Alza Festival will launch in New York in fall 2026 as the first premium U.S. festival dedicated to microdrama and vertical storytelling. The event will feature vertical video series premieres, creator spotlights, live conversations, and immersive brand activations. The festival is positioned as a cultural stage for a format that has gained massive global attention but lacks a dedicated live platform in the U.S. The team includes Pete Torres as founder and Rita Vinnik as Head of Content & Creator Strategy, with Katie Korfhage serving as COO of Torres Live. Microdrama originated in Asia, especially China, and has expanded in the U.S., supported by major industry investments and strong projected global revenue growth.
"Alza Festival will feature vertical video series premieres, creator spotlights, live conversations, and immersive brand activations, a first-of-its-kind in the U.S. that taps into the buzzy new space. Alza comes from Pete Torres, a former Tribeca COO, and Rita Vinnik, a former creator initiatives lead at TikTok. Torres is founder while Vinnik willl be Head of Content & Creator Strategy. Former Tribeca Festival Vice President of Development Katie Korfhage serves as COO of Torres Live, the live events platform producing Alza."
"“Alza is about elevating a format that has already captured massive global attention but has yet to have a true cultural stage,” said Torres. “We're not just creating a festival-we're building the live platform that this generation of storytelling has been missing. Alza is where creators move from algorithms to audiences, and where brands can participate in culture in a more meaningful way.”"
"Vinnik said Alza will “give creators who have made mobile their canvas a first IRL stage.” Microdrama first started shaping the zeitgeist in Asia, especially China, but has moved to the U.S. in a big way. The likes of Fox, Cineverse and Access Entertainment have invested in the genre, which is estimated to make annual global revenues of between $20B to $30B by 2030."
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