Southwest Airlines premieres the short film "Alone in Tombstone," a first-ever brand film for the airline and the first Wattpad Brand Original. The film, based on a short story, was written by Wattpad author E.A. Comiskey, and was adapted into a short film, "Alone in Tombstone," by Tongal community member Kelsey Taylor ("Alien: Specimen," 20th Century Fox). "Alone in Tombstone" is now available on Southwest's YouTube Channel and via the free movie offerings onboard Southwest® flights beginning June 1.

The project began in 2021, when Southwest Airlines® and Wattpad, a leading webnovel platform, celebrated the carrier's 50th Anniversary through a writing contest. The Southwest: Storytellers On The Rise contest called upon the Wattpad community to share stories of kindness rooted in travel. The brands selected 10 finalists, and of those stories, chose a short story from Comiskey as its winner. As part of the contest prize, Comiskey received a once-in-a-lifetime writing mentorship with Beth Reekles, the Wattpad author behind the global Young Adult sensation and film franchise "The Kissing Booth" from Netflix and Komixx Entertainment, alongside additional prizes to help her writing career take off. Further, the brands hired Comiskey as a paid consultant on the film set to incorporate her vision for "Alone in Tombstone." To read the finalist stories and Comiskey's, please visit the Southwest Airlines profile on Wattpad.    

The "Alone in Tombstone" film premiere, which took place in New York City on May 10, included a panel with director Kelsey Taylor, Comiskey, and representatives from Southwest, Wattpad, and Tongal. Filmed on location at Mescal Movie Set in Benson, Ariz., "Alone in Tombstone" is a coming-of-age tale about life, love, and loss. It tells the story of a young woman searching for her place in life when faced with a surprise visitor.

Southwest's On The Rise platform began in 2017 with the launch of Destination: Red Rocks. This program spotlighted six up-and-coming musical artists from across the country with an opportunity to compete for an opening set performance at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre. The content-rich program drove engagement with new and current fans of the musicians and introduced these On The Rise acts to Southwest Customers. Building on the program's success, Southwest continued to expand On The Rise, partnering with other live music events like Luck Reunion to shine a light on new talent and offer access to and placement on coveted lineups. Southwest expanded its support of creatives to the writing community through the Southwest: Storytellers On The Rise writing contest, and included filmmakers through the adaptation of the story into a short film.