-- Top Row, Left to Right: Andre Muir, Jake Hutton, A.K. Espada, Gabby Rivera, Glenn Kaino. Middle Row, Left to Right: Mamoudou N'Diaye, Marissa Chib s, Nuhash Humayun, Ramzi I. Bashour, Tania Taiwo. Bottom Row, Left to Right: Tazbah Rose Chavez, Tommy Pico, Wal Oy jid , Esq.
The nonprofit Sundance Institute is welcoming 13 writers to develop 11 original projects at the tenth annual Screenwriters Intensive on March 2-3, 2022. These emerging creatives from historically marginalized communities will participate in the two-day digital workshop, developing their first fiction features under the guidance of established writers and the Institute's Feature Film Program, led by Michelle Satter (founding senior director, Sundance Institute's Artist Programs) and Ilyse McKimmie (the Feature Film Program's deputy director).
We're thrilled to be bringing together such a dynamic and memorable group of storytellers developing work with bold vision and unique, necessary perspectives, said Ilyse McKimmie, deputy director of the Feature Film Program. We look forward to continuing our creative and strategic support of them as they develop their debut features, and we're excited to welcome them into the vibrant community of Sundance artists.
The fellows this year represent a cross section of independent storytelling and will collaborate with the following advisors during the intensive: Andrew Ahn, Lucy Alibar, Julia Camara, DeMane Davis, Nisha Ganatra, John Gatins, Tanya Hamilton, James Ponsoldt, Jon Raymond, Jessica Sharzer, Dana Stevens, Ligiah Villalobos.
Previous participants of the Screenwriters Intensive include current advisor Andrew Ahn (Spa Night), Adamma Ebo (Honk for Jesus, Save Your Soul), Reinaldo Marcus Green (Monsters and Men), and Roger Ross Williams (Cassandro, currently in post production.)
The Sundance Institute Screenwriters Intensive is made possible with leadership support from the Will and Jada Smith Family Foundation.
Two of the Screenwriters Intensive fellows in this year's group will receive additional support from Sundance Institute partnerships: A.K. Espada is the recipient of the inaugural Sundance Institute Horror Fellowship, made possible by support from K Period Media Foundation Fund, and Nuhash Humayun is the recipient of the 2022 Sloan Development Fellowship.
The projects and fellows selected for the 2022 Sundance Institute Screenwriters Intensive are:
Marissa Chib s (writer/director) with 72 (U.S.A.): Fiercely independent 18-year-old Cuban American Viv celebrates New Year's Eve with her family and friends in 1972 Manhattan - surrounded by Watergate, the Vietnam War, and explosive social unrest. Viv spends the wildly festive night gathering the courage to tell her parents a deep secret she has been afraid to share.
Marissa Chib s is a writer and filmmaker. Her films have screened at Anthology Film Archive, NewFilmmakers LA, San Diego Latino FF, Fabrica De Arte in Havana, Barcelona International FF, and the Cuban American FF, for which she won a best documentary award, among others. Chib s is director of Duende CalArts.
Wal Oy jid , Esq. (writer/director) with Chiaroscuro (U.S.A.): In a Sicilian town, a woman trafficked from West Africa dreams of using dance to escape, while a foreign fisherman becomes a symbol after rescuing migrants from the sea. Emboldened by memory and the magic of their distant homes, the two travelers pull away from the shackles that bind them.
Wal Oy jid , Esq. is a director, writer, and designer who dispels bias with beauty. His brand Ikir Jones (featured in Black Panther) celebrates immigrant perspectives. He is a National Geographic Explorer, TED Fellow, and Open Society Foundations Fellow. His film Bravo, Burkina! conveys the magic migrants bring across borders.
Glenn Kaino (writer/director) with Fox & Stork (U.S.A.): A Chinese American family is mistakenly imprisoned in a Japanese American Concentration Camp. Inside, they befriend a Japanese American family, and under the pressure of imprisonment learn that their similarities outweigh their differences. In the end, a foiled escape attempt leads to a life-changing sacrifice and solidifies enduring relationships and alliances.
Glenn Kaino is an Emmy and Webby Award-winning producer, documentarian, and artist known for his expansive vision and activist-minded practice encompassing painting, sculpture, installation, performance, public art, theatrical production, and feature film. Kaino takes a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach to his work, examining a broad range of political, social, and environmental issues.
Mamoudou N'Diaye (writer/director) with Freelancers (U.S.A.): Four freelancing friends discover that a billionaire has been holding up their paychecks, so they hatch a plan: Rob the billionaire (just a little). When their plan goes wrong, their alliances, friendships, and commitment to their community are put to the ultimate test.
Mamoudou N'Diaye is a Mauritanian American comedian, writer, and DJ with a degree in neuroscience. A 2019 Yes And Laughter Lab Winner, 2020 Sundance Fellow, 2021 Film Independent Fellow, and writer for Netflix, ABC, and others, N'Diaye's art explores abolitionist politics, healing traumas through art, and tries to create more space than it takes up.
Gabby Rivera (writer) with Juliet Takes a Breath (U.S.A.): Juliet Palante is a Puerto Rican baby-dyke from the Bronx. And maybe a feminist? After coming out, Juliet heads cross-country to intern with her favorite author, hoping to figure out this whole Puerto Rican lesbian thing. Braving problematic sheroes and queer dance parties, Juliet finds herself coming into full bloom.
Gabby Rivera is a queer Puerto Rican babe on a mission to create the wildest, most fun stories ever. Her debut novel Juliet Takes a Breath, published by P
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-- Top Row, Left to Right: Andre Muir, Jake Hutton, A.K. Espada, Gabby Rivera, Glenn Kaino. Middle Row, Left to Right: Mamoudou N'Diaye, Marissa Chib s, Nuhash Humayun, Ramzi I. Bashour, Tania Taiwo. Bottom Row, Left to Right: Tazbah Rose Chavez, Tommy Pico, Wal Oy jid , Esq. 
