Exclusive: Disability Belongs, a national disability-led nonprofit known for creating systemic change in how society views and values people with disabilities, has revealed the latest cohort for its TV Writing Intensive.
This year, five disabled writers will gather from June 20 to 27 for a week of professional development, community building, and direct access to entertainment industry leaders. Disability Belongs also plans to hold a second in-person intensive focused on unscripted content later this year.
The 2025 TV Writing Intensive Fellows are:
Christopher James, San Diego, CA
Kimberly Manky, Toronto, On
Rebekah Mueller, Los Angeles, CA
Stephen Nolly, Los Angeles, CA
Diana Romero, Los Angeles, CA
Four of the five Fellows are alumni of the Disability Belongs Entertainment Lab, now in its sixth year.
“I participated in the Disability Belongs ™ Entertainment Lab in 2020 just after becoming a wheelchair user, and it was the first time I truly felt included in a creative space,...
This year, five disabled writers will gather from June 20 to 27 for a week of professional development, community building, and direct access to entertainment industry leaders. Disability Belongs also plans to hold a second in-person intensive focused on unscripted content later this year.
The 2025 TV Writing Intensive Fellows are:
Christopher James, San Diego, CA
Kimberly Manky, Toronto, On
Rebekah Mueller, Los Angeles, CA
Stephen Nolly, Los Angeles, CA
Diana Romero, Los Angeles, CA
Four of the five Fellows are alumni of the Disability Belongs Entertainment Lab, now in its sixth year.
“I participated in the Disability Belongs ™ Entertainment Lab in 2020 just after becoming a wheelchair user, and it was the first time I truly felt included in a creative space,...
- 6/17/2025
- by Katie Campione
- Deadline Film + TV
Launched in 2021, Inevitable Foundation is a non-profit that invests in disabled writers and filmmakers so they can achieve artistic and financial freedom and use film and television to destigmatize disability and mental health globally. The organization announced the selection of Jenn Lloyd, Marc Muszynski, and Sheridan O’Donnell as its 2023 Accelerate Fellows.
All three were previously selected as members of Elevate Collective, Inevitable’s professional development program for disabled screenwriters, a decision that reflects the robust pipeline of disabled screenwriters that Inevitable Foundation is building with their interconnected programs. The winners join previously awarded Accelerate Fellows Monica Lucas, David Dineen-Porter, Sam Dunnewold, Anton Ray, Shaina Ghuraya, Greg Machlin, Aoife Baker, Kalen Feeney, and Shani Am. Moore.
“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Jenn, Marc, and Sheridan to the Accelerate Fellowship,” said Inevitable Foundation co-founders Richie Siegel and Marisa Torelli-Pedevska. “The Fellowship is laser-focused on investing in disabled creatives to...
All three were previously selected as members of Elevate Collective, Inevitable’s professional development program for disabled screenwriters, a decision that reflects the robust pipeline of disabled screenwriters that Inevitable Foundation is building with their interconnected programs. The winners join previously awarded Accelerate Fellows Monica Lucas, David Dineen-Porter, Sam Dunnewold, Anton Ray, Shaina Ghuraya, Greg Machlin, Aoife Baker, Kalen Feeney, and Shani Am. Moore.
“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Jenn, Marc, and Sheridan to the Accelerate Fellowship,” said Inevitable Foundation co-founders Richie Siegel and Marisa Torelli-Pedevska. “The Fellowship is laser-focused on investing in disabled creatives to...
- 10/26/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Inevitable Foundation’s screenwriting fellowship is expanding with help from Netflix’s Fund for Creative Equity.
The newly named Accelerate Fellowship will see the program’s mid-level disabled writers receive expanded support with the multi-year commitment from the streamer.
“We are thrilled to partner with Netflix to launch the Accelerate Fellowship and speed up the transition for disabled writers to become high-level creators,” said Inevitable Foundation co-founders Richie Siegel and Marisa Torelli-Pedevska. “Despite disabled people making up over 20 percent of the U.S. population, less than 0.5 percent of first-look and overall deals go to disabled writers and 97 percent of writers’ rooms have no upper-level disabled writers.”
In addition to the fellowship’s previous offerings, which included 40,000 grants alongside business and writing support to help writers develop and sell their own content, selected fellows will now have access to health insurance, additional mentorship opportunities...
