Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Following a screening at AFI FEST 2025 presented by Canva, director, screenwriter and producer Lilian T. Mehrel (and 2024 AT&T Untold Stories winner) joined audiences for a conversation about her new film HONEYJOON, moderated by Bryce Norbitz, Vice President of Artist Development at Tribeca Studios.
Submit to AT&T Untold Stories here: tribecafilm.com/attuntoldstories
Set against the lush volcanic shores of the Azores, HONEYJOON follows June (Ayden Mayeri) and her Persian-Kurdish mother, Lela (Amira Casar), as they travel together one year after the loss of June’s father. What begins as a sun-soaked getaway unfolds into a tender exploration of memory, identity and renewal. As the two women confront the ghosts of their past and the unspoken distances between them, Mehrel crafts a film that balances humor with loss and captures the beauty of rediscovering connection and selfhood.
Inspired by Lilian's journey? The 2026 AT&T Untold Stories program is currently accepting submissions through February 6, 2026. The winner receives $1.2 million to produce their feature film and year-round mentorship. Additional 4 finalist teams will each receive a $15,000 grant for development support.
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Following a screening at AFI FEST 2025 presented by Canva, director, screenwriter and producer Lilian T. Mehrel (and 2024 AT&T Untold Stories winner) joined audiences for a conversation about her new film HONEYJOON, moderated by Bryce Norbitz, Vice President of Artist Development at Tribeca Studios.
Submit to AT&T Untold Stories here: tribecafilm.com/attuntoldstories
Set against the lush volcanic shores of the Azores, HONEYJOON follows June (Ayden Mayeri) and her Persian-Kurdish mother, Lela (Amira Casar), as they travel together one year after the loss of June’s father. What begins as a sun-soaked getaway unfolds into a tender exploration of memory, identity and renewal. As the two women confront the ghosts of their past and the unspoken distances between them, Mehrel crafts a film that balances humor with loss and captures the beauty of rediscovering connection and selfhood.
Inspired by Lilian's journey? The 2026 AT&T Untold Stories program is currently accepting submissions through February 6, 2026. The winner receives $1.2 million to produce their feature film and year-round mentorship. Additional 4 finalist teams will each receive a $15,000 grant for development support.
►Subscribe to AFI on YouTube: bit.ly/SubscribeAFI
►Follow AFI:
instagram.com/AmericanFilmInstitute
tiktok.com/@americanfilminstitute
facebook.com/AmericanFilmInstitute
twitter.com/AmericanFilm
►Sign up for AFI Newsletters: afi.com/sign-up/?method=signups
#movies #afi #film #americanfilminstitute
