AT&T award helped launch 'Color Book'

David Fortune says the AT&T Untold Stories Award helped make his 2024 feature, Color Book, possible. The film is now streaming on Netflix. The award gives filmmakers $1.2 million plus mentorship and support to help them turn their projects into finished movies.

Fortune won the 2023 prize after pitching at Tribeca. He said preparation was the biggest lesson from the process. His advice to future contestants was simple: you cannot control the result, but you can control how ready you are.

He also described pushing himself to practice under pressure, even using an ice-cold shower to rehearse his pitch while uncomfortable. He said he wanted to be the most prepared person in the room.

The same program also helped 2024 winner Lilian T. Mehrel make her feature debut Honeyjooon. She said seeing audiences laugh and cry together after the film played at festivals confirmed that she wanted it to be released in theaters.