The American Movie Institute (AFI) is looking within the high TV writers and showrunners to mentor its spectacular latest grads of the AFI Conservatory Screenwriting Fellows program. IndieWire can announce that the 2025 Writers’ Room Prepared incubator will embody groups from “Hacks,” “Mad Males,” “Mayor of Kingstown,” and “The Woman from Plainville,” plus mega-producer Coco Francini, who not too long ago based the Proof of Idea Accelerator program with producing accomplice Cate Blanchett.
The AFI Writers’ Room Prepared pairs established, main creatives with AFI Conservatory Screenwriting Fellows to work on unique tv pilot scripts. “Hacks” writers Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky, in addition to icon Matthew Weiner are among the many mentors. Regina Corrado (“Mayor of Kingstown”) and Liz Hannah (“The Woman from Plainville”), who can be a part of the AFI Class of 2009, spherical out the listing. The chosen latest 2024 AFI graduates who will profit from these mentors are Arden Earnest, Eric Schabla, Greer Sinclair, Matthew Syrett, and Lauren Thomas.
Writers’ Room Prepared is a part of AFI’s Bridge to the Future incubator which helps alumni and not too long ago graduated Fellows. “Skilled progress accelerates with professional steerage,” Susan Ruskin, Dean of the AFI Conservatory and Government Vice President of the American Movie Institute, mentioned. “We are grateful to our completed mentors whose knowledge and experience assist our Writers’ Room Prepared individuals develop their potential into really industry-ready expertise.”
And the Writers’ Room Prepared Fellows even have a couple of buzzy names amongst them: Matthew Syrett, who will likely be mentored by Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello, and Jen Statsky, produced the Academy Award-winning movie “Freeheld” and was additionally the lead story producer for Netflix’s “MerPeople.”
The Writers’ Room Prepared program additionally works to learn its mentors who produce initiatives, too. Writers’ Room Prepared mentor Francini beforehand instructed IndieWire that she is seeking to produce industrial initiatives which are pushed by a director’s distinct voice, with regards to funding options by means of Proof of Idea. “We would like massive concepts. We would like issues that may resonate with audiences, identical to all people else,” Francini, who little doubt will convey that perspective to the Writers’ Room Prepared TV pilot program, mentioned. “So I believe that whereas all of us love an intimate, private movie, we’re on the lookout for those that need to take the subsequent step and for his or her voices to succeed in audiences.”
Under are an inventory of the chosen initiatives, with language supplied by AFI.
Arden Earnest mentored by Coco Francini
Script: “Cosa Nostra” | One-Hour – Crime Drama
In 1903 New Orleans, the loyalties of three teenage Sicilian-American sisters will be examined when the unruly center youngster Serafina joins town’s mafia. Impressed by my Sicilian, gun-toting great-grandmother who was within the mob. Stage 32 TV Drama Screenwriting Contest 2024 Finalist.
Arden Earnest is a writer-director with levels from the AFI Conservatory and USC College of Cinematic Arts. She is the recipient of a Slamdance Screenplay Award, a ScreenCraft Grand Prize Winner. Arden is at the moment in post-production on a brief movie she wrote and directed, impressed by her award-winning characteristic script “Counterpoint.” Arden is represented by UTA, Bellevue Productions, and Vainshtein Regulation.
Eric Schabla mentored by Regina Corrado
Script: “Soar” | One-Hour – Drama
After her rich father’s enterprise goes belly-up, an obsessive equestrian champion loses every thing. Compelled to begin over, she should reckon along with her splintering household, an escalating dependancy and the disgrace of working as a lowly secure hand within the cutthroat world she used to dominate.
Eric Schabla is a author and performer from the Midwest. His scripts have positioned within the Academy Nicholl Fellowship, Coverfly’s Purple Record, the Austin Movie Competition, and Screencraft. He has additionally tailored overseas movies and tv for Netflix, Amazon and Disney+ by way of Voice and Script Worldwide, Iyuno and Igloo Music.
Greer Sinclair mentored by Matthew Weiner
Script: “Jack and Julie” | One-Hour – Drama
After an opportunity assembly at a downtown L.A. jazz membership, a younger, rebellious singer falls in love with an out-of-work actor—solely she’s iconic torch singer Julie London and he’s tv legend Jack Webb. The tempestuous relationship conjures up London’s record-breaking debut album and Webb’s hit police present DRAGNET.
Greer Sinclair is a author, director, and actor. A local of Los Angeles, she spent her adolescence in rural Louisiana the place she started writing. She is a Screenwriting Fellow of the American Movie Institute Conservatory the place in 2024, she was nominated for the Sloan Fellowship Award. Previous to AFI, she studied movie and theatre at Mount Holyoke School and Sarah Lawrence School earlier than receiving her Bachelor’s in movie from the San Francisco Artwork Institute the place she started directing quick movies and music movies. Sinclair beforehand co-hosted the Noir Metropolis movie competition, the place she highlighted girls within the movie noir style. Her writing on movie and tradition has been printed in Vainness Truthful and Air Mail.
Matthew Syrett mentored by Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky
Script: “Beached” | Half-Hour – Dramedy
After her banishment from Madison Avenue, a relentless advert government reinvents herself within the overly quiet seaside suburbs of Atlantic Metropolis by launching a Multi-Stage Advertising (MLM) pyramid scheme.
Matthew Syrett is a filmmaker finest recognized for producing the Academy Award-winning movie “Freeheld” and because the lead story producer for Netflix’s “MerPeople.” His inventive works have received Oscars, Emmys, and Sundance awards, and have appeared on HBO, PBS, Netflix, and AppleTV. Syrett holds an MFA in Screenwriting from the American Movie Institute. Past movie and tv, Syrett has held government roles in media, promoting, and know-how, together with Vice President at Gray Promoting, Senior Product Supervisor at IMDb (Amazon), co-founder of monetary companies agency Marstone, and VP of Product at Rakuten USA.
Lauren Thomas mentored by Liz Hannah*
Script: ”Echoes” | One-Hour – Thriller
In search of redemption, a recovering addict breaks parole to search out her lacking goddaughter of their remoted hometown. As soon as again, she should reconcile with the individuals she has harmed to uncover a horrific fact.
Lauren Thomas is a latest graduate of the American Movie Institute with a Grasp of Effective Arts in Screenwriting. Beforehand she attended The Rhode Island College of Design, with a Bachelor of Effective Arts in Images.