Uninterrupted Film Festival returns with groundbreaking athlete stories, powered by Tribeca Film Festival

In partnership with Tribeca Festival, the exciting Uninterrupted brand is returning for a second annual film festival that highlights their award-winning athlete storytelling brand. The two-day film festival is billed as “pushing the limits of creativity to reimagine the intersection of sports culture and filmmaking,” according to the press release.

Similar to Sundance having branched out with spinoff versions of its festival in Hong Kong and Mexico, Tribeca is looking to grow its festival, having added a California location with its own Uninterrupted Film Festival. It’s an intriguing concept that brings independent storytelling to a different coast. But instead of bringing some of the titles from its flagship festival, the Uninterrupted event will focus on a niche, sports storytelling.

What news this year? A chance for up-and-coming filmmakers to submit projects through the festival’s submission process. The selected projects will be among the first Uninterrupted Film Festival award recipients and will see their stories premiere at the Los Angeles festival. As a filmmaker, if you have a cool athlete story, this is your chance! Submissions opened on April 29 and will close on May 31, 2024.

The submitted films will be reviewed by a who’s who of sports stars including LeBron James—one of the greatest basketball stars—four-time tennis major winner and activist Naomi Osaka and 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid, who is also a big advocate to help the homeless in Philadelphia.

“True to the mission of UNINTERRUPTED, we have partnered with Tribeca and leading athlete voices in the film industry, all of whom define excellence both on and off the court,” said Ricardo Viramontes, General Manager of UNINTERRUPTED in the press release. “These individuals are perfectly suited to help us discover the next generation of storytellers and are united in enhancing storytelling within the athlete and sport landscape.”

The two-day festival will take place in Los Angeles on July 9-10. Besides screenings of the premieres, Uninterrupted will also feature panels, events around the “State of the Game” theme and opportunities to learn more about the most compelling sports stories from the creators specializing in sports storytelling. If you’re a big fan of The Last Dance or Free Solo, this will definitely be your jam.

"Teaming up with LeBron James and Maverick Carter's The SpringHill Company in the heart of Los Angeles for a film festival is not just about celebrating storytelling, it’s about breaking new ground," added Tribeca Enterprises Co-Founder and CEO Jane Rosenthal. "This collaboration is an exciting opportunity for Tribeca to continue to expand its footprint beyond NYC and further establish itself as a platform for award-winning sports filmmaking and programming. In its second year, the UNINTERRUPTED Festival Powered by Tribeca Festival will bring together the passion of sports with the artistry of filmmaking to deliver a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience for fans."

The venue and further details haven’t been released yet, but expect more news on this fairly new festival to be forthcoming. You can find more information on submitting your project here and here.

The Tribeca Film Festival will take place in New York on June 5-16, 2024.