What happens when one of the greatest entertainers of all time puts her stamp on your film? You get the world’s attention.
Whoopi Goldberg just selected Captain Zero — a bold, original short produced by Cypher Studios — as her official 2024 short film selection at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Yeah, that’s major.
The film, created through the XL Film Fund, was one of six chosen by Whoopi herself. It tells the story of a young Black boy who believes he has superpowers — but it’s also a powerful metaphor about imagination, survival, and agency in our communities.
This win is personal for Troy Pryor and the Creative Cypher team, who’ve spent years building platforms that put underrepresented creators in the spotlight — not just locally, but on the world stage. From XL FEST to the Cypher Lab, their mission has always been clear: empower creators and eliminate the need for permission.
“This is not just about a film. It’s about unlocking a system that allows new voices to be heard — and this moment proves the world is ready,” said Pryor.
Captain Zero joins a lineup of boundary-pushing films at Tribeca 2024 and shines a light on Chicago’s cultural force in global cinema. Check out the Captain Zero interview with our very own Vee L. Harrison on the Cypher NewsRoom Podcast
🎥 PURCHASE TICKETS HERE.
This isn’t just a win for Cypher — it’s a win for the whole creator economy.
pk 🌎
June 13, 2025 at 5:54 pm
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