Nominees have been announced for the 76th annual Writers Guild Awards, and Star Trek: Picard squeaked in just under the wire.
The concluded Paramount+ quasi-revival saw its series finale nominated in the Episodic Drama category. Other first-time nominees include freshman shows Shrinking, The Last of Us, The Curse and The Diplomat.
More from TVLineThe Last of Us: Catherine O'Hara Confirmed for Season 2 Mystery RoleThe Diplomat Season 2: The West Wing's Allison Janney Elected Vice PresidentThe Last of Us Casts 100 Things to Do Before High School's Isabela Merced as Someone Very Important to Ellie
Of course, usual suspects like Succession,...
The concluded Paramount+ quasi-revival saw its series finale nominated in the Episodic Drama category. Other first-time nominees include freshman shows Shrinking, The Last of Us, The Curse and The Diplomat.
More from TVLineThe Last of Us: Catherine O'Hara Confirmed for Season 2 Mystery RoleThe Diplomat Season 2: The West Wing's Allison Janney Elected Vice PresidentThe Last of Us Casts 100 Things to Do Before High School's Isabela Merced as Someone Very Important to Ellie
Of course, usual suspects like Succession,...
- 2/21/2024
- by Michael Ausiello
- TVLine.com
Writing a feature film is easy. All you need is one gimmicky logline, as cheap and single-serving-disposable as a coffee pod from the complimentary hotel room K-Cup spinner. Once you stumble upon one of these so-called “high concept” ideas, the script practically writes, sells and produces itself. It’s creative work for stupid babies, as all filmmakers will surely agree–totally unlike, in other words, the act of conceptualizing an entire episodic series, a demonstration of storytelling virtuosity so complex and adult it straddles the border between ancient Euclidean geometry and New Age witchcraft.
Okay, so maybe that’s a little extreme. But for aspiring series creators and showrunners, structuring a workable, potentially long-running television concept requires imagination and problem-solving on both the micro- and macro- levels–a mastery of tone, plot and characterization across variable interlocking units of temporal storytelling: scenes, dramatic acts, full episodes, multi-episode arcs and complete seasons.
Okay, so maybe that’s a little extreme. But for aspiring series creators and showrunners, structuring a workable, potentially long-running television concept requires imagination and problem-solving on both the micro- and macro- levels–a mastery of tone, plot and characterization across variable interlocking units of temporal storytelling: scenes, dramatic acts, full episodes, multi-episode arcs and complete seasons.
- 2/15/2024
- by Film Independent
- Film Independent News & More
Paramount Global has chosen the nine writers who will participate in the Paramount Writers Mentoring Program for 2024-2025. Selected in the program’s 20th year are Jamil Akim O’Quinn, Wei Ling Chang, Adrian Colón Jr., Jai Franklin Sarki, Seth Harrington, Natalie Higdon, writing team Dijorn Moss & Trinea Moss and Nick Spates.
The Paramount Office of Global Inclusion helms the program. It is an eight-month-long program that provides mentorships, career development, support and personal access to executives and the decision-making processes for new writers in television. The program’s end goal is to prepare them for a television career.
For 16 weeks, participants will attend small workshop-style meetings with showrunners, executive producers, agents, managers and development and current executives to better understand how the writing and television business works. The writers are paired with an executive from the Paramount studio brands for regular meetings, fostering discussions about their work and receiving valuable...
The Paramount Office of Global Inclusion helms the program. It is an eight-month-long program that provides mentorships, career development, support and personal access to executives and the decision-making processes for new writers in television. The program’s end goal is to prepare them for a television career.
For 16 weeks, participants will attend small workshop-style meetings with showrunners, executive producers, agents, managers and development and current executives to better understand how the writing and television business works. The writers are paired with an executive from the Paramount studio brands for regular meetings, fostering discussions about their work and receiving valuable...
- 1/17/2024
- by Diego Ramos Bechara
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Trailblazing Pakistani movie Joyland has been picked up for U.S. distribution by Oscilloscope.
After becoming the first Pakistani movie to debut at Cannes, where it was awarded the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard category, and the Queer Palm, the film made more history by becoming Pakistan’s first film to make the Academy longlist for Best International Feature.
Written and directed by Saim Sadiq, and executive-produced by Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, Ramin Bahrani and Jemima Khan, the film charts the story of the youngest son in a traditional Pakistani family who takes a job as a backup dancer in a Bollywood-style burlesque. He quickly becomes infatuated with the strong-willed trans woman who runs the show. Starring are Ali Junejo, Rasti Farooq and Alina Khan.
Oscilloscope is planning a traditional theatrical release for the film later this year. WME Independent handled domestic rights and brokered the...
After becoming the first Pakistani movie to debut at Cannes, where it was awarded the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard category, and the Queer Palm, the film made more history by becoming Pakistan’s first film to make the Academy longlist for Best International Feature.
Written and directed by Saim Sadiq, and executive-produced by Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, Ramin Bahrani and Jemima Khan, the film charts the story of the youngest son in a traditional Pakistani family who takes a job as a backup dancer in a Bollywood-style burlesque. He quickly becomes infatuated with the strong-willed trans woman who runs the show. Starring are Ali Junejo, Rasti Farooq and Alina Khan.
Oscilloscope is planning a traditional theatrical release for the film later this year. WME Independent handled domestic rights and brokered the...
- 1/6/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Paramount Global has announced the seven writers who will be participating Writers Mentoring Program for 2023-2023. Currently in its 19th year and helmed by the Paramount Office of Global Inclusion, the eight-month program provides mentorships, access and opportunity for writers.
For 16 weeks, the writers will attend small workshop-style meetings with showrunners, executive producers, agents, managers, and development and current executives to gain a better understanding of how the business works from many different perspectives.
Each of the writers are paired with an executive from the Paramount studio brands including Paramount Television Studios, CBS Studios and CBS Television Network with whom they will meet on a regular basis to discuss their work and receive creative feedback on their material, advice and support in furthering their career.
“The Paramount Writers Mentoring Program has proven to be a force for change in our company and the industry at large,” said Tiffany Smith-Anoa’i, executive...
For 16 weeks, the writers will attend small workshop-style meetings with showrunners, executive producers, agents, managers, and development and current executives to gain a better understanding of how the business works from many different perspectives.
Each of the writers are paired with an executive from the Paramount studio brands including Paramount Television Studios, CBS Studios and CBS Television Network with whom they will meet on a regular basis to discuss their work and receive creative feedback on their material, advice and support in furthering their career.
“The Paramount Writers Mentoring Program has proven to be a force for change in our company and the industry at large,” said Tiffany Smith-Anoa’i, executive...
- 12/6/2022
- by Katie Campione
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
The Sundance Institute has eight new fellows.
The institute revealed today the latest crop of participants for its episodic program, inviting Britt Adams, Gianmarco Giacomelli, Naomi Ko, Ricardo Pérez González, Samantha Clay, Stephanie Adams-Santos, Sylvia Batey Alcalá and Tea Ho to join the six-day immersive program.
The episodic lab brings together fledgling writers with an original series IP that has not yet been produced and offers them the chance to work under the guidance of established showrunners, producers and executives. The 2022 installment begins today and will see the eight fellows workshop their pilot and participate in story meetings, case study screenings, panels and writers’ rooms.
