, June 25 at 8:30pm as part of the festival’s 29th edition. Shot entirely in Los Angeles, the film follows a young woman (Elissa Shay) as her ex-boyfriend unexpectedly shows up, triggering childhood memories of her father’s (Dern) traumatic death.
“’Fracture’ started as a question I needed to answer for myself — and bringing it to the Chinese Theatre, carried by this extraordinary cast and amazing crew, is proof that the stories we’re most afraid to tell are usually the ones most worth telling,” Shay said. “Thanks to Dances With Films for supporting independent film and inviting us to join their prestigious film festival.”
The cast is rounded out by Anne Dudek, Christopher Redman, Igbal Theba, Jordan Belfi and Tom Franco. Producers include Iris Torres, Penny Edmiston and Chelsey Neders. Jenifer Westphal and Joe Plummer executive produce for Wavelength, along with Shay, Milan Chakraborty and Gayle Pillsbury.
American Cinema Editors’ ACE Eddie Awards to Return in February 2027
The American Cinema Editors’ ACE Eddie Awards will take place on February 6, 2027 at UCLA’s Royce Hall in Los Angeles. The annual event honors outstanding editing in film, television, documentaries, shorts and digital content.
Submissions for nominations will open on October 1 and end on December 7. Nomination ballots will be sent on December 21 and are due January 7. On January 14, nominations will be announced, with final ballots due on January 25. The eligibility period for all submissions runs from January 1 through December 31.
“Editing is the invisible art that makes everything else possible, and the ACE Eddie Awards exist to make that work visible,” said ACE President Sabrina Plisco in a statement. “We are proud to bring our community together once again at UCLA’s Royce Hall to honor the editors whose art shapes every story we love.”
Two Career Achievement awards will be presented, as well as the Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year honor. Honorary award recipients will be announced later this year.
Monday, June 1
The Academy Launches Global Award Recognizing Exceptional Movie Theaters Worldwide
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced a new global award to celebrate moviegoing and the traditional theatrical experience. The Academy Marquee Theater Listis designed to recognize the most remarkable movie theaters around the world and honor the best in exhibition, celebrating theaters that provide “exceptional audience experiences, preserve cinematic history and serve as cultural anchors in their communities.”
50 theaters will be selected for the first Marquee Theater List in the spring of 2027, including 25 theaters from the United States and 25 international theaters. A committee of Academy members across all branches will select the movie theaters, which will be approved by the Academy’s Board of Governors.
Eligible movie theaters must be brick-and-mortar theaters that operate year-round. A maximum of 10 theaters operated by the same theater chain or owner may be submitted in a single submission cycle.
The evaluation criteria for the movie theaters is as follows: community engagement; visual and audio presentation; programming; diversity, inclusion and accessibility; historic significance and preservation; theater design, lighting and conditions; and concessions.
The application is available now. For more information, visit Oscars.org.
James Cameron’s Lightstorm Vision Acquires 3D Camera Manufacturer Stereotec
Stereotec, a manufacturer of precision 3D camera rigs, has been acquired by James Cameron’s Lightstorm Vision, the world’s leading developer of integrated 3D production technology. Stereotec creates the equipment “used on some of the most ambitious stereoscopic productions of the past decade,” per the company.
Stereotec’s rigs captured “Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D),” Ang Lee’s “Gemini Man,” “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,” the IR-3D rig on “Dune: Part Two” and other Immersive titles for Meta Quest and Apple Vision Pro. For its work in stereoscopic 3D, Stereotec has been awarded twelve Lumiere Awards from the Advanced Imaging Society.
“Florian (Dr Maier) and I share a vision for the 3D future, like brothers from another mother. We intend to manifest that vision together through rapid advancement in technology over the next few years. We are both innovators at heart, and take joy in pushing the tech to create beautiful, transformative 3D experiences. As stereoscopic 3D expands in all entertainment media, including sports, music, streaming, and movies, we will remain at the cutting edge and hold the lead as the go-to brand for highest quality and efficient production,” said Cameron in a statement.
Sharon Stone has revealed for the first time that she was physically assaulted years ago by an unnamed perpetrator, claiming that a doctor discovered evidence of a “felony” crime during a medical exam.
During a wide-ranging interview on a new episode of The Person Who Believed in Me podcast hosted by CBS correspondent David Begnaud, Stone launched into the story after detailing how a cancer scare led to the demise of her marriage to newspaper editor Phil Bronstein.
“I don’t know how much I can tell about this. I was hit from behind,” Stone said. “I didn’t really know until 10 years later what had happened to me because I woke up. I was unconscious on the floor. The two couches were sideways. The coffee table was all over the place. It was sort of upside down. Everything that had been on the coffee table was all over the floor and I didn’t know how I got there.”
