Vertical Entertainment has acquired the U.S. rights to Nigerian Prince, which is the first winning film from AT&T Presents: Untold Stories created by AT&T and Tribeca.

The Untold Stories initiative, which comes from AT&T, Tribeca and the Tribeca Film Institute, awarded director Faraday Okoro $1 million last April for his feature film, which came with mentorship from the Tribeca Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Institute.

Nigerian Prince premiered in April at the film festival after being shot on location in Lagos. It is the feature debut of Okoro and stars breakout newcomers Chinaza Uche and Antonio J. Bell (Greenleaf).

The film is about a Nigerian-American teenager who is sent to Nigeria against his will and joins forces with an internet scammer to return to the United States. The film was directed by Faraday Okoro and written by Okoro and Andrew Long.

A fall 2018 theatrical release, a national VOD outlet release and a release on DIRECTV and AT&T U-Verse are all planned.

“We are beyond excited to be partnering with AT&T and Tribeca to bring an important new voice and perspective to wide audiences,” said Rich Goldberg. “Faraday Okoro’s film shines a light on a unique fish-out-of-water journey, and we can’t wait for people to experience it.”

“Unveiling this story to the world is so gratifying for the entire cast and crew of Nigerian Prince,” said Faraday Okoro, writer and director of the film. “After winning AT&T Presents: Untold Stories last year, the team worked tirelessly to finish the film, but the hard work has all been worth it. I’m proud to work with Vertical Entertainment and to continue the partnership with AT&T and Tribeca to bring this film to more people.”

The Untold Stories film initiative was created by AT&T and Tribeca to support filmmakers in historically underrepresented communities, such as those from diverse segments, including women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, African-American, Asian and Hispanic groups.

Check out our interview Nigerian Prince star, Antonio J. Bell here.