He had a story to tell.

Eighteen months ago, a panel of talented film experts and I listened as Faraday Okoro pitched his idea for the film “Nigerian Prince.” It’s the story of a Nigerian-American teenager who, after being sent to Nigeria against his will, joins forces with an internet scammer to get back home.

Viewers everywhere will now get to experience “Nigerian Prince.” It debuts Friday at select theaters across the United States and on our own DIRECTV and U-verse video platforms.

Today marks an important milestone. This movie is the first film funded and produced from the AT&T Presents: Untold Stories program, in collaboration with the Tribeca Film Institute.

Like our friends at Tribeca, we appreciate quality storytelling that challenges us and transports us to new places. This is beautifully embodied in “Nigerian Prince.”

With this inaugural film, AT&T and Tribeca have made good on our commitment to give underrepresented filmmakers a fair shot, and the financing and other resources to bring their unique narratives to life.

AT&T stands for equality. We dream of a time when equality rules and inclusion is the norm, not the exception. Untold Stories has become a powerful catalyst to move us closer to this reality. It’s all about impact and action. I’m thrilled that AT&T was able to play a part in the journey that took a versatile and talented filmmaker from script-to-screen in just 18 months. We couldn’t be more proud to see Faraday’s story brought to life on the big screen and available for all to enjoy.

We’re committed to helping other filmmakers embark on similar journeys. We’ve just opened submissions again -  offering aspiring filmmakers another shot to win $1 million to make their movie. They can submit their scripts between now and Nov. 19 to compete for a chance to bring their story to life.

And I’m delighted to note that this years’ winning team, Asian-American filmmakers Sasie Sealy and Angela Cheng, are currently in production of their movie, “Lucky Grandma.” I’m hoping to catch up with them on location in New York City next month as they capture the tale of a mischievous, chain-smoking Chinese grandmother and the horrible luck that lands her in the middle of a Chinese gang war.

Yet another example of a story that won’t go untold.