The veteran star said the dramatic scene was brought to her attention a decade later while visiting a doctor. “I went to a clinic because I was having a lot of problems with the back of my neck and my shoulders were so sore and I went to a neck and spine clinic in Marina Del Rey and they had given me propofol and they’d done a lot of X-rays of my front and back and all this stuff. They were going to do some kind of injections into what they thought was arthritis in my neck and shoulders, and they had done all these preliminary x-rays of my thoracic rib cage and my neck and my shoulders and my spine and the doctor came in and he’s like, ‘We’re not going to be able to do this surgery.’ I was like, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ And he’s like, ‘Your thoracic rib cage is all fractured and scarred back together. It’s clear that you were attacked and that what happened to you was a felony.’”
Begnaud asked Stone who attacked her, though she declined to reveal a name. “I am not going to say publicly, but I am going to say that we did report and we did do everything,” she noted. “I had the opportunity to press charges, but because it had been a decade and because I’m a public figure, I decided not to.”
Stone also said that while she believed she had enough “circumstantial evidence to make a case,” she also elected not to pursue charges because she “did not want that to be my legacy.” Begnaud also asked whether she believed it to be domestic violence and Stone said, “I’m not at liberty to say.”
The reveal was just one of many anecdotes Stone shared with Begnaud while covering her career, the success of Basic Instinct, recovering from a brain hemorrhage and standing up to her abusive father. See the full episode below.
PBS NewsHour reporter Geoff Bennett teased an excerpt from his interview with Steve Croft, in which the “60 Minutes” legend said the direction of the historic news program under the leadership of CBS News boss Bari Weiss was “disastrous.”
“This is journalistic interference,” Kroft said. “It makes no business sense whatsoever. It’s the highest rated news program on television, and it has been that way for more than 50 years. The audience was up about 9% last year. Why would you mess with that?”
PBS NewsHour’s entire sitdown with Kroft airs on Wednesday at 4 p.m. PT.
“60 Minutes” has been under intense scrutiny since Paramount-Skydance CEO David Ellison inserted Weiss as the new head of CBS News. Some have accused Weiss, who lacks experience in TV reporting, of trying to undermine one of the most revered sources of broadcast news with political bias. The drama came to a head in late May after longtime executive producer Tanya Simon and correspondents Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi were fired, and former NYT technology columnist Nick Bilton was hired to run the show.
Just days later, it was reported that “60 Minutes” veteran Scott Pelley lashed out at Bilton during a staff meeting, saying the new executive producer has “slender qualifications for this job.” He also went after Weiss, alleging that she is “murdering ‘60 Minutes’” with her changes.
Late Tuesday, Bilton released a letter announcing that CBS leadership and Pelley failed to reach common ground, and that Pelley was released from “60 Minutes.”
“Your antipathy to the future of the show has come through loud and clear,” Bilton wrote. “And I have heard you. I therefore write on behalf of CBS News to inform you that your employment with CBS is terminated effective immediately.”
Hours later, Pelley fired back with a letter of his own, claiming that “incompetence and unprofessionalism” had “wreaked havoc” on “60 Minutes” for months.
TikTok and Sundance Institute want to see more creators writing and producing microdramas and other short-form scripted series.
They’re launching a microseries writing program through Sundance Collab, Sundance Institute’s digital learning and community platform, to support “the next generation of creator-led short-form storytelling for digital audiences.”
The four-week live online course, to run later this year, will focus on scriptwriting for microseries. The course is being designed to equip creators with the tools, frameworks and “industry guidance” to develop serialized, story-driven content. There will be a limited number of participants selected for the workshop, who will reflect “the broad reach of TikTok’s creator community,” per the companies.
Applications are now open globally on the Sundance Collab website. Participants can apply on the site at this link through Wednesday, July 1.
The companies announced the new partnership Wednesday at the Vertical Media Summit, produced by Owl & Co., the media research and consulting company led by Hernan Lopez.
TikTok got into the microseries content business earlier this year: Issa Rae’s Hoorae Media inked a deal for the exclusive premiere of original microdrama “Screen Time” on TikTok and the PineDrama app. TikTok said the Sundance partnership reflects its “continued investment in microseries storytelling,” while aligning with Sundance Collab’s mission to support the discovery and development of independent artists and audiences.
“TikTok has become a home for serialized storytelling, where original microseries find audiences faster and more authentically than ever before,” said Dawn Yang, head of entertainment partnerships at TikTok. “Following the success of ‘Screen Time,’ produced by Hoorae Digital, we’ve seen how powerful community-driven discovery can be in helping stories break through, and we’re excited to partner with Sundance Collab in continuing to champion original voices.”
Patty West, director of Sundance Collab, added, “The microseries format is genuinely exciting to us because its constraints produce exactly the kind of creative pressure that generates the most original work. Partnering with TikTok allows us to bring this opportunity to writers around the world entirely for free, removing the barrier between curiosity and action. We want creators to see this format not as a lesser version of film or television, but as its own distinct craft that is wide open for new voices to define.”