Creative advisors this year include Daniel Chun (The Office), Shalisha Francis (The Wilds), Dara Resnik (The Horror of Dolores Roach), Erica Rivinoja (Clone High) Sanjay Shah (Central Park), April Shih (Fargo), Brandon Sonnier (S.W.A.T.) and Graham Yost (Justified...
The Sundance Institute has eight new fellows.
The institute revealed today the latest crop of participants for its episodic program, inviting Britt Adams, Gianmarco Giacomelli, Naomi Ko, Ricardo Pérez González, Samantha Clay, Stephanie Adams-Santos, Sylvia Batey Alcalá and Tea Ho to join the six-day immersive program.
The episodic lab brings together fledgling writers with an original series IP that has not yet been produced and offers them the chance to work under the guidance of established showrunners, producers and executives. The 2022 installment begins today and will see the eight fellows workshop their pilot and participate in story meetings, case study screenings, panels and writers’ rooms.
Creative advisors this year include Daniel Chun (The Office), Shalisha Francis (The Wilds), Dara Resnik (The Horror of Dolores Roach), Erica Rivinoja (Clone High) Sanjay Shah (Central Park), April Shih (Fargo), Brandon Sonnier (S.W.A.T.) and Graham Yost (Justified...
- 10/28/2022
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Sundance Institute has set the eight Fellows and projects for its 2022 Episodic Program, which will further the development of four live-action dramas, two live-action comedies, one adult animated comedy and one adult animated sci-fi thriller. The participants are Britt Adams (Onyx), Gianmarco Giacomelli (To Kill a Pope), Naomi Ko (The 20-Year Curse), Ricardo Pérez González (Orlando), Samantha Clay (The Growth), Stephanie Adams-Santos (Sad Girl), Sylvia Batey Alcalá (Blue Neptune) and Tea Ho (Oriental Town).
Sundance’s six-day program brings together writers in the early stages of their career with original series IP that has not yet been produced, allowing them to work closely with established showrunners, producers and executives. Starting today and throughout the next week, Fellows will workshop their pilot and participate in one-on-one story meetings, as well as case study screenings, panels and writers’ rooms focusing on their scripts.
Support from the Institute will continue after the Lab,...
Sundance’s six-day program brings together writers in the early stages of their career with original series IP that has not yet been produced, allowing them to work closely with established showrunners, producers and executives. Starting today and throughout the next week, Fellows will workshop their pilot and participate in one-on-one story meetings, as well as case study screenings, panels and writers’ rooms focusing on their scripts.
Support from the Institute will continue after the Lab,...
- 10/28/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Malala Yousafzai, who heads her own film and TV production company, Extracurricular Productions, is joining “Joyland,” Pakistan’s Oscar submission in the international feature category, as an executive producer.
The film had its world premiere at Cannes earlier this year where it won the jury prize at the festival’s Un Certain Regard strand. It subsequently had its North American premiere at Toronto.
It is currently playing at both the BFI London Film Festival, where it is competing for the Sutherland Award, which recognizes the most original and imaginative directorial debut, and the Busan International Film Festival, where it is in the A Window on Asian Cinema strand.
The tale of sexual revolt sees a patriarchal family yearn for the birth of a baby boy to continue the family line, while their youngest son secretly joins an erotic dance theater and falls for an ambitious transsexual starlet.
Yousafzai said: “I...
The film had its world premiere at Cannes earlier this year where it won the jury prize at the festival’s Un Certain Regard strand. It subsequently had its North American premiere at Toronto.
It is currently playing at both the BFI London Film Festival, where it is competing for the Sutherland Award, which recognizes the most original and imaginative directorial debut, and the Busan International Film Festival, where it is in the A Window on Asian Cinema strand.
The tale of sexual revolt sees a patriarchal family yearn for the birth of a baby boy to continue the family line, while their youngest son secretly joins an erotic dance theater and falls for an ambitious transsexual starlet.
Yousafzai said: “I...
- 10/5/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Film Independent has set the participants and projects for its sixth annual Episodic Lab — an intensive program, designed to provide individualized story and career development for emerging television writers with original pilots. The list includes Christopher Au (Cloak & Data), Miguel Orozco & Boris Rodriguez (East Los Aliens), Terry Dawson (Makeba) Gg Hawkins (Murder Podcast), Sarah Mokh (Room 099), and the duo of Ben Gonzales & Erica Bardin (The Deed).
This year’s Lab will be a two-week virtual program helping to further the careers of its Fellows by introducing them to industry veterans who can offer guidance on both the craft and business of writing episodic content. Through personalized feedback from experienced showrunners, creative producers and executives, Fellows will gain the tools to revise and refine their pilots and navigate a changing industry landscape. A final networking and pitch event will then offer participants the opportunity to introduce themselves and their work to studio and network executives.
This year’s Lab will be a two-week virtual program helping to further the careers of its Fellows by introducing them to industry veterans who can offer guidance on both the craft and business of writing episodic content. Through personalized feedback from experienced showrunners, creative producers and executives, Fellows will gain the tools to revise and refine their pilots and navigate a changing industry landscape. A final networking and pitch event will then offer participants the opportunity to introduce themselves and their work to studio and network executives.
- 9/20/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
April Shih and Jen Goyne Blake first met in 2017 at the Sundance Institute’s Episodic Story Lab, a program where up-and-coming TV writers workshop their pilot scripts in the idyllic environment of the Utah mountain resort. Blake, who had been a script analyst at William Morris, was there as the founding director of the lab, and Shih, who would go on to be a staff writer on shows like You’re the Worst, Mrs. America and Fargo, was there to work on a dramedy called Tilted.
“We saw the benefit of being able to go to a space somewhere in nature, away from your normal routine, and how that immediately drops you into your creative process,” says Shih of the Sundance Lab experience. Over the years, the duo stayed in touch and mused about working together someday and re-creating some of the magic they’d felt in Utah.
April Shih and Jen Goyne Blake first met in 2017 at the Sundance Institute’s Episodic Story Lab, a program where up-and-coming TV writers workshop their pilot scripts in the idyllic environment of the Utah mountain resort. Blake, who had been a script analyst at William Morris, was there as the founding director of the lab, and Shih, who would go on to be a staff writer on shows like You’re the Worst, Mrs. America and Fargo, was there to work on a dramedy called Tilted.
“We saw the benefit of being able to go to a space somewhere in nature, away from your normal routine, and how that immediately drops you into your creative process,” says Shih of the Sundance Lab experience. Over the years, the duo stayed in touch and mused about working together someday and re-creating some of the magic they’d felt in Utah.
- 9/13/2022
- by Rebecca Keegan
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Saim Sadiq’s feature debut, “Joyland,” returns to the world of erotic theater that he explored in his 2019 Venice and SXSW winner “Darling.”
“Joyland” will premiere at Cannes’ Un Certain Regard strand. The title, the first Pakistani film to be selected in Cannes, will vie for the Caméra d’Or.
The tale of sexual revolution sees a patriarchal family yearn for the birth of a baby boy to continue the family line, while their youngest son secretly joins an erotic dance theater and falls for an ambitious transsexual starlet.
Sadiq drew inspiration from his own family and a theater close to his home in Lahore. “I came from a very morally upright, middle-class conservative family, and to find out that this other world exists, literally like a 10-minute drive from my house, that I never knew of. It’s so different, the world of the theater, where sexuality is not...
