HamptonsFilm, home of Hamptons International Film Festival, has announced the selected fellows, screenplays, and mentors for the 24th edition of its annual Screenwriters Lab, which will take place April 5 to 7.
The three selected screenplays for 2024’s Lab are “Pygmalion” by Agnes Skonare, “Little Phnom Penh” by Chheangkea, and “Diary of a Muslim Cynic” by Sarah Mokh. The Lab pairs rising screenwriters with established screenwriters, directors, and creative producers for a weekend of one-on-one mentoring sessions.
“In considering selections from this year’s record number of submissions, these three projects really stood out with their distinctive voices and unique approaches to storytelling. We are also honored to have three artists who have all exhibited work at our festival return to mentor these emerging artists,” stated Artistic Director David Nugent.
This year’s mentors include filmmaker and actor Michael Covino, whose work includes his feature directorial debut “The Climb,” which premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for Best First Feature at the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards; director, screenwriter, and producer Bart Freundlich, known for his 1997 Sundance Film Festival hit “The Myth Of Fingerprints,” starring Julianne Moore; and Academy Award-nominated screenwriter and filmmaker Celine Song, whose critically-acclaimed feature directorial debut “Past Lives” was nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay at the 96th Academy Awards. Song is an alumni of the Hamptons International Film Festival and was awarded the Breakthrough Artist Award at the 31st edition in October 2023.
HamptonsFilm will also present one of the participating screenplays with the 2024 Melissa Mathison Award. The award was established in 2016 and named for the late, beloved Oscar-nominated screenwriter, and strives to foster the continued development of female writers in the industry. Previous recipients include Shehrezad Maher’s “Theory of Colors,” Farida Zahran’s “The Leftover Ladies,” Lana Wilson’s “Back Seat,” Kelly O’Sullivan’s “Mouse,” Kirsten Tan’s “Higher,” Aemilia Scott’s “The Birthday Suit,” Annabelle Attanasio’s “Mickey And The Bear,” and Cathy Yan’s “Dead Pigs.” The 2024 Melissa Mathison Award recipient will be announced at an upcoming date and will receive access to a casting director and a staged reading of their project in New York City.
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