Adobe and Netflix Put Out a Call for 'Great Untold Stories'

Lots of folks yearn to tell stories of one kind or another. But precious few get $10,000, professional mentoring, a broad distribution platform and tools including Adobe Premier Pro video software to help bring their visions to life.

Thanks to Adobe and Netflix, however, three filmmakers will receive such support if they win “The Great Untold,” a competition for emerging talent.

“Where do we find our stories?” asks the contest promo. “What about out there in the borderless, boundless unknown? Down your street, in your world, the place that you call home?”

“It’s there,” the clip continues, “in the fun stuff, the hard stuff, the waiting for the bus stuff. With the people you know, and the things that you do.” Creators can pitch their ideas via TikTok or through WhatsYourGreatUntold.com.

Mentors include Ryan O’Connell, star of Netflix’s Special, as well as David Talbert and Lyn Sisson-Talbert, who co-produced the musical Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey for the network. Nadia Hallgren, director of Netflix’s Michelle Obama bio Becoming, will shoot a behind-the-scenes documentary about the three winning films.

The push feels on point for 2021, with more voices than ever yearning to rise above the din and tell their truths about Covid times, social upheaval, racial injustice and more.

Adobe and Netflix will help the winners shoot in their hometowns, and the plan calls for friends and families of the filmmakers to appear in each project. “When aspiring creators see role models like themselves tell their story, they are inspired to do the same, creating an opportunity for more cultures and perspectives to be understood and celebrated,” Adobe says in a blog post.

The somewhat similar “Stories in Place” series from Vimeo and Mailchimp also strives for regional flavor, presenting diverse tales from directors of color, a mandate Ghetto Film School also shares as it nurtures multicultural talent.

Adobe has proven especially adept at contest-related marketing, with notable efforts around Billie Eilish fan art, Lil Nas X beats and a BuzzFeed homepage takeover for 10 young creative ambassadors.