“Joyland” will premiere at Cannes’ Un Certain Regard strand. The title, the first Pakistani film to be selected in Cannes, will vie for the Caméra d’Or.
The tale of sexual revolution sees a patriarchal family yearn for the birth of a baby boy to continue the family line, while their youngest son secretly joins an erotic dance theater and falls for an ambitious transsexual starlet.
Sadiq drew inspiration from his own family and a theater close to his home in Lahore. “I came from a very morally upright, middle-class conservative family, and to find out that this other world exists, literally like a 10-minute drive from my house, that I never knew of. It’s so different, the world of the theater, where sexuality is not...
- 5/22/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Condor has picked up French rights to Saim Sadiq’s drama “Joyland” ahead of its world premiere in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard. The title, the first Pakistani film to be selected in Cannes, will vie for the Caméra d’Or.
Film Constellation is representing international sales rights. WME Independent is representing North American rights.
Sadiq’s debut feature centers on the extended patriarchal Ranas family, who yearn for the birth of another boy. Meanwhile, their youngest son secretly joins an erotic dance theater and falls for an ambitious trans starlet. Their impossible love story slowly illuminates the entire Rana family’s desire for a sexual rebellion.
Condor’s slate also includes Joanna Hogg’s “The Souvenir Part I & II,” Kelly Reichardt’s “First Cow,” Paul Schrader’s “The Card Counter,” Kogonada’s “After Yang,” and Sundance 2022 Grand Jury Prize winner “Utama” by Alejandro Loayza Grisi.
Condor’s Alexis Mas said:...
Film Constellation is representing international sales rights. WME Independent is representing North American rights.
Sadiq’s debut feature centers on the extended patriarchal Ranas family, who yearn for the birth of another boy. Meanwhile, their youngest son secretly joins an erotic dance theater and falls for an ambitious trans starlet. Their impossible love story slowly illuminates the entire Rana family’s desire for a sexual rebellion.
Condor’s slate also includes Joanna Hogg’s “The Souvenir Part I & II,” Kelly Reichardt’s “First Cow,” Paul Schrader’s “The Card Counter,” Kogonada’s “After Yang,” and Sundance 2022 Grand Jury Prize winner “Utama” by Alejandro Loayza Grisi.
Condor’s Alexis Mas said:...
- 5/11/2022
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (Cape) celebrates the tenth anniversary of their New Writers Fellowship Program by ushering in a class of seven writers.
The New Writers Fellowship Program is a non-studio professional development program that trains emerging writers to succeed in Hollywood. The program boasts a reputable track record, placing graduates on over 50 shows across all major network, cable and streaming platforms in addition to those who have signed overall deals.
“In Cape’s research survey with the Geena Davis Institute, nearly 90 percent of Asian and Pacific Islander entertainment professionals we surveyed said they were often the only Asian or Pacific Islander person in the room,” said Michelle K. Sugihara, Executive Director of Cape. “That ultimately reflects what we see on screen and if we want to change the stories Hollywood tells, it starts with writers.”
The 2022 Cape fellows join a distinguished alumni network including April Shih...
The New Writers Fellowship Program is a non-studio professional development program that trains emerging writers to succeed in Hollywood. The program boasts a reputable track record, placing graduates on over 50 shows across all major network, cable and streaming platforms in addition to those who have signed overall deals.
“In Cape’s research survey with the Geena Davis Institute, nearly 90 percent of Asian and Pacific Islander entertainment professionals we surveyed said they were often the only Asian or Pacific Islander person in the room,” said Michelle K. Sugihara, Executive Director of Cape. “That ultimately reflects what we see on screen and if we want to change the stories Hollywood tells, it starts with writers.”
The 2022 Cape fellows join a distinguished alumni network including April Shih...
- 4/27/2022
- by Brandon Choe
- Deadline Film + TV
Film Constellation, a U.K- and France-based sales firm, has been appointed to handle international rights for “Joyland,” which is set to be the first Pakistan-made film in Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival. Sales duties will be shared with WME Independent, which is is representing North American rights.
The tale of sexual revolution sees a happily patriarchal joint family yearn for the birth of a baby boy to continue the family line, while their youngest son secretly joins an erotic dance theatre and falls for an ambitious transsexual starlet.
The film is the feature debut of writer and director Saim Sadiq, whose previous short film “Darling” won the Orizzonti Best Short Film award at the 2019 Venice Film Festival and was acquired for worldwide distribution by Focus Features.
The film stars Ali Junejo, Alina Khan, Rasti Farooq, Sarwat Gilani, Sohail Sameer, Salman Peerzada, and Sania Saeed. Cinematography is by Joe Saade.
The tale of sexual revolution sees a happily patriarchal joint family yearn for the birth of a baby boy to continue the family line, while their youngest son secretly joins an erotic dance theatre and falls for an ambitious transsexual starlet.
The film is the feature debut of writer and director Saim Sadiq, whose previous short film “Darling” won the Orizzonti Best Short Film award at the 2019 Venice Film Festival and was acquired for worldwide distribution by Focus Features.
The film stars Ali Junejo, Alina Khan, Rasti Farooq, Sarwat Gilani, Sohail Sameer, Salman Peerzada, and Sania Saeed. Cinematography is by Joe Saade.
- 4/22/2022
- by Patrick Frater and Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
ViacomCBS announced the seven writers selected out of 1,000 applicants to participate in the Writers Mentoring Program for 2021-2022. Currently in its 18th year and helmed by the ViacomCBS Office of Global Inclusion, the program provides mentorships, access and opportunity for writers.
The eight-month mentoring program pairs writers with ViacomCBS executive mentors, who help them develop a new piece of material. Following the mentorship period, the writers participate in a 16-week workshop designed to teach them everything about the television business, as well as provide them access to agents, managers, executives, showrunners and producers.
“By focusing on professional growth and supporting these emerging writers in their craft, our Writers Mentoring Program helps to provide opportunities and build relationships with network executives and showrunners,” said Tiffany Smith-Anoa’i, Executive Vice President, Entertainment Diversity and Inclusion, Global Inclusion, ViacomCBS.
“Many of our participants from last year are now staffed on network shows, including the...
The eight-month mentoring program pairs writers with ViacomCBS executive mentors, who help them develop a new piece of material. Following the mentorship period, the writers participate in a 16-week workshop designed to teach them everything about the television business, as well as provide them access to agents, managers, executives, showrunners and producers.
“By focusing on professional growth and supporting these emerging writers in their craft, our Writers Mentoring Program helps to provide opportunities and build relationships with network executives and showrunners,” said Tiffany Smith-Anoa’i, Executive Vice President, Entertainment Diversity and Inclusion, Global Inclusion, ViacomCBS.
“Many of our participants from last year are now staffed on network shows, including the...
- 11/17/2021
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Film Independent has selected six women from underrepresented communities for its fifth annual Episodic Lab, also naming the recipient of this year’s grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
The writers selected, who will hone their original pilots during their time in the Lab, are Carmen Brie, Marissa Díaz, Razan Ghalayini, Steph Ouaknine, Lisa Sanaye Dring and Anna Vecellio.
