Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Outfest Screenwriting Lab Grows Partnership with Netflix to Support LGBTQIA+ Voices

09/05/2022

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.
LINK: https://about.netflix.com/en/news/outfest-screenwriting-lab-grows-part...
See more stories from netflix

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

09/10/2026

nxtedition makes A B I S debut in Mumbai

nxtedition will exhibit for the first time at Asias Broadcasting & Infotainment Show (A.B.I.S) in Mumbai, bringing its integrated production platform and latest...

09/10/2026

Today's AI Isn't the Answer

Today's AI Isn't the Answer Andy Marken October 8, 2026 0 Comments Let's say you're telling the truth, and this is all a dream. - Do...

09/10/2026

Ikegami to Introduce New UHK-X700VN Camera at NAB New York, Offering Advanced Creative Features

Ikegami to Introduce New UHK-X700VN Camera at NAB New York, Offering Advanced Cr...

09/10/2026

ATSC Members Approve B2X Candidate Standard

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

09/10/2026

Davicom Has a New Owner

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

09/10/2026

Clear-Com Scales Up Communications for Rock in Rio

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

09/10/2026

Hippos, meerkats and dolphins, oh my! Season 12 of The Zoo returns to RT One and RT Player Monday 12 October

Witness world firsts, new arrivals and the work that goes on behind the scenes a...

09/10/2026

Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026

September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026 New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...

08/10/2026

Life Safety, Part 2: From Noise to Nice: The Evolution of Speech Intelligibility in Stadium Sound

Modern venues have come a long way since the tinny, echoing audio of the mid 20t...

08/10/2026

ESPN's First Super Bowl Adds Disney+ to U.S. Distribution Mix

ESPN's first Super Bowl production will stream in English and Spanish on Disney+, while the ESPN App carries the full slate of game, ManningCast, studio, an...

08/10/2026

SVG Students To Watch: Addison McGhee, Auburn University

From high-school videoboards to War Eagle Productions, the Opelika native is learning how to lead shows and capture big moments The future of live sports produ...

08/10/2026

Prime Video to Become Exclusive Global Home of Emmy Awards Beginning in 2027

The Television Academy and Prime Video have announced a six-year agreement making Prime Video the exclusive global home of the Emmy Awards beginning with the 20...

08/10/2026

Techex to Demonstrate Hybrid Satellite and IP Delivery Platform at NAB Show New York

Techex will exhibit at NAB Show New York 2026 (Booth 623, Javits Center, October...

08/10/2026

X Games Appoints Steve Rogers as Chief Operating Officer

X Games has announced the appointment of Steve Rogers as Chief Operating Officer. Rogers previously served as COO of World Supercross and spent nearly a decade ...

08/10/2026

Fonn Group Appoints Trevor Spielmann as Sales Director, DACH

Fonn Group has appointed Trevor Spielmann as Sales Director for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Spielmann joins from EVS, where he held sales and business de...

08/10/2026

Perfect Game Introduces New Studio Show on the Road With Launch of PG Central

The flagship program will originate from major PG events with a four-camera production, live distribution across PGTV, social platforms Perfect Game is bringin...

08/10/2026

Uplynk White Paper: The IP Convergence Framework for Distribution

Innovation rarely happens in a vacuum. More often, it happens at the point of collision: when worlds that have run on separate tracks begin to converge. That is...

08/10/2026

Gravity Media Op-Ed: Gravity Media's Next Act - From Service Provider to Strategic Content Partner

For decades, the production and broadcast services business has run on a familia...

08/10/2026

Uplynk, Zixi, BroadView Software, and Grass Valley Publish Satellite-to-IP Distribution Framework

Uplynk, Zixi, BroadView Software, and Grass Valley have published The IP Converg...

08/10/2026

NFL Announces Ninth Annual Big Data Bowl Powered by AWS

The NFL has announced the return of the Big Data Bowl, the league's analytics competition, now in its ninth year and again powered by AWS. Registration is o...

08/10/2026

Eutelsat Renews Partnership with Tldiffusion dAlgrie on EUTELSAT 7 West A

Eutelsat has renewed its partnership with T l diffusion d'Alg rie (TDA), Algeria's national broadcasting network operator, for continued distribution of...

08/10/2026

Disney+ to Stream Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027

Disney will livestream Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027, alongside the game's broadcast on ESPN and ABC. All Disney subscribers in the United States wi...

