New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) and IRIS have selected the participants of its third Writers Lab for Women Screenwriters over 40. Sponsored by Meryl Streep and Oprah Winfrey, the Lab is a four-day intensive script development retreat to be held in September in the Connecticut River Valley.
At the Lab, the selected writers will be mentored by film execs like “Deidra & Laney Rob a Train” producer Susan Cartsonis, “Precious” producer Lisa Cortés, “Equity” screenwriter Amy Fox, and “Strange Weather” producer Caroline Kaplan. The Lab will consist of one-on-one discussions between mentors and writers as well as panel conversations where everyone will meet to discuss themes and concepts.
“Honeysuckle” writer-director Vigil Chime, “The Young Hillary Diaries” writer, director, and co-creator Mandy Fabian, and “Vampire Diaries” writer Holly Brix are among the 2017 Lab selectees.
“In three years, we’ve seen that the number and quality of screenplays written by women is staggering,” IRIS Co-Founder Nitza Wilon stated. “Every script that we can develop brings us closer to balancing the scales in the film world: More women writing equals more roles for women, more opportunities for women to helm those films, and more movies that everyone wants to see.”
All of the 2017 Writers Lab participants and their projects are below. List courtesy of NYWIFT and IRIS.
- The Breakline, Kim and Mai Spurlock
- Bring Back Girl, Vigil Chime
- The Contest, Judith and Sandra Berg
- The Custom of the Sea, Karen McDermott
- The Deal, Andi Delott
- Grandview, Pamela Harris
- …into the Land of Nod, K. Smith
- Late Bloomer, Mandy Fabian
- Mile Zero, Holly Brix
- Taka-Jo, Samantha Manahan and Carol Hostutler
- Warrior Girl, Laurie Whitaker
- Yazoo Cryin’, Shawn Tolleson
