Variety’s Storytellers to Watch returns Aug. 13.
The 2025 edition will be hosted by the Arkansas Cinema Society during their Little Rock-based Filmland festival this August. The Storytellers to Watch list previously ran in 2019 and 2021, and included such artists as composers Lucy Moss and Toby Marlow, whose musical “Six” features the stories of King Henry VIII’s wives, has become a global sensation; writer Kristen Roupenian, whose New Yorker short story “Cat Person” was optioned as a project for Elizabeth Banks, and the remaining short stories in Roupenian’s collection, “You Know You Want This” (Gallery/Scout Press), were optioned by HBO. Her first script, “Bodies, Bodies, Bodies,” was sold to A24 and turned into a horror hit. Other Storytellers featured on the list include singer/songwriters Tenille Townes and Ingrid Andress, novelists Britt Bennett and Kiley Reid and playwright Lauren Yee.
As the entertainment industry’s publication of record, Variety seeks to highlight creatives who are making waves across a spectrum of disciplines. Like similar lists for actors, animators, screenwriters and directors, Variety’s Storytellers to Watch continues our tradition of spotlighting rising stars in the entertainment industry. This list focuses on podcasters, graphic novelists, playwrights, musical theater creators, singer-songwriters and novelists — storytellers working in old media and new who have found exciting new ways to grab audiences and create a profound connection.
Variety is also excited to partner with Arkansas-born director Jeff Nichols and his Arkansas Cinema Society co-founder Kathryn Tucker on Storytellers to Watch. Their festival, Filmland, brings the best storytellers to the state capital each year highlighting films, television shows, masterclasses, and educational programs for audiences presented at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.
“We’re honored that Variety has chosen Filmland and Arkansas as the home for this year’s Storytellers to Watch,” said Kathryn Tucker, executive director and co-founder of Filmland and the Arkansas Cinema Society. “This partnership is a beacon for the groundbreaking voices emerging from across the country — and right here in Arkansas. We are thrilled to show the world that storytelling thrives in every corner, not just the coasts. This is not only an exciting moment for the storytellers, but a proud one for our entire creative community here in Arkansas.”
The deadline for submissions is June 20. Candidates or their representatives can find more details and submit their relevant qualifications by clicking on this link.