Vecellio is also the recipient of the $10,000 Alfred P. Sloan Episodic Grant, and will use these funds to support the development of her pilot, Mary Mallon, uncovering the true story of the Irish-born cook otherwise known as Typhoid Mary.
This year’s Episodic Lab will be a two-week virtual program helping to further the careers of its Fellows by introducing them to industry veterans, including showrunners, creative producers and executives, who can offer guidance on both the craft and business of writing episodic content. A final networking and pitch event...
The writers selected, who will hone their original pilots during their time in the Lab, are Carmen Brie, Marissa Díaz, Razan Ghalayini, Steph Ouaknine, Lisa Sanaye Dring and Anna Vecellio.
Vecellio is also the recipient of the $10,000 Alfred P. Sloan Episodic Grant, and will use these funds to support the development of her pilot, Mary Mallon, uncovering the true story of the Irish-born cook otherwise known as Typhoid Mary.
This year’s Episodic Lab will be a two-week virtual program helping to further the careers of its Fellows by introducing them to industry veterans, including showrunners, creative producers and executives, who can offer guidance on both the craft and business of writing episodic content. A final networking and pitch event...
- 8/26/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Giant Leap Accelerator has officially launched its first 12-week developmental program that will focus on cultivating new Asian/Pacific American (APA) stories, Variety has exclusively learned.
Over the course of the 12-week program, eight emerging Aapi writers will be mentored by seven television and film writing veterans. Each writer will meet with their dedicated mentor once a week to elevate the scripts, create pitch materials and set up pitch practices. Final Draft also provided a copy of its screenwriting software for all the mentees.
The first set of mentees are Lisa Sanaye Dring, writing duo Lee Hubilla and Tea Ho, Ben Kim, Ryan Kim, Julie Lew, Kevin Ramlal and Ivan Tsang.
Writing mentors include Lana Cho, Sasie Sealy, Matt K. Turner, Dennis Lee, Diane Paragas, Matthew Okumura and April Shih.
The program also consists of six panels, fireside chats and masterclasses that are created to help the mentees learn how to navigate the industry.
Over the course of the 12-week program, eight emerging Aapi writers will be mentored by seven television and film writing veterans. Each writer will meet with their dedicated mentor once a week to elevate the scripts, create pitch materials and set up pitch practices. Final Draft also provided a copy of its screenwriting software for all the mentees.
The first set of mentees are Lisa Sanaye Dring, writing duo Lee Hubilla and Tea Ho, Ben Kim, Ryan Kim, Julie Lew, Kevin Ramlal and Ivan Tsang.
Writing mentors include Lana Cho, Sasie Sealy, Matt K. Turner, Dennis Lee, Diane Paragas, Matthew Okumura and April Shih.
The program also consists of six panels, fireside chats and masterclasses that are created to help the mentees learn how to navigate the industry.
- 7/7/2021
- by Antonio Ferme
- Variety Film + TV
April Shih, contributing writer on several successful FX series including “Dave,” “Mrs. America” and “You’re the Worst,” has signed an overall deal with FX Productions. Under the terms of the deal, Shih will develop new original content for the studio through her production banner Diversity Hire Ltd., newly formed with producing partner Jen Goyne Blake.
“April is a truly versatile writer and we appreciate and admire everything she has contributed to series as varied as ‘You’re the Worst,’ ‘Mrs. America’ and ‘Dave’,” said Gina Balian, president of original programming at FX. “April has FX’s full support in developing her own shows and are excited about her company’s efforts to champion other original voices to help us at FX create the next generation of programming.”
“I’m so incredibly honored to be a part of the FX family,” added Shih. “It has truly been a privilege to work on several of FX’s original,...
“April is a truly versatile writer and we appreciate and admire everything she has contributed to series as varied as ‘You’re the Worst,’ ‘Mrs. America’ and ‘Dave’,” said Gina Balian, president of original programming at FX. “April has FX’s full support in developing her own shows and are excited about her company’s efforts to champion other original voices to help us at FX create the next generation of programming.”
“I’m so incredibly honored to be a part of the FX family,” added Shih. “It has truly been a privilege to work on several of FX’s original,...
- 6/16/2021
- by Mónica Marie Zorrilla
- Variety Film + TV
April Shih, who has written on FX series including Dave, Mrs. America and You’re The Worst, is staying in business with the Disney-owned cabler.
Shih has struck an overall deal with FX Productions and is launching her own production company Diversity Hire Ltd.
She will develop content for FX through the company, which Shih will run with Jen Goyne Blake, who was a founding director of the Episodic Lab at the Sundance Institute, where she met Shih through her project Tilting.
Her first project for FX is a half-hour series, Love Rules, produced by Larry Wilmore, The District, Joanna Coles, and ABC Studios.
Shih is a Los Angeles-based television writer and producer, who spent two years playing poker in Las Vegas before pursuing a degree in playwriting at Cal State Northridge. She has also written on Amazon’s Undone and was involved in USA Network’s aborted Evel Knieval drama starring Milo Ventimiglia.
Shih has struck an overall deal with FX Productions and is launching her own production company Diversity Hire Ltd.
She will develop content for FX through the company, which Shih will run with Jen Goyne Blake, who was a founding director of the Episodic Lab at the Sundance Institute, where she met Shih through her project Tilting.
Her first project for FX is a half-hour series, Love Rules, produced by Larry Wilmore, The District, Joanna Coles, and ABC Studios.
Shih is a Los Angeles-based television writer and producer, who spent two years playing poker in Las Vegas before pursuing a degree in playwriting at Cal State Northridge. She has also written on Amazon’s Undone and was involved in USA Network’s aborted Evel Knieval drama starring Milo Ventimiglia.
- 6/16/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Writer April Shih, who has written for several FX series, is formalizing her relationship with the cable outlet.
Shih — who has worked on Dave, Mrs. America and You’re the Worst — has signed an overall deal with FX Productions, where she and producing partner Jen Goyne Blake will develop projects via their newly formed production company, Diversity Hire Ltd.
“April is a truly versatile writer and we appreciate and admire everything she has contributed to series as varied as You’re the Worst, Mrs. America and Dave,” said Gina Balian, president original programming at FX. “April has FX’s full support in developing ...
Shih — who has worked on Dave, Mrs. America and You’re the Worst — has signed an overall deal with FX Productions, where she and producing partner Jen Goyne Blake will develop projects via their newly formed production company, Diversity Hire Ltd.
“April is a truly versatile writer and we appreciate and admire everything she has contributed to series as varied as You’re the Worst, Mrs. America and Dave,” said Gina Balian, president original programming at FX. “April has FX’s full support in developing ...
- 6/16/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Writer April Shih, who has written for several FX series, is formalizing her relationship with the cable outlet.
Shih — who has worked on Dave, Mrs. America and You’re the Worst — has signed an overall deal with FX Productions, where she and producing partner Jen Goyne Blake will develop projects via their newly formed production company, Diversity Hire Ltd.
“April is a truly versatile writer and we appreciate and admire everything she has contributed to series as varied as You’re the Worst, Mrs. America and Dave,” said Gina Balian, president original programming at FX. “April has FX’s full support in developing ...
Shih — who has worked on Dave, Mrs. America and You’re the Worst — has signed an overall deal with FX Productions, where she and producing partner Jen Goyne Blake will develop projects via their newly formed production company, Diversity Hire Ltd.
“April is a truly versatile writer and we appreciate and admire everything she has contributed to series as varied as You’re the Worst, Mrs. America and Dave,” said Gina Balian, president original programming at FX. “April has FX’s full support in developing ...
- 6/16/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: The Asian and Asian American community in the country has had a rough couple of weeks. One could also argue they have had a rough couple of years — or even decades — since the first Asian set foot on the soil of America. Nonetheless, now is the time for authentic, humanizing representation of Asian and Asian Americans to bolster community morale and to bring light to a time when things seem so dark.
The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (Cape) and major industry partners have launched the ninth annual Cape New Writers Fellowship, the premier non-studio professional development program that trains emerging writers to succeed in Hollywood. The fellowship boasts multiple showrunners and graduates that have been staffed on over 50 shows across all major network, cable, and streaming platforms.
Led by top industry writers, producers, agents and executives, the Fellowship was co-founded and is co-chaired by Steve Tao and Leo Chu. The sessions include master classes, panels, and workshops, as well as writing labs, in which Fellows revise their scripts under one-on-one mentorship with high-level industry professionals.
This year’s mentors and speakers include Monica Macer, Melinda Hsu Taylor, Sunil Nayar, Teresa Hsiao, Alexander Woo, Albert Kim, Tanuj Chopra, Kyle Harimoto, Jason Ning, Vicky Luu, Cherry Chevapravatdumrong, Nazrin Choudhury, and April Shih, who has the special distinction of being the first alumni of the Cape Fellowship to return as a mentor.
“For the past 30 years, Cape has fought to break barriers in entertainment for our stories to be heard because we all know racism is not new,” said Michelle K. Sugihara, Cape Executive Director. “Dehumanizing tropes in media such as the Yellow Peril, Perpetual Foreigner, and Model Minority leads directly to physical violence against us in the real world, which is why this is more than a representation issue, it’s a social justice issue.”
The participants of the 2021 Cape New Writers Fellowship are:
Bryson Chun is a Hawaiian filmmaker who has produced films that have screened for PBS, The Smithsonian Museum, The Criterion Collection, and festivals worldwide. He was a screenwriting fellow for Sundance, imagineNATIVE, LA Skins, and ‘Ohina Labs. Most recently, he was selected for The Blacklist’s Inaugural Indigenous List, which spotlights some of the best Indigenous film and television writers working within the U.S. Darek Cioch is a Korean and Polish American writer from Seattle. After studying film at the University of California, Santa Barbara, he began his entertainment career working for Anonymous Content and HBO. Since then he has been a writers’ assistant for television shows on ABC, NBC and FX. Darek is currently a researcher on FX’s Impeachment: American Crime Story. Jane Yubin Kim is a Korean American writer and performer based in Los Angeles. After graduating from Ucsb where she studied film, she worked in post production and regularly performed and wrote comedy at the Upright Citizens’ Brigade, where she was a Ucb Diversity scholarship recipient. She is repped by Authentic. Kyle Kubo & Fatima Liaqat are a comedy writing duo/life duo who first collaborated at BuzzFeed writing and producing viral videos. Kyle is biracial Japanese/white, Fatima is a queer, disabled Pakistani, and together they have a passion for writing comedy scripts that blend with other genres from musicals to sci-fi to horror and historical fiction. Their work has placed in Austin Film Festival and the WeScreenplay Diverse Voices competition and has been showcased at Ucb theater stage, Vice, Vanity Fair, Bustle, Thrillist and more. Olive Song is a Chinese-American writer from the suburbs of Georgia. After surviving homelessness, foster care, and a professional figure skating career, they moved on to earn an Mfa in screenwriting from USC. A part-time YouTube binger and a full-time storyteller, Olive has worked with both the Sundance Institute and Participant Media and is currently a Showrunner’s Assistant for an upcoming hour-long TV drama. Vinita Mehta & Richard Nguyen were raised by immigrants, and went on to study psychology at Columbia and Harvard, respectively. Their writing is informed by shared experiences in TV news and documentary production, providing psychotherapy, and D&i consulting. Their screenplays have been a Cinequest Top Ten Finalist, Humanitas New Voices Finalist, and Tracking Board’s Top 100 Pilots and Winner of the Mentorship Prize. Sonali Mehta is a TV writer’s assistant and former video game story editor. A genre-agnostic, all of Sonali’s writing centers around one relevant and complex theme. Sonali’s favorite shows include Succession, Breaking Bad, and Killing Eve. She is repped by Tulsea. Yugo Nakamura grew up in Tokyo as a half-Japanese, half-Jewish boy who spoke mostly Japanese. His family abruptly moved to NYC just before high school. Film and TV is what got him through the intense culture shock, which lead to his undergraduate film degree. Yugo had a career in postproduction before he set out to earn his Mfa in Screenwriting at the AFI Conservatory, graduating in 2020.
After graduating from the fellowship, the participants join a distinguished roster of alumni including Bo Yeon Kim & Erika Lippoldt (Star Trek: Section 31), Lauren Moon, Julie Wong (Grey’s Anatomy), Brian Shin (The Good Doctor), Eileen Shim (House of the Dragon), Kevin Lau, Helen Shang, Lisa Bao (Nancy Drew), Aaron Ho (Fresh Off the Boat), Tania Lotia (Witcher: Blood Origin), Nikhil Jayaram (Shades of Blue), Marisa Tam (L.A.’s Finest), Franklin jin Rho (Pachinko), Allyssa Lee (Charmed), Teresa Huang (MacGyver), Thomas Wong (Good Trouble), Jeremy Hsu (Jimmy Kimmel: Live!), Ken Kobayashi (Hit Monkey), Chris Wu (Man in High Castle), Joanne Lee (Coop and Cami Ask the World), Gabriel Ho (Clarice), Andrew N. Wong (Superman & Lois), D. Dona Le (FBI: Most Wanted), Nathan Ramos-Park (Club Mickey Mouse), Leonard Chang (Snowfall), Ken Cheng (House of Chow) and Iram Parveen Bilal (I’ll Meet You There), among others.
The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (Cape) and major industry partners have launched the ninth annual Cape New Writers Fellowship, the premier non-studio professional development program that trains emerging writers to succeed in Hollywood. The fellowship boasts multiple showrunners and graduates that have been staffed on over 50 shows across all major network, cable, and streaming platforms.
Led by top industry writers, producers, agents and executives, the Fellowship was co-founded and is co-chaired by Steve Tao and Leo Chu. The sessions include master classes, panels, and workshops, as well as writing labs, in which Fellows revise their scripts under one-on-one mentorship with high-level industry professionals.
This year’s mentors and speakers include Monica Macer, Melinda Hsu Taylor, Sunil Nayar, Teresa Hsiao, Alexander Woo, Albert Kim, Tanuj Chopra, Kyle Harimoto, Jason Ning, Vicky Luu, Cherry Chevapravatdumrong, Nazrin Choudhury, and April Shih, who has the special distinction of being the first alumni of the Cape Fellowship to return as a mentor.
“For the past 30 years, Cape has fought to break barriers in entertainment for our stories to be heard because we all know racism is not new,” said Michelle K. Sugihara, Cape Executive Director. “Dehumanizing tropes in media such as the Yellow Peril, Perpetual Foreigner, and Model Minority leads directly to physical violence against us in the real world, which is why this is more than a representation issue, it’s a social justice issue.”
The participants of the 2021 Cape New Writers Fellowship are:
Bryson Chun is a Hawaiian filmmaker who has produced films that have screened for PBS, The Smithsonian Museum, The Criterion Collection, and festivals worldwide. He was a screenwriting fellow for Sundance, imagineNATIVE, LA Skins, and ‘Ohina Labs. Most recently, he was selected for The Blacklist’s Inaugural Indigenous List, which spotlights some of the best Indigenous film and television writers working within the U.S. Darek Cioch is a Korean and Polish American writer from Seattle. After studying film at the University of California, Santa Barbara, he began his entertainment career working for Anonymous Content and HBO. Since then he has been a writers’ assistant for television shows on ABC, NBC and FX. Darek is currently a researcher on FX’s Impeachment: American Crime Story. Jane Yubin Kim is a Korean American writer and performer based in Los Angeles. After graduating from Ucsb where she studied film, she worked in post production and regularly performed and wrote comedy at the Upright Citizens’ Brigade, where she was a Ucb Diversity scholarship recipient. She is repped by Authentic. Kyle Kubo & Fatima Liaqat are a comedy writing duo/life duo who first collaborated at BuzzFeed writing and producing viral videos. Kyle is biracial Japanese/white, Fatima is a queer, disabled Pakistani, and together they have a passion for writing comedy scripts that blend with other genres from musicals to sci-fi to horror and historical fiction. Their work has placed in Austin Film Festival and the WeScreenplay Diverse Voices competition and has been showcased at Ucb theater stage, Vice, Vanity Fair, Bustle, Thrillist and more. Olive Song is a Chinese-American writer from the suburbs of Georgia. After surviving homelessness, foster care, and a professional figure skating career, they moved on to earn an Mfa in screenwriting from USC. A part-time YouTube binger and a full-time storyteller, Olive has worked with both the Sundance Institute and Participant Media and is currently a Showrunner’s Assistant for an upcoming hour-long TV drama. Vinita Mehta & Richard Nguyen were raised by immigrants, and went on to study psychology at Columbia and Harvard, respectively. Their writing is informed by shared experiences in TV news and documentary production, providing psychotherapy, and D&i consulting. Their screenplays have been a Cinequest Top Ten Finalist, Humanitas New Voices Finalist, and Tracking Board’s Top 100 Pilots and Winner of the Mentorship Prize. Sonali Mehta is a TV writer’s assistant and former video game story editor. A genre-agnostic, all of Sonali’s writing centers around one relevant and complex theme. Sonali’s favorite shows include Succession, Breaking Bad, and Killing Eve. She is repped by Tulsea. Yugo Nakamura grew up in Tokyo as a half-Japanese, half-Jewish boy who spoke mostly Japanese. His family abruptly moved to NYC just before high school. Film and TV is what got him through the intense culture shock, which lead to his undergraduate film degree. Yugo had a career in postproduction before he set out to earn his Mfa in Screenwriting at the AFI Conservatory, graduating in 2020.
After graduating from the fellowship, the participants join a distinguished roster of alumni including Bo Yeon Kim & Erika Lippoldt (Star Trek: Section 31), Lauren Moon, Julie Wong (Grey’s Anatomy), Brian Shin (The Good Doctor), Eileen Shim (House of the Dragon), Kevin Lau, Helen Shang, Lisa Bao (Nancy Drew), Aaron Ho (Fresh Off the Boat), Tania Lotia (Witcher: Blood Origin), Nikhil Jayaram (Shades of Blue), Marisa Tam (L.A.’s Finest), Franklin jin Rho (Pachinko), Allyssa Lee (Charmed), Teresa Huang (MacGyver), Thomas Wong (Good Trouble), Jeremy Hsu (Jimmy Kimmel: Live!), Ken Kobayashi (Hit Monkey), Chris Wu (Man in High Castle), Joanne Lee (Coop and Cami Ask the World), Gabriel Ho (Clarice), Andrew N. Wong (Superman & Lois), D. Dona Le (FBI: Most Wanted), Nathan Ramos-Park (Club Mickey Mouse), Leonard Chang (Snowfall), Ken Cheng (House of Chow) and Iram Parveen Bilal (I’ll Meet You There), among others.
- 3/29/2021
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Virtual ceremony took place on Sunday evening (March 21).
In the latest boost to ascendant campaigns, Emerald Fennell and Sacha Baron Cohen have won top honours at the Writers Guild Of America’s (WGA) awards.
Promising Young Woman writer-director Fennell took the original screenplay award at the virtual 73rd Writers Guild Awards on Sunday (March 21), less than a week after the Focus Features release earned five Oscar nominations including recognition in writing and directing categories.
Baron Cohen led the writing team on Amazon Studios’ Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, whose WGA adapted screenplay win follows Oscar nods for that category and supporting actress.
In the latest boost to ascendant campaigns, Emerald Fennell and Sacha Baron Cohen have won top honours at the Writers Guild Of America’s (WGA) awards.
Promising Young Woman writer-director Fennell took the original screenplay award at the virtual 73rd Writers Guild Awards on Sunday (March 21), less than a week after the Focus Features release earned five Oscar nominations including recognition in writing and directing categories.
Baron Cohen led the writing team on Amazon Studios’ Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, whose WGA adapted screenplay win follows Oscar nods for that category and supporting actress.
- 3/22/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
The Writers Guild of America announced their WGA Awards TV nominations for on Wednesday, February 3. After getting just one bid from the Golden Globes earlier in the day, AMC’s “Better Call Saul” rebounded to top all shows with five nominations including for Drama Series along with Amazon Studios’ “The Boys,” Disney +’s “The Mandalorian” and Netflix’s “The Crown” and “Ozark.”
Hulu lands two shows in contention for Comedy Series with “The Great” and “PEN15,” making the streaming service the only company to score multiple nominees in the category. They are joined by HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” Apple TV+’s “Ted Lasso” and FX’s “What We Do in the Shadows.”
Another notable feat belongs to “The Simpsons,” which dominates the animation category with four of the six nominations. Despite premiering over 30 years ago, the Fox series shows no signs of writer’s fatigue. “Bob’s Burgers” and “BoJack Horseman...
Hulu lands two shows in contention for Comedy Series with “The Great” and “PEN15,” making the streaming service the only company to score multiple nominees in the category. They are joined by HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” Apple TV+’s “Ted Lasso” and FX’s “What We Do in the Shadows.”
Another notable feat belongs to “The Simpsons,” which dominates the animation category with four of the six nominations. Despite premiering over 30 years ago, the Fox series shows no signs of writer’s fatigue. “Bob’s Burgers” and “BoJack Horseman...
- 2/4/2021
- by Denton Davidson
- Gold Derby
The WGA on Wednesday unveiled nominations for its 2021 WGA Awards in the categories of TV, new media, news, radio/audio and promotional writing during 2020. Winners will be honored March 21 in a virtual ceremony.
AMC’s Better Call Saul topped all shows with five nominations including for Drama Series, joining a list that includes Amazon Studios’ The Boys, Netflix’s The Crown (which led the way on the TV side at the Golden Globe nominations earlier today) and Ozark and Disney+’s The Mandalorian.
Also making noise today is Hulu, the only other company to have multiple noms in the top categories; it scored in Comedy with Tony McNamara’s The Great and Pen15 and FX on Hulu’s What We Do in the Shadows, which are joined in the race by HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm and Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso.
Lasso is also nominated in the New Series,...
AMC’s Better Call Saul topped all shows with five nominations including for Drama Series, joining a list that includes Amazon Studios’ The Boys, Netflix’s The Crown (which led the way on the TV side at the Golden Globe nominations earlier today) and Ozark and Disney+’s The Mandalorian.
Also making noise today is Hulu, the only other company to have multiple noms in the top categories; it scored in Comedy with Tony McNamara’s The Great and Pen15 and FX on Hulu’s What We Do in the Shadows, which are joined in the race by HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm and Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso.
Lasso is also nominated in the New Series,...
- 2/3/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
The nominations for the 2021 Writers Guild Award TV categories were announced on Wednesday, with streaming series dominating the lineup.
Both the drama series and the comedy series categories were majority streaming, with hits like “The Queen’s Gambit,” “The Mandalorian,” “The Crown” and “Ozark” sitting alongside fan-favorites like “PEN15,” “The Great” and “Ted Lasso.” Other nominees included HBO Max’s “The Flight Attendant,” HBO’s “Lovecraft Country” and Showtime’s “Good Lord Bird.
“Better Call Saul” also landed three additional nominations for individual episodes, with “Ozark” picking up another. “The Great” and “Ted Lasso” both picked up nomination for individual episodes as well as for Best New Series.
Comedy and variety nominees included Peacock’s fledgling late-night show, “The Amber Ruffin Show,” Amazon’s “Yearly Departed,” the one-off “30 Rock” reunion special and Stephen Colbert’s 2020 election coverage on Showtime.
Nominations in the film categories will be announced later this month,...
Both the drama series and the comedy series categories were majority streaming, with hits like “The Queen’s Gambit,” “The Mandalorian,” “The Crown” and “Ozark” sitting alongside fan-favorites like “PEN15,” “The Great” and “Ted Lasso.” Other nominees included HBO Max’s “The Flight Attendant,” HBO’s “Lovecraft Country” and Showtime’s “Good Lord Bird.
“Better Call Saul” also landed three additional nominations for individual episodes, with “Ozark” picking up another. “The Great” and “Ted Lasso” both picked up nomination for individual episodes as well as for Best New Series.
Comedy and variety nominees included Peacock’s fledgling late-night show, “The Amber Ruffin Show,” Amazon’s “Yearly Departed,” the one-off “30 Rock” reunion special and Stephen Colbert’s 2020 election coverage on Showtime.
Nominations in the film categories will be announced later this month,...
- 2/3/2021
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
“Better Call Saul” are among the top nominees for this year’s Writers Guild Awards, landing a nod for best drama series, as well as three nominations in the episodic drama category. “The Simpsons” landed four nominations in best animation, while newcomers “Ted Lasso” and “The Great” both scored nominations in best comedy, new series and episodic comedy. Winners will be honored at a joint 2021 Writers Guild Awards virtual ceremony on Sunday, March 21, 2021. Here’s the complete list of nominations, announced on Wednesday morning:
Drama Series
“Better Call Saul,” Written by Ann Cherkis, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Ariel Levine, Heather Marion, Thomas Schnauz, Gordon Smith, Alison Tatlock; AMC
“The Boys,” Written by Eric Kripke, Ellie Monahan, Anslem Richardson, Craig Rosenberg, Michael Saltzman, Rebecca Sonnenshine; Amazon Prime Video
“The Crown,” Written by Peter Morgan, Jonathan Wilson; Netflix
“The Mandalorian,” Written by Rick Famuyiwa, Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni; Disney Plus
“Ozark,” Written by Laura Deeley,...
Drama Series
“Better Call Saul,” Written by Ann Cherkis, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Ariel Levine, Heather Marion, Thomas Schnauz, Gordon Smith, Alison Tatlock; AMC
“The Boys,” Written by Eric Kripke, Ellie Monahan, Anslem Richardson, Craig Rosenberg, Michael Saltzman, Rebecca Sonnenshine; Amazon Prime Video
“The Crown,” Written by Peter Morgan, Jonathan Wilson; Netflix
“The Mandalorian,” Written by Rick Famuyiwa, Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni; Disney Plus
“Ozark,” Written by Laura Deeley,...
- 2/3/2021
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: As the Asian and Asian American community in Hollywood continues to bask in the awards season victories of Lulu Wang’s The Farewell and Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (Cape) looks to add to Asian representation with the eighth annual Cape New Writers Fellowship. Partnering with major industry partners, Cape will launch the professional development program which trains emerging writers to succeed in Hollywood.
“As reflected by the Asian and Pacific Islander sweep of the Oscars screenwriting awards last night (original and adapted), it is clear stories written by our community have mainstream appeal,” said Michelle K. Sugihara, Cape Executive Director. “Pipeline programs like the Cape New Writers Fellowship are critical to provide a springboard into the industry and to elevate authentic storytelling.”
Led by top industry writers, producers, agents and executives, the Fellowship was co-founded and is co-chaired by Steve Tao and Leo Chu (Creator/Showrunner of Supah Ninjas and Afro Samurai; Batman Ninja screenwriter).
Fellows will participate in masterclasses and writing labs where they will receive one-on-one mentorship with industry professional including Walter Hamada, Adele Lim, Amy Rardin (Co-Creator/Ep of Charmed), Alex Tse (Co-Creator/Ep of Wu-Tang: An American Saga), Monica Macer (Showrunner/Ep of Gente-fied), Melinda Hsu Taylor (Showrunner/Ep of Nancy Drew), Laverne McKinnon, Jonathan King, and Lana Cho (Co-ep Four Weddings and a Funeral).
Below you can read the bios of the 2020 Cape New Writers Fellowship participants:
Chrissie De Guzman received her Mfa in Film and Television production at USC. She is a storyteller defined by curiosity of the Filipina & Queer experience, pushing mainstream boundaries in hopes to create a platform of non-traditional content. Her work has been exhibited at Outfest and other festivals, and she is the 2019-2020 Viacom ViewFinder: Emerging Director’s Program Fellow for the MTV network. Daniel J. Park is a Korean-American writer originally from Queens, NY. He studied screenwriting at Emerson College and currently works as the assistant to The Walking Deadcreator Robert Kirkman at his multiplatform entertainment company, Skybound. When he’s not writing, Daniel trains rigorously in multiple martial arts disciplines. He is repped by Eric Borja at Alldayeveryday. Dona Le grew up in the Bay Area, where she was an award-winning pianist who performed internationally. After graduating from Harvard, Dona earned an M.Phil in Literature at Trinity College Dublin. Dona currently serves as the Executive Director of Harvardwood, an arts, media, and entertainment nonprofit. Peter H. Lee is a Los Angeles native and the son of a poet. He attended the University of California, Irvine and has been featured on This American Life. He has survived limb loss, cancer, and evangelical Christian high school and currently works at a video game company where he helps produce a multiplayer online game. Nic Chatree Sridej is a second-generation Thai American genre writer from Dacula, Georgia. After studying journalism and theater at Piedmont College, he earned an Mfa in screenwriting from Florida State University. A semi-professional magician since middle school, Nic is currently the Showrunner’s assistant on American Gods and is managed by First Friday Entertainment. Nina Mohan is a Sri Lankan-American writer and producer, born and raised in the west suburbs of Chicago. After earning a BA in Creative Writing and a Bfa in Vocal Performance from Carnegie Mellon University, Nina moved to Los Angeles. While pursuing writing, Nina makes viral videos and articles working as a producer and writer for BuzzFeed. Niki Ang is a queer, Singaporean-Chinese American writer and director. She has spent the past several years as a full-stack producer/director at BuzzFeed Motion Pictures. Her short Were You Gay In High School?, will be on the festival circuit in 2020. A quintessential middle child, she currently lives in Los Angeles with her wife and the best cat in the world. Sam Boyer is a writer from Rockville, MD and holds degrees from the USC in film and business. He recently earned an Mfa from the Michener Center for Writers at Ut-Austin and was a finalist for the Universal Emerging Writers Fellowship and Tfi Sloan Student Discovery Award.