08/10/2026

RHStv to Stream Clemson vs. Coastal Carolina Baseball at Myrtle Beach Fall Showdown

RHStv and Red House Streaming have announced an expansion of their partnership w...

08/10/2026

Gray Media to Simulcast 15 Timberwolves Games Free Over-the-Air in Minnesota and Wisconsin

Gray Media has announced a distribution agreement with TEGNA and DAZN to simulca...

08/10/2026

SMPTE Media Technology Summit Returns to Pasadena Nov. 16-19; Get 10% Off With SVG Promo Code

SVG readers can save 10% on registration and receive a complimentary Solutions H...

08/10/2026

PROTON Camera Innovations Named Recipient of 2026 Technology and Engineering Emmy for FPV Drone Systems

PROTON Camera Innovations GmbH has been named a recipient of a 2026 Technology a...

08/10/2026

Silver Lining: Sharing Tales From the Trenches of Cloud-Based Production with NBC Sports, MLB, NHL, and Warner Bros. Discovery

Industry leaders discuss real-world cloud workflows for live game production, pl...

08/10/2026

Dolby Atmos Coming to Formula 1 on Apple TV Beginning with 2026 U.S. Grand Prix

The next-gen audio technology joins Dolby Vision as part of Apple TV's immersive F1 experience...

08/10/2026

Free Leonard Peltier Proves That the Fight for Justice Is Just Beginning

David France, Jesse Short Bull, Mato Wayuhi, N. Bird Runningwater, Jodi Archambau, Jhane Myers, Paul McGuire, Amber Morning Star Byars, Holly Macarro, Nick Tils...

08/10/2026

Sound Particles update Energy Panner 2 & Brightness Panner 2

Dynamic panning plug-ins get an upgrade Sound Particles have just announced major updates for two of their popular dynamic panning plug-ins. Energy Panner 2...

08/10/2026

The DMNO ON from UDO Audio

New expandable instrument boasts full DMNO engine UDO Audio have just announced the upcoming release of a new, expandable synth that packs the power of the ...

08/10/2026

ADAM Audio introduce the Sub8 PRO & Sub10 PRO

Two new subwoofers added to monitoring line-up ADAM Audio's monitoring range has just been expanded with two new DSP-equipped subwoofers, the Sub8 PRO a...

08/10/2026

Clear-Com Powers Critical Communications at Rock in Rio 2026

eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......

08/10/2026

NAB New York 2026 Preview

Calrec gives broadcasters freedom of choice at NAB Show New York We're looking forward to meeting up with you all at NAB New York on 21st-22nd October. Cal...

08/10/2026

ESPN Unveils First Studio W Refresh

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

08/10/2026

Pay-TV Operators Ask FCC to Pause TV Station Ownership Cap Rules

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

08/10/2026

Calrec Brings New Consoles, Software to NAB Show New York

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

08/10/2026

Mediagenix Bows AI Content-Aware Scheduling

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

08/10/2026

Ikegami to Unveil UHK-X700VN Camera at NAB Show New York

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

08/10/2026

Ed McGivern Joins USSI Global as Chief Revenue Officer

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

08/10/2026

Globecast Brings Media Orchestration and C-Band Transitio...

Globecast, a leading provider of broadcast, media and entertainment managed services, will showcase its next generation of media orchestration services at NAB S...

08/10/2026

Clear-Com Powers Critical Communications at Rock in Rio 2...

Clear-Com played a critical role in the production communications infrastructure for Rock in Rio 2026, one of the world's largest and most recognized music...

08/10/2026

Sohonet Launches ClearView Rush: A Leap Forward in Studio Review, Built for Creative Executives

Sohonet Launches ClearView Rush: A Leap Forward in Studio Review, Built for Crea...

08/10/2026

NAB Show New York Returns to Javits

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

08/10/2026

FCC to Vote on Restrictions for Device Testing, Spectrum for D2D and Drones

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

08/10/2026

World First' as DTM Deploys Riedel Private 5G for On-Track Coverage

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

08/10/2026

LiveU Cranks Up Connectivity Across Tour de France

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

08/10/2026

Ikegami to Introduce New UHK-X700VN Camera at NAB New Yor...

Ikegami announces a major expansion to its range of broadcast-quality live production cameras. Scheduled for introduction on Ikegami booth 708 at NAB New York, ...