FilmNation Entertainment and Writers Guild of America East Reveal 2023-2024 NY Screenwriting Fellows
NEW YORK, NY (February 2, 2024) – FilmNation Entertainment and the Writers Guild of America East are proud to reveal the second group of writers who have completed the NY Screenwriting Fellowship – a weekly intensive that supports early-career, New York City-based screenwriters who are underrepresented in the film industry and have demonstrated a rigorous commitment to their craft.
The seven fellows – C.A. Barrow, Misa Dayson, Tamika Guishard, Irina C. Rodriguez, Michelle Sarkany, Rashmi Singh, and Roniel Tessler – were provided with both a screenwriting mentor and a studio executive mentor, as well as seminars, receptions, and other introductions, as they developed a new feature length screenplay during the Fellowship. Learn more about each of the fellows HERE.
The 2023-2024 NY Screenwriting Fellowship screenwriting mentors were Andrew Bergman (“The In-Laws,” “Blazing Saddles”), Derek Cianfrance (“The Place Beyond The Pines,” “Blue Valentine”), James V. Hart (“Contact,” “Hook”), Peter Hedges (“Pieces of April,” “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape”), Tony Kushner (“West Side Story,” “Lincoln”), Rebecca Miller (“She Came To Me,” “Maggie’s Plan”), and Jim Taylor (“About Schmidt,” “Jurassic Park III”). Industry mentors included such producers and creative executives as Anne Carey, Meredith Duff, Ali Herting, Sam Intili, Caroline Kaplan, Pamela Koffler, and Jayne Sullivan.
Accepted applicants were required to attend virtual and in-person seminars and group writing sessions that spanned from topics like “Goal Setting” and “How To Take Notes,” to “Crafting a Story for a Global Audience” and “Independent Vs. Studio Development.”
This announcement comes at the heels of 2020 fellow Alessandra Lacorazza’s Grand Jury Prize win at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival for “In the Summers” which was developed when she participated in the program.
Erica Saleh, the WGA East Vice President of Film/TV/Streaming, said “The Writers Guild of America East is delighted to partner with FilmNation and Final Draft to foster community among underrepresented New York screenwriters and help them get access to the programming and mentorship that can propel their careers. Programs like this one, which help make the entertainment industry more inclusive, are common in Los Angeles. The WGA East is proud to bring them to New York, both for members and aspiring members of our union.”
“It’s thrilling to be a part of a company like FilmNation that is committed to supporting storytellers with backgrounds that often go underrepresented in the industry. I’m looking forward to celebrating this year’s fellows and continuing to witness their successes,” said FilmNation’s Liz Siegal.
Final Draft is serving as the sponsor of the 2023-2024 Fellowship and has provided Fellowship participants with software and other promotional materials.
ABOUT THE WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA EAST
The Writers Guild of America East, AFL-CIO (WGAE) is a labor union representing writers in film, television, news, podcasts, and online media. The Guild negotiates and administers contracts that protect the creative and economic rights of its members; conducts programs, seminars and events on issues of interest to writers; and presents writers’ views to various bodies of government. For more information on the Writers Guild of America, East, visit wgaeast.org.
ABOUT FILMNATION ENTERTAINMENT
FilmNation Entertainment is a leading independent entertainment company that produces, finances and distributes award-winning films, television series, podcasts and theater productions that combine strong creative voices and global appeal. FilmNation is also the home of Infrared, a new film production label focused on films with franchise potential.
Consistently ranked as one of the highest-grossing independent international film distributors, FilmNation has internationally distributed four-time Academy Award winner The King’s Speech starring Colin Firth, Steven Soderbergh’s Magic Mike starring Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey, and many more. Since its founding in 2008, the company has expanded beyond its film roots. Upcoming releases for the company include Julia von Heinz’s Berlinale selection TREASURE starring Lena Dunham and Stephen Fry, Edward Berger’s CONCLAVE starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Isabella Rossellinni, and Sean Baker’s ANORA starring Mikey Madison.
ABOUT FINAL DRAFT
Final Draft, a Cast & Crew Company, has published Final Draft® software – the number-one selling screenwriting application in the world – for over 30 years. Used by such industry giants as J.J. Abrams, Bong Joon Ho, Sofia Coppola, Guillermo Del Toro, Issa Rae and Aaron Sorkin, Final Draft software is the professional’s choice and the entertainment industry standard. In addition to its flagship software product, Final Draft offers the annual Big Break® Contest – a screenwriting competition that launches careers, and awards over $80,000 in cash and prizes. To learn more about Final Draft and its products and services, visit: www.finaldraft.com.
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