
Back to All News
Outfest Screenwriting Lab Grows Partnership with Netflix to Support LGBTQIA Voices
Social Impact
09 May 2022
United States
LOS ANGELES, May 2, 2022 - Outfest is announcing an expansion of their 2022 Outfest Screenwriting Lab in partnership with Netflix. Initially created in 1997 as a screenwriting contest, the Outfest Screenwriting Lab has become the cornerstone of Outfest's education and creative development programming.
Through this year's program, 10 LGBTQIA screenwriters will have the opportunity to be mentored by top industry showrunners, executives, and writers who will offer professional development, scriptwriting support, and insight into the latest trends within the industry. The week-long intensive Lab will take place over Zoom in October, and applications are opening today. With support from Netflix, Outfest is expanding access to their program by waiving the submission fees for all applicants and providing grants for each of the selected screenwriters to help financially support them.
Working with Netflix to provide further financial assistance for creators, whether it is removing the financial barrier to apply or by giving out grants to each of our screenwriting fellows, helps us further deliver on Outfest's mission to empower LGBTQIA storytellers, said Outfest Artistic Director Faridah Gbadamosi. We are excited to continue building up the next generation of Hollywood's storytellers.
This partnership between Outfest and Netflix is part of Netflix's Fund for Creative Equity, an effort to help create more behind-the-camera opportunities for underrepresented communities within the TV and film industries.
Outfest taps some of their most accomplished alumnus and industry leaders as mentors, including showrunners Jaclyn Moore (Dear White People, Queer as Folk), Alvaro Rodriguez (Seis Manos, American Rust), Micah Schraft (Mrs. America), Mikko Alanne (The Long Road Home), alongside writers Eduardo Cisneros, Chuck Hayward, MW Wilson. Executives Manny Jaquez, Bianca Quesada, David Ruby, Andrew Wang, Julie Waters, and industry reps Biz Hurst, Clifford Murry, Cora Olson, and Martin To.
Fellows also receive one-on-one mentorship from LGBTQIA showrunners, writers/ producers, feature writers, and studio and network executives. Past mentors include: Daniel Barnz (Generation), Gabe Liedman (Pen15, Q-Force), Alvaro Rodriguez (Seis Manos, American Rust), Marja-Lewis Ryan (The L Word: Generation Q), Micah Schraft (Mrs. America), Halsted Sullivan (Central Park), Keisha Zollar (Astronomy Club, Iron Mike), Mike Armbruster (Feel the Beat), Imogen Binnie (Cruel Summer), Elegance Bratton (Pier Kids), Kelly Lynne DAngelo (Miracle Workers), Fola Goke-Pariola (Paper Girls), Chuck Hayward (WandaVision, Ted Lasso), John Krokidas (Kill Your Darlings), Neil Landau (Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead), Mike Mosallam (Breaking Fast), Christina Nieves (Generation), George Northy (G.B.F., Charmed), Marquita J. Robinson (Black-ish, GLOW), Michelle Sam (On the Spectrum), Zackery Alexzander Stephens (Q-Force, The Amber Ruffin Show), juliany taveras (With Love), Patrick Tobin (Cake), and executives Tim Honigman (Mainstay Entertainment), Samantha Housman (51 Entertainment), Mallory Schwartz (Mythical Entertainment), David Sigurani (Aftershock Media), Andrew Tolbert (Hello Sunshine).
For more information on how to submit, visit https://www.outfest.org/submissions/
ABOUT OUTFEST
OUTFEST is one of the only global LGBTQIA arts, media, and entertainment organizations whose programs empower artists, communities, and filmmakers to transform the world through their stories while supporting the entire lifecycle of their careers. In its 40th year, Outfest continues to center its mission to create visibility for diverse LGBTQIA stories and empower storytellers, building empathy to drive meaningful social change. Outfest programs allow artists, filmmakers, and entertainment professionals to discover their voice, provide pathways to the visibility of their work by all members of the public, and assure that their legacy will live on for generations to come.
Outfest's tentpole film festival programs and digital channels include the Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival, Outfest Fusion QTBIPOC Film Festival, and the OutMuseum. Its robust filmmaker and talent mentorship and education programs and courses include the Outfest Screenwriting Lab, Outfest InFusion studio days, Fusion Workshops, OutSet Young Filmmakers Project, and the Outfest Anthony Meindl Trans Acting Fellowship. In addition, the Outfest UCLA Legacy Project, a partnership with UCLA Film & Television Archive, is the only archive in the world exclusively dedicated to preserving LGBTQ moving images.
