NOW ACCEPTING APPLICANTS FOR FALL 2022 PROGRAM!
Amplifying Latinx Stories!
M Film Lab is a free-to-join screenwriting workshop and mentorship opportunity for storytellers and filmmakers committed to fair artistic representation of minorities in film & television. Using an online format and advanced tools, The M Film Lab aims to discover and provide opportunities to aspiring minority storytellers to write, learn and share their stories, hone their screenwriting skills, and create a pipeline of authentic, compelling, and meaningful content. We are delighted to announce the M Film Lab’s Fall 2022 program, focused on amplifying Latinx Stories!
See below for further information on eligibility, application process and selection criteria.
Write & submit a screenplay following the guidelines below:
WINNERS
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Fall 2022 Program Overview
Despite comprising a significant and rapidly increasing segment of the audience, and a higher-than national average of the spend on entertainment (streaming services, box office), Latinx stories continue to be underrepresented on the screen. Beyond the increase in demand, and the economic argument for creating more Latinx content, there is an immense depth and richness of stories, with varied cultural nuances and breadth of experiences, that remains largely untapped. Hollywood continues to forgo this veritable goldmine of stories for exhausted tropes of narco-culture. The M Film lab’s goal is to explore genuine and authentic stories from a Latinx perspective, that defy this reductionist trend. We are looking for stories of any genre and subject matter, so long as they are delivered with a uniquely latinx voice.
We invite you to write a screenplay for a 15-minute short film (Max 15 pages) about any topic, genre, or subject matter of your choosing. While this is an opportunity for Latinx storytellers, we encourage you not to feel limited to traditional Latin themes. This is a blank canvas for you to showcase your creativity and unique voice. We encourage you to explore new territories, and remix old ones. For example, tell us stories that look to the future of the Latinx individual in America, or uncover an obscure corner of the Latinx experience that we’ve never seen on screen.
Key Dates
Lab Mentors
Arturo Muyshondt
Actor, Producer
Eligibility
Applications
Judging Criteria
In addition to compliance with the film lab’s eligibility requirements, submitted applications will be evaluated on a variety of factors including but not limited to originality, creativity, and structure. Applications are judged by a select committee of lab partners and mentors.
IMPORTANT RESTRICTIONS
About M Film Lab
M Film Lab is a free-to-join screenwriting workshop and mentorship opportunity for storytellers and creators committed to fair artistic representation of minorities that are underrepresented in film & television. Using an online format and advanced tools, The M Film Lab aims to discover and provide opportunities to aspiring screenwriters, while creating a pipeline of compelling, meaningful content that sheds light on the issues facing various communities of minorities in America and abroad.
The M Film Lab is open to all aspiring screenwriters, and features opportunities to work with and learn from accomplished industry professionals, forge new connections with other artists.
About Lab Partners
Open Screenplay is a first of its kind online platform where storytellers from all over the world can write, learn, collaborate, share and connect with opportunities to be paid and produced. Open Screenplay aims to bring democracy and diversity to the world of film and television, so that the world we see on the screen is as beautifully diverse as the one we live in.
The Pillars Fund amplifies the leadership, narratives, and talents of Muslims in the United States to advance opportunity and justice for all. Since their founding in 2010, Pillars has distributed more than $6 million in grants to Muslim organizations and leaders who advance social good. Pillars Fund invest in community-focused initiatives, push back against harmful narratives, uplift Muslim stories, and give collectively to generate resources within Muslim communities for Muslim communities.
MPAC’s Hollywood Bureau changes the narrative of Islam and Muslims in the entertainment industry so that audiences see Muslims as vital contributors to creating social and cultural change in America and around the world. We do this by engaging decision makers and creatives to improve the quality of authentic, nuanced, and inclusive depictions of Islam and Muslims. We also create opportunities for Muslim storytellers to tell their own stories