05 February 2017
Newsdesk
The Writers Lab returns in 2017, once again with funding from Oscar winner and NYWIFT Muse honoree Meryl Streep. The Writers Lab, established for women screenwriters over the age of 40 by New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) and IRIS, in collaboration with the Writers Guild of America, East, has selected leading filmmakers to provide exclusive mentorship and increase opportunities for content made by women.
The mentors attached to The Writers Lab 2017 include: Alexis Alexanian (“Pieces of April”), Susan Cartsonis (“What Women Want,” “Where the Heart Is”), Lisa Cortés (“Precious,” “Shadowboxer”), Amy Fox (“Equity”), Caroline Kaplan (“Time Out of Mind,” “Letters to Juliet”) Kirsten Smith (“Legally Blonde,” upcoming “Expendabelles”), and Pat Verducci (“True Crime”), among others.
The Writers Lab 2017 will take place from Thursday, September 14 - Sunday, September 17, 2017 and will include a select group of female screenwriters over 40 for a four-day intensive script development retreat with acclaimed mentors.
“After receiving an overwhelming response in our first two years, we are thrilled to now make The Writers Lab an annual entertainment industry event,” said Terry Lawler, Executive Director of New York Women in Film & Television. “Providing this one-of-a-kind support to an underserved demographic is vital to shaping a media landscape that includes and represents all voices.”
"Now, more than ever, women's distinctive voices must be heard,” said IRIS Co-Founder Nitza Wilon. “Through the Lab, we'll continue to support and promote women's scripts, and we'll work to get those stories onscreen."
The selected female screenwriters will be announced on August 1. Submissions must be feature-length, fictional narrative scripts of any genre written by women over the age of 40, who are American citizens or permanent residents of the U.S.
The Writers Lab was launched in 2015 to provide script development for women writers over the age of 40, it creates a springboard to the next stage of production and expands the boundaries of today’s commercial narrative film.
For more information and to submit, please visit www.thewriterslab.nyc. Applications will be available starting February 1.
