Starz, NALIP and NewFilmmakers Los Angeles have unveiled the four fellows selected for the fifth annual Starz #TakeTheLead writers intensive.
Daniela Bailes, Carla Olivia Torres, Laura Hunter Drago and David Mahmoudieh have been named as this years fellows. Each fellow will receive a $5,000 grant as part of the program designed support emerging TV writers with industry access, mentorship and paid time to develop original work.
As the fellows gain insight into creative development and the TV business, they’ll hear from Starz President of Original Programming Kathryn Busby, “Power: Legacy” showrunner Gary Lennon, TV writer Lia Romeo, showrunner Joel Church-Cooper, creator Eduardo Cisneros, Hoorae head of TV Jax Clark, Paramount Television Studios Director of TV Development Niko Fernandez, Lit Entertainment Group’s Adam Kolbrenner, The Mighty Oak Entertainment’s Erika Kennair, and TV writers and producers Geoffrey Thorne, Marissa Diaz and Melody Cooper.
They’ll also participate in a session moderated by Scriptation with TV director and producer Pete Chatmon, who has worked on several series for Starz including “Power Book III: Raising Kanan.”
“Season Five is a reminder that the next generation of television writers is already here,” NALIP executive director Diana Luna and co-founder and executive director of NewFilmmakers Los Angeles Larry Laboe said in a joint statement. “#TakeTheLead gives these fellows the access, guidance and resources they need to turn strong ideas into work the industry can see. Our fellows will develop their material alongside working writers, producers and executives, then bring that work directly to STARZ. And this is what makes our program #TakeTheLead matter.”
“We’re incredibly proud of this year’s talented cohort of writers and the unique perspectives and voices they bring to the program,” Busby said. “Supporting emerging writers and creating opportunities for them to develop their craft is an important part of investing in the next generation of diverse storytellers and helping shape the future of storytelling.”
Focusing on thought-provoking dramas, genre projects and thrillers, Bailes is an alumnus of the Sundance Episodic Lab, Film Independent’s Imaginar Incubator for Fearless Latinx Creators, developed in conjunction with FX Networks, and The Black List’s Latinx List, sponsored by Netflix. He is writing a one-hour drama series for Gareth West’s Ketchup Entertainment.
Torres is an alum of the Paramount Writers’ Program. She previously co-produced the Dave Grohl-directed documentary “What Drives Us” and has writing credits on NBC’s “Grand Crew” and Showtime’s “The L Word: New York.”
Drago’s work centers on women in thrillers and coming-of-age stories with a dark comedic edge. She was named one of the Austin Film Festival’s “25 Screenwriters to Watch.” She is also a Film Independent Project Involve fellow and a Sony Pictures Entertainment fellow, and has won awards at the Austin Film Festival and WeScreenplay Labs.
Mahmoudieh’s work spans commercials, films and television, including directing episodes of the CW’s “Superman & Lois.” His short film “Snake Dick” won multiple Oscar-qualifying awards on the international festival circuit before going viral online.
