Three 'Vital Stories' Short Films Premiere at Tribeca Festival, Focus on Patient Experiences

Published Aug 17, 12:10 AM UTC

At the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival, the Vital Stories program—a collaboration between Tribeca Studios and Eli Lilly—premiered three short films aiming to authentically portray patient experiences with serious diseases. 'Reconstructing Charlie' is a dark comedy about a woman navigating breast cancer diagnosis alongside divorce, written and directed by Lara Everly who drew from her own experience. 'Run It Back' follows a woman with diabetes re-entering society after incarceration, co-written by Tiffany 'Tiny' Cruz who experienced reentry herself. 'Do I Know You From Somewhere?' explores Alzheimer's disease through a suspenseful narrative involving disguises and impersonation. The program seeks to counter Hollywood's tendency toward high-stakes, inaccurate depictions of illness.