Inevitable Foundation’s screenwriting fellowship is expanding with help from Netflix’s Fund for Creative Equity.
The newly named Accelerate Fellowship will see the program’s mid-level disabled writers receive expanded support with the multi-year commitment from the streamer.
“We are thrilled to partner with Netflix to launch the Accelerate Fellowship and speed up the transition for disabled writers to become high-level creators,” said Inevitable Foundation co-founders Richie Siegel and Marisa Torelli-Pedevska. “Despite disabled people making up over 20 percent of the U.S. population, less than 0.5 percent of first-look and overall deals go to disabled writers and 97 percent of writers’ rooms have no upper-level disabled writers.”
In addition to the fellowship’s previous offerings, which included 40,000 grants alongside business and writing support to help writers develop and sell their own content, selected fellows will now have access to health insurance, additional mentorship opportunities...
- 11/17/2022
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The non-profit Inevitable Foundation, dedicated to breaking down barriers for mid-level disabled screenwriters, has announced the expansion of its Accelerate Fellowship via an exclusive, multi-year commitment from Netflix’s Fund for Creative Equity, also today naming Monica Lucas and David Dineen-Porter as its Fall 2022 Fellows.
Formerly known as Inevitable’s Screenwriting Fellowship, the Accelerate Fellowship is a year-along program that offers its participants 40,000 grants, along with the business and writing support necessary to develop and sell their own content. The expanded program includes additional mentorship opportunities with industry experts and creatives, access to health insurance, and expanded educational and community programming, including guidance on IP acquisition.
Inevitable Foundation has granted over 250,000 in funding to disabled screenwriters since launching in 2021. Its Fall 2022 Fellows Lucas and Dineen-Porter join Spring 2022 Fellows Sam Dunnewold and Anton Ray, Fall 2021 Fellows Shaina Ghuraya, Greg Machlin and Aoife Baker, and Spring 2021 Fellows Kalen Feeney and Shani Am.
Formerly known as Inevitable’s Screenwriting Fellowship, the Accelerate Fellowship is a year-along program that offers its participants 40,000 grants, along with the business and writing support necessary to develop and sell their own content. The expanded program includes additional mentorship opportunities with industry experts and creatives, access to health insurance, and expanded educational and community programming, including guidance on IP acquisition.
Inevitable Foundation has granted over 250,000 in funding to disabled screenwriters since launching in 2021. Its Fall 2022 Fellows Lucas and Dineen-Porter join Spring 2022 Fellows Sam Dunnewold and Anton Ray, Fall 2021 Fellows Shaina Ghuraya, Greg Machlin and Aoife Baker, and Spring 2021 Fellows Kalen Feeney and Shani Am.
- 11/17/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The mighty Boston Underground Film Festival celebrates their impressive 15th edition this year on March 27-31 at the Brattle Theatre. Here’s some highlights to be on the lookout for:
Opening night film: I Declare War, a childhood parable about war and brutality, directed by Jason Lapeyre and Robert Wilson.
Closing night film: Big Ass Spider!, a raucous giant arachnid vs. the military flick, directed by Mike Mendez.
Other Feature Films: Both Drew Tobia’s first feature, See You Next Tuesday; and the punk documentary A Band Called Death by Mark Christopher Covino and Jeff Howlett recently won awards at the 20th Chicago Underground Film Festival and will now kill it at Buff. Sion Sono, a Buff regular, will be screening the last of his “Trilogy of Hate,” Guilty of Romance; while Calvin Lee Reeder has the gross-out feature-length version of his gross-out short The Rambler. And Zach Clark, a Bad Lit favorite,...
Opening night film: I Declare War, a childhood parable about war and brutality, directed by Jason Lapeyre and Robert Wilson.
Closing night film: Big Ass Spider!, a raucous giant arachnid vs. the military flick, directed by Mike Mendez.
Other Feature Films: Both Drew Tobia’s first feature, See You Next Tuesday; and the punk documentary A Band Called Death by Mark Christopher Covino and Jeff Howlett recently won awards at the 20th Chicago Underground Film Festival and will now kill it at Buff. Sion Sono, a Buff regular, will be screening the last of his “Trilogy of Hate,” Guilty of Romance; while Calvin Lee Reeder has the gross-out feature-length version of his gross-out short The Rambler. And Zach Clark, a Bad Lit favorite,...
- 3/27/2013
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
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