Kevin Hart’s media company, Hartbeat, recently announced the return of Women Write Now, a comedic screening fellowship to “champion the next generation of Black women in comedy through mentorship, advocacy, production, and exhibition.”
Developed in partnership with Sundance Institute, this fellowship will support three talented writers in developing short comedic scripts under the guidance of some of the most influential Black women in comedy.
Approximately ten finalists will be interviewed for the program by Hartbeat staff, with a panel of award-winning filmmakers choosing 3 individuals to participate in the fellowship.
The three talented writers chosen for the fellowship will develop original comedy short film scripts and earn the opportunity to showcase their projects at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, where they will premiere at a private screening.
The selected writers will also receive a 12-month first-look deal with Hartbeat to submit original projects for production and have the opportunity to separately pitch the project to Hartbeat for a development deal.
This program connects aspiring screenwriters with industry mentors and creates career development.
“Last year’s debut of Women Write Now proved there is an entire ecosystem of artists, allies, executives, and mentors ready and willing to uplift and usher in the next generation of talented Black women in comedy,” said Hartbeat CEO, Thai Randolph. “We’re excited to build off the tremendous momentum we created in partnership with Sundance Institute and introduce new opportunities through Hartbeat as we continue our mission to cultivate and empower emerging voices.”
“We’re very excited to continue Women Write Now,” said Michelle Satter, Sundance Institute’s Founding Senior Director of Artist Programs. “This program allows emerging talent to connect meaningfully with industry mentors, and creates the foundation for sustainable, long-term projects and career development.” Additionally, the discovery and support of Black women comedy writers is a great opportunity to expand Sundance’s focus on talented storytellers working in the comedy arena”.
Submissions for the 2022 Women Write Now fellowship are currently open through June 6, 2022. For more information on application requirements and deadlines visit womenwritenow.com.