Alumni of the Fellowship include Bo Yeon Kim & Erika Lippoldt, Julie Wong (Grey’s Anatomy), Brian Shin (The Good Doctor), Helen Shang, Lisa Bao (Nancy Drew), Aaron Ho (Fresh Off The Boat), April Shih, Tania Lotia (Carnival Row), Teresa Huang (Seal Team), Thomas Wong (Good Trouble), Lauren Moon (Atypical), Chris Wu (Man in High Castle), Nathan Ramos Park (Club Mickey Mouse), Leonard Chang (Snowfall); Ken Cheng (House of Chow) among others.
This year’s fellowship partners include NBCUniversal, Hollywood Foreign Press Association, The Walt Disney Studios and Walt Disney Television, Amazon Studios, Pearl Studio, Warner Bros., Los Angeles County Arts and Culture, as well as in-kind partners Final Draft, The Black List, Film Independent, and Boo’s. Venue sponsors include NBCUniversal, The Writers Guild of America Foundation, The Gotham Group, Skybound Entertainment, Emerson College Los Angeles, Iw Group, and The CW.
“As reflected by the Asian and Pacific Islander sweep of the Oscars screenwriting awards last night (original and adapted), it is clear stories written by our community have mainstream appeal,” said Michelle K. Sugihara, Cape Executive Director. “Pipeline programs like the Cape New Writers Fellowship are critical to provide a springboard into the industry and to elevate authentic storytelling.”
Led by top industry writers, producers, agents and executives, the Fellowship was co-founded and is co-chaired by Steve Tao and Leo Chu (Creator/Showrunner of Supah Ninjas and Afro Samurai; Batman Ninja screenwriter).
Fellows will participate in masterclasses and writing labs where they will receive one-on-one mentorship with industry professional including Walter Hamada, Adele Lim, Amy Rardin (Co-Creator/Ep of Charmed), Alex Tse (Co-Creator/Ep of Wu-Tang: An American Saga), Monica Macer (Showrunner/Ep of Gente-fied), Melinda Hsu Taylor (Showrunner/Ep of Nancy Drew), Laverne McKinnon, Jonathan King, and Lana Cho (Co-ep Four Weddings and a Funeral).
Below you can read the bios of the 2020 Cape New Writers Fellowship participants:
Chrissie De Guzman received her Mfa in Film and Television production at USC. She is a storyteller defined by curiosity of the Filipina & Queer experience, pushing mainstream boundaries in hopes to create a platform of non-traditional content. Her work has been exhibited at Outfest and other festivals, and she is the 2019-2020 Viacom ViewFinder: Emerging Director’s Program Fellow for the MTV network. Daniel J. Park is a Korean-American writer originally from Queens, NY. He studied screenwriting at Emerson College and currently works as the assistant to The Walking Deadcreator Robert Kirkman at his multiplatform entertainment company, Skybound. When he’s not writing, Daniel trains rigorously in multiple martial arts disciplines. He is repped by Eric Borja at Alldayeveryday. Dona Le grew up in the Bay Area, where she was an award-winning pianist who performed internationally. After graduating from Harvard, Dona earned an M.Phil in Literature at Trinity College Dublin. Dona currently serves as the Executive Director of Harvardwood, an arts, media, and entertainment nonprofit. Peter H. Lee is a Los Angeles native and the son of a poet. He attended the University of California, Irvine and has been featured on This American Life. He has survived limb loss, cancer, and evangelical Christian high school and currently works at a video game company where he helps produce a multiplayer online game. Nic Chatree Sridej is a second-generation Thai American genre writer from Dacula, Georgia. After studying journalism and theater at Piedmont College, he earned an Mfa in screenwriting from Florida State University. A semi-professional magician since middle school, Nic is currently the Showrunner’s assistant on American Gods and is managed by First Friday Entertainment. Nina Mohan is a Sri Lankan-American writer and producer, born and raised in the west suburbs of Chicago. After earning a BA in Creative Writing and a Bfa in Vocal Performance from Carnegie Mellon University, Nina moved to Los Angeles. While pursuing writing, Nina makes viral videos and articles working as a producer and writer for BuzzFeed. Niki Ang is a queer, Singaporean-Chinese American writer and director. She has spent the past several years as a full-stack producer/director at BuzzFeed Motion Pictures. Her short Were You Gay In High School?, will be on the festival circuit in 2020. A quintessential middle child, she currently lives in Los Angeles with her wife and the best cat in the world. Sam Boyer is a writer from Rockville, MD and holds degrees from the USC in film and business. He recently earned an Mfa from the Michener Center for Writers at Ut-Austin and was a finalist for the Universal Emerging Writers Fellowship and Tfi Sloan Student Discovery Award.
Alumni of the Fellowship include Bo Yeon Kim & Erika Lippoldt, Julie Wong (Grey’s Anatomy), Brian Shin (The Good Doctor), Helen Shang, Lisa Bao (Nancy Drew), Aaron Ho (Fresh Off The Boat), April Shih, Tania Lotia (Carnival Row), Teresa Huang (Seal Team), Thomas Wong (Good Trouble), Lauren Moon (Atypical), Chris Wu (Man in High Castle), Nathan Ramos Park (Club Mickey Mouse), Leonard Chang (Snowfall); Ken Cheng (House of Chow) among others.
This year’s fellowship partners include NBCUniversal, Hollywood Foreign Press Association, The Walt Disney Studios and Walt Disney Television, Amazon Studios, Pearl Studio, Warner Bros., Los Angeles County Arts and Culture, as well as in-kind partners Final Draft, The Black List, Film Independent, and Boo’s. Venue sponsors include NBCUniversal, The Writers Guild of America Foundation, The Gotham Group, Skybound Entertainment, Emerson College Los Angeles, Iw Group, and The CW.
- 2/18/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
CBS said today that it has selected eight people to take part in its 2017-18 Writers Mentoring Program. In its 14th year, the program serves to provide mentorships, access and opportunity for aspiring scribes. This year’s mentees are (from left in photo above): Ashley Charbonnet, Krystal Banzon, Jovan Robinson, Naomi Iwamoto, Shuo Zhang, Munis Rashid, Gil Hizon and April Shih. Read their mini-bios below. The eight-month mentoring program pairs writers with an executive…...
- 10/17/2017
- Deadline TV
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