To discover more about Outfest membership, the Empathy Fund, the alumni network, or a calendar of events, go to www.outfest.org or connect to our social channels at @outfest.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
08/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/07/2026
Foundry today announced that Reel FX Animation Studios has adopted Flix to standardize their pipeline and streamline processes across departments. Flix is a vis...
08/07/2026
The right team. The right time.' How The Killings at Parrish Station stuck t...
08/07/2026
Australians in Film and Screen Australia launch FUTURE VISION Forward to elevate...
07/07/2026
Applications are now open for the Validation Booster, a six-month acceleration programme supporting journalists, media organisations, content creators, media in...
07/07/2026
The Universal Talent Identifier (HAND) has issued HAND IDs to 50 top prospects ahead of the 2026 MLB Draft, including consensus top-ranked players Roch Cholowsk...
07/07/2026
Cisco and the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team have announced an extension of their partnership, expanding the scope from networking and communications to incl...
07/07/2026
LucidLink has announced a workflow integration with Adobe Frame.io that gives production teams unified access to Frame.io projects alongside supporting producti...
07/07/2026
Chyron has announced the appointment of Ahmed Magd as Sales Director for the Middle East. Magd joins from previous senior commercial roles at Riedel Communicati...
07/07/2026
Leader Electronics of Europe has announced that its PHABRIX Qx rasterizer and Le...
07/07/2026
eCLUTCH has announced it has acquired broadcast rights to the Esports World Cup 2026 for EMEA and MENA, covering the Middle East, Africa, the Balkans, Sweden, a...
07/07/2026
Riedel Communications and ARRI supported ORF's host broadcast of the Eurovis...
07/07/2026
ARRI has announced the ALEXA 35 Live Xtreme, a camera that adds high frame rate ...
07/07/2026
LiveU will exhibit at IBC 2026 (Stand 7.C24), showcasing the LU900Q Intelligent Production Unit, expanded Sony collaboration, and additions to its open IP-video...
07/07/2026
Telemundo's coverage is packaged with Multiview, Catch Up with Key Plays, in...
07/07/2026
The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) has announced a seven-year media r...
07/07/2026
Produced onsite at The Star in Frisco, TX, live coverage of the two-day event airs on ESPN platforms
The season for Football Media Days is here, and the Big 12...
07/07/2026
Rogers Communications Inc. has announced an agreement to acquire the remaining 25% ownership stake in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) from Kilmer Spo...
07/07/2026
End-to-end broadcast solution includes fleet of mobile units, Cloud Control, and...
07/07/2026
Sports-production-tech experts sound off on the state of the industry...
07/07/2026
New mixer aimed squarely at instrument-level sources
Heritage Audio have clearly been busy recently, as alongside their all-new Tubestrip, they've also ...
07/07/2026
New channel strip combines popular hardware designs
The latest arrival to the Heritage Audio line-up brings together a selection of their praised hardware d...
07/07/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
07/07/2026
New Kessler 10 data now available in Nielsen CMI gives brands a deeper view of h...
07/07/2026
New Nielsen Ad Intel and CMV data reveals rising competition in Australia's ...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
Riedel Communications and ARRI played a key role in one of the most technically ambitious Eurovision Song Contest productions to date. For the first time in the...
07/07/2026
Berklee Valencia Honors Eric Whitacre at the 2026 Commencement Ceremony The Grammy-winning composer was celebrated alongside this years cohort of masters degr...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
The appointment will drive growth and innovation across the Media Business Unit
Fincons Group, a leading IT business consultancy and systems integrator company...
07/07/2026
International broadcast and streaming expert Big Blue Marble has announced a multi-month Proof of Concept (PoC) for Media over QUIC (MoQ) during a major interna...
07/07/2026
Test & measurement innovator, Leader Electronics of Europe, is proud to announce that two of its leading products, the PHABRIX Qx rasterizer and LeaderPhabrix L...
07/07/2026
Clear-Com announced that Ross Production Services (RPS), a leading provider of mobile production solutions for live events and broadcasts, has standardized on ...
07/07/2026
LiveU redefined live newsgathering with the invention of cellular bonding. At IBC2026, Stand 7.C24, the company will show how that foundation is evolving into t...
07/07/2026
LucidLink, a leader in cloud-based file services for content creators, today announced an enhanced workflow integration between LucidLink and Adobe Frame.io tha...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
New appointments to Screen Australia board 7 July 2026
The Albanese Labor Government has made new appointments to the Screen Australia board.
Dr Tania Chamber...