Adobe and Netflix bring ‘The Great Untold’ stories to life

Creativity doesn’t just open doors. It opens worlds. Storytelling has the power to transform the way we view one another and the world around us. 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.

And we know there are even more great stories out there, just waiting to be told.

That is why Adobe announced ‘The Great Untold’, a new partnership with Netflix giving emerging creators creative support, mentorship and a greater platform to bring their stories to life. Participants pitched their story ideas via TikTok and WhatsYourGreatUntold.com. The response from our community was incredible, with over 16,000 creative submissions from young creators across the U.S. The three winners will have their submissions made into short films, also receiving a $10,000 grant, access to Adobe experts and Adobe tools, including Adobe Premiere Pro video software, and are being paired with a mentor to guide and inspire them through the creative process.

Meet the winners

Jonathan Morales-Moreno from Wilmington, NC, will be producing ‘The Refugee’ with Ryan O’Connell, lead actor in Netflix series Special, as his mentor. “The reason I love filmmaking so much is because it gives me an opportunity to express myself in a different way,” Jonathan said. Follow Jonathan on social @jonnym0rales.

Keara Anderson from Healy, Alaska, will be producing ‘Last to the Wild’ with actor and director, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, as her mentor. Maisie starred in The Kissing Booth on Netflix, founded Barefaced Productions, and co-wrote and directed the short film, Sunday’s Child. “Storytelling is important to me because I want to offer up a new perspective on Alaska,” Keara said. Follow Keara on social @k.e.a.r.a.s.

Samba Diop from Herndon, VA, will be producing ‘The Game’ with David Talbert and Lyn Sisson-Talbert who co-produced Netflix’s first live-action musical, Jingle Jangle. David is a playwright, filmmaker and author and Lyn is a producer, author and costume designer. “When filming on my own, it’s really tough to make some of the ideas happen, so simplifying my ideas and bringing them within my means but also making them very cinematically pleasing has been my favorite part [of the creative process],” said Samba. Follow Samba on social @sambafilms.

In addition to mentorship from experienced professionals, Jonathan, Keara and Samba will participate in a two week intensive virtual film bootcamp to learn about video production, from scripting, to storytelling and editing.

Adobe and Netflix will provide access to the equipment, tools and crew needed to start production on the chosen short films. Local communities will also be invited to participate as film set crew, wardrobe, extras, and more.

Each creator’s film will debut with the support of Netflix and Adobe channels. In addition, the short films from the creators will feature alongside a behind-the-scenes style documentary that will showcase the creative process, documented by Nadia Hallgren, director of the Netflix Michelle Obama documentary Becoming.

This partnership is another important milestone in Adobe’s ongoing commitment to enabling creativity for all. Last year, we launched Diverse Voices, a platform on Adobe.com where everyone can be inspired, learn and share their creativity. Our original series, called Create Change, brings together diverse creators from a spectrum of disciplines to share how they are using creativity to be inspired and make an impact in the world.

Adobe also partners with some of the world’s most influential artists and organizations to inspire and enable emerging creators. From our creative challenges, where we team up with artists like Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, and most recently, Marshmello to create a music video inspired by “Be Kind”, to being a founding partner of the Sundance Ignite x Adobe Fellowship program, empowering a new wave of emerging, diverse voices.

We are tremendously excited about ‘The Great Untold’ project and look forward to sharing the work with the world.

‘The Great Untold’ was made in partnership with creative agency AKQA, and the campaign video features voice over from the star of Netflix comedy series ‘Never Have I Ever,’ Maitreyi Ramakrishnan.

Check out the trailers for all the film ideas submitted via TikTok and learn more at WhatsYourGreatUntold.com.