Four months ago, Meryl Streep announced that she would fund a script-development program for female screenwriters over 40.
The Writers Lab has named its first 12 participants, who will take part in an intensive, three-day retreat on Lake George, NY, starting September 18. They are:
- Sarah Bird, “Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen”
- Vanessa Carmichael, “The American”
- Tracy Charlton, “Raised Up”
- Kellen Hertz, “Ashburn”
- Anna Hozian, “Anchor Baby”
- Lyralen Kaye, “St. John the Divine in Iowa”
- Jan Kimbrough, “The Glastonbury Cow Party”
- Billie Mason, “The Cargo”
- Peres Owino, “Basketweaver”
- Gretchen Somerfeld, “Face Value”
- Janet Stilson, “Jaguar Trail”
- Kim Turner, “It Goes Like This”
The Lab will include panel discussions and one-on-one discussions with eight mentors. Those mentors are Jessica Bendinger (“Bring It On,” “Aquamarine”), Caroline Kaplan (“Time Out of Mind,” “Me and You and Everyone We Know”), Meg LeFauve (“Inside Out”), Darnell Martin (“Cadillac Records”), Lydia Dean Pilcher (“Darjeeling Limited,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley”), Gina Prince-Bythewood (“Secret Life of Bees,” “Beyond the Lights”), Mary Jane Skalski (“Win Win,” “The Station Agent”) and Kirsten Smith (“Legally Blond,” “Ten Things I Hate About You”).
The Writers Lab received over 3,500 submissions for its inaugural edition. It is a collaboration with New York Women in Film and Television; Writers Guild of America, East; and IRIS, a collective of female filmmakers.
