HUMANITAS Announces NEW VOICES Winners for 9th Season
LOS ANGELES, July 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- HUMANITAS is proud to announce the winners of the NEW VOICES program for 2019-2020.
With a record number of submissions, there are many firsts among this season's winners. Most notably, a 72-year-old New Voice and a musical.
The themes of the winning scripts are striking and reflective of the current times. From the Hasidic Jew who gets a lifeline from a drag queen to the women of color who band together to push the drug dealers out of their neighborhood to the millennial who works in a pottery studio with a bunch of witches. The winning scripts are original, unique, and speak about humanity in a meaningful and nuanced way.
The winners are:
Robert Axelrod - Tucked
Christina Brosman - Sacrificial
Jeanine Daniels - Convoluted
John Doble - The Amen Sisterhood
Obiageli Odimegwu - The Show
Roniel Tessler - Blue Moon
"The quality of scripts received this year was impressive. It made it very difficult to select our semi-finalists, finalists and, ultimately, our winners. This group of winners is extraordinary. I am struck by the diversity of both the writers and the writing," said Executive Director Cathleen Young.
Each lucky winner will receive a $7,500 grant at the 45th Annual HUMANITAS Prize Awards on January 24, 2020 and mentorship from a showrunner or feature screenplay writer.
Since its inception in 2010, the NEW VOICES program annually selects up to six winners. Candidates apply with an original pilot or screenplay. The scripts receive blind readings by industry judges. Winners are matched with a Hollywood showrunner / mentor. Previous mentors include Janine Sherman Barrois, Jenny Bicks, Tom Fontana, Felicia Henderson, Jason Katims, and Bill Lawrence. The winners have three months to further develop their script under the showrunner's supervision. After the script is polished, HUMANITAS exposes the script to a studio or network partner.
"I firmly believe that it is the responsibility of those who 'make it' to hold the door open for someone else. The NEW VOICES program is that open door and I'm proud to be a part of it," said HUMANITAS Advisory Council member Noah Hawley