O’Neill Thomas chatted with #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos at the inaugural 2026 ALZA Festival in New York City.
ALZA Festival
On being a part of this event, he shared, “I’m so excited to be here. It is New York’s first-ever Vertical Film Festival, and to be a part of the first is such a dream, and I’m just so excited.”
Most recently, he participated in a panel discussion at the ALZA Festival. “The panel was really great. We had really great conversations just about storytelling,” he said.
“We talked specifically about being a creator and actor in this landscape, and I think verticals are a great intersectionality of showing that we can do both sides, so it was a lot of fun,” he added.
The digital age
On being a part of the digital age, he remarked, “It’s very fresh. It’s very new. I like to call it non-traditional until it becomes traditional, and I think we’re on the way up there now, so it’s really fun to be a part of that, and just seeing how we grow together is a lot.”
Regarding his future plans, he shared, “More producing. I want to produce and really start developing my own series, my own projects, and getting that ready, and kind of going the more traditional route as well.”
Advice
For young and aspiring filmmakers, he said, “Stick to your story authentically. Originality is what is key. I know it’s scary right now. We are in a world where we are constantly getting re-fed the same thing from years ago. We are yearning for something original, so stick to original scripts, and you’ll be good.”
Defining moments
On his career-defining moments, he stated, “Honestly, I think once I decided to take things into my own hands and create my own content, I learned the power within my creativity and writing and putting on my own stuff, so it made me realize my power and creativity as a whole.”
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he revealed, “Renaissance.”
Success
On his definition of the word success, he said, “Success means you are able to wake up every day and you are proud of the work that you’ve done the day before, the day of, and the day tomorrow.”
Message for the fans
For the fans, he said, “Thank you so much for supporting me on this crazy journey of mine. I’m so happy you guys love what I’ve been doing, and stay tuned for more.”
Closing thoughts on the ALZA Festival
He concluded, “I want the fans to embrace verticals, embrace something new and to embrace storytelling regardless.”
To learn more about O’Neill Thomas, follow him on Instagram.
