Zoya Akhtar (The Archies), Fawzia Mirza (Queen of My Dreams), and Roshan Sethi (A Nice Indian Boy) are set to join the 1497 Features Lab as Mentors.
Returning for its fourth year, the nonprofit 1497’s annual Features Lab will once again offer robust mentorship, script development, and industry access to elevate and advance the careers of screenwriters of South Asian descent. After expanding the Lab to a fully in-person format last year, this year’s program will build on that success with an intensive Retreat and subsequent Pitch Day. The Lab Retreat will take place this October 23-28, 2024 in Malibu.
The 1497 Features Lab, their signature impact program, entails three rounds of rigorous evaluation by independent Selection Committees to ultimately discover three Mentees to invest in. Each Mentee is then paired with a pod of Mentors – comprised of an established filmmaker, producer, industry representative, and a 1497 Features Lab Alum – from whom they...
Returning for its fourth year, the nonprofit 1497’s annual Features Lab will once again offer robust mentorship, script development, and industry access to elevate and advance the careers of screenwriters of South Asian descent. After expanding the Lab to a fully in-person format last year, this year’s program will build on that success with an intensive Retreat and subsequent Pitch Day. The Lab Retreat will take place this October 23-28, 2024 in Malibu.
The 1497 Features Lab, their signature impact program, entails three rounds of rigorous evaluation by independent Selection Committees to ultimately discover three Mentees to invest in. Each Mentee is then paired with a pod of Mentors – comprised of an established filmmaker, producer, industry representative, and a 1497 Features Lab Alum – from whom they...
- 4/29/2024
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
To celebrate the end of another great year in independent film, Film Independent is re-posting some of our favorite blogs of 2023. And here’s a reminder: there’s still time to make a tax-deductible donation to Film Independent in support of all the hard work our community does year-round. Not a Member yet? Become one by January 5 to watch the nominees for the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards and vote for the winners. Happy New Year!
In preparation for a film shoot, the director’s tasks are myriad; everything from laboring to draw storyboards to bulk-buying Poland Spring bottles and Nature Valley bars at Costco. It’s strange then that so many filmmakers—veterans and newbies alike—take such a laissez faire attitude toward performance. It’s not enough to simply hire talent. A director’s job is to negotiate their performers’ disparate processes into a total cohesive organism. And like...
In preparation for a film shoot, the director’s tasks are myriad; everything from laboring to draw storyboards to bulk-buying Poland Spring bottles and Nature Valley bars at Costco. It’s strange then that so many filmmakers—veterans and newbies alike—take such a laissez faire attitude toward performance. It’s not enough to simply hire talent. A director’s job is to negotiate their performers’ disparate processes into a total cohesive organism. And like...
- 12/28/2023
- by Matt Warren
- Film Independent News & More
1497 has selected three finalist for their Features Lab.
The Lab’s first year was held virtually, and the second year was hybrid, held virtually and in-person. For its third year, 1497 is conducting the Lab as an in-person, immersive, artistic retreat in Malibu, California, during which each Mentee will be paired with a pod of four Mentors from whom they will receive script feedback and career guidance. Mentees will also work with filmmaker and veteran script consultant Adrienne Weiss to further develop their scripts, with a particular emphasis on the emotional journey of their stories.
“We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: we started the 1497 Features Lab to empower writers in the South Asian diaspora to tell whatever stories they want to tell, regardless of the societal, industry, or stereotypical expectations that so often confine writers in our community to certain genres and cultural storylines,” Ahmed, Khan,...
The Lab’s first year was held virtually, and the second year was hybrid, held virtually and in-person. For its third year, 1497 is conducting the Lab as an in-person, immersive, artistic retreat in Malibu, California, during which each Mentee will be paired with a pod of four Mentors from whom they will receive script feedback and career guidance. Mentees will also work with filmmaker and veteran script consultant Adrienne Weiss to further develop their scripts, with a particular emphasis on the emotional journey of their stories.
“We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: we started the 1497 Features Lab to empower writers in the South Asian diaspora to tell whatever stories they want to tell, regardless of the societal, industry, or stereotypical expectations that so often confine writers in our community to certain genres and cultural storylines,” Ahmed, Khan,...
- 9/27/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
1497 has revealed the finalists of its third annual Features Lab. See their bios below.
The lab is designed to elevate and develop screenplays by writers of South Asian descent, while providing career support. It aims to empower writers in the South Asian diaspora to write whatever stories they feel compelled to tell, unbounded by genre, cultural content, geographic location, or any other stereotypical expectation.
Established in 2020 by Adeel Ahmed, Lipica Shah, and Kamran Khan, 1497 has been steadfast in its commitment to championing and empowering South Asian talent, countering their historical marginalization and year preceding colonization in what is now recognized as South Asia.
Sponsored by Final Draft, the 2023 Features Lab will guide three Mentees through a comprehensive, multi-tiered journey during a five-day retreat in Malibu. This transformative process will begin with working with Sundance filmmaker and seasoned script consultant Adrienne Weiss, to bolster the refinement of their feature film scripts.
The lab is designed to elevate and develop screenplays by writers of South Asian descent, while providing career support. It aims to empower writers in the South Asian diaspora to write whatever stories they feel compelled to tell, unbounded by genre, cultural content, geographic location, or any other stereotypical expectation.
Established in 2020 by Adeel Ahmed, Lipica Shah, and Kamran Khan, 1497 has been steadfast in its commitment to championing and empowering South Asian talent, countering their historical marginalization and year preceding colonization in what is now recognized as South Asia.
Sponsored by Final Draft, the 2023 Features Lab will guide three Mentees through a comprehensive, multi-tiered journey during a five-day retreat in Malibu. This transformative process will begin with working with Sundance filmmaker and seasoned script consultant Adrienne Weiss, to bolster the refinement of their feature film scripts.
- 8/16/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
The South Asian Talent Incubator 1497 has unveiled its mentees for its inaugural writers lab focused on South Asian screenwriters.
1497 chiseled down 382 submissions to 11 finalists before working with a selection committee of 11 established writers and producers to choose the mentees for the organization’s first-ever writers lab. At first, only three mentees and projects were going to be selected, but there was just so much talent they made room for a fourth.
“We are thrilled to support such a dynamic group, all with wonderful projects in hand,” said 1497 Co-Founders in a joint statement. “Ware excited not only to see these projects further develop, but to help launch the careers of these talented filmmakers, whose voices are deeply important and relevant.”
Each writer will be paired with a mento after working with filmmaker and script veteran Adrienne Weiss to further develop their scripts. This year’s mentor include acclaimed filmmakers Gurinder Chadha...
1497 chiseled down 382 submissions to 11 finalists before working with a selection committee of 11 established writers and producers to choose the mentees for the organization’s first-ever writers lab. At first, only three mentees and projects were going to be selected, but there was just so much talent they made room for a fourth.
“We are thrilled to support such a dynamic group, all with wonderful projects in hand,” said 1497 Co-Founders in a joint statement. “Ware excited not only to see these projects further develop, but to help launch the careers of these talented filmmakers, whose voices are deeply important and relevant.”
Each writer will be paired with a mento after working with filmmaker and script veteran Adrienne Weiss to further develop their scripts. This year’s mentor include acclaimed filmmakers Gurinder Chadha...
- 8/28/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: The South Asian talent incubator, 1497 has selected 11 finalists out of 382 submissions for its inaugural Writers Lab. The next step will be narrowing it down to three mentees who will participate in the Lab’s program.
Under the virtual mentor program, the trio of mentees will work with Sundance filmmaker and veteran script consultant Adrienne Weiss. From there, the selected mentees will get mentorship from acclaimed filmmakers Gurinder Chadha (Blinded By the Light), Aneesh Chaganty (Searching), and Maryam Keshavarz (Viper Club). 1497 will then tag in and introduce the mentees to an industry advisory group chich includes Gersh agent Louise Keshaviah, Brillstein Partners manager Ken Lee and Management 360 manager Priya Satiani. They will offer guidance to the mentees to help build a successful career roadmap.
“We are incredibly excited to see such an overwhelmingly positive response,” said 1497 co-founders Adeel Ahmed, Lipica Shah and Kamran Khan in a joint statement. “The fact...
Under the virtual mentor program, the trio of mentees will work with Sundance filmmaker and veteran script consultant Adrienne Weiss. From there, the selected mentees will get mentorship from acclaimed filmmakers Gurinder Chadha (Blinded By the Light), Aneesh Chaganty (Searching), and Maryam Keshavarz (Viper Club). 1497 will then tag in and introduce the mentees to an industry advisory group chich includes Gersh agent Louise Keshaviah, Brillstein Partners manager Ken Lee and Management 360 manager Priya Satiani. They will offer guidance to the mentees to help build a successful career roadmap.
“We are incredibly excited to see such an overwhelmingly positive response,” said 1497 co-founders Adeel Ahmed, Lipica Shah and Kamran Khan in a joint statement. “The fact...
- 8/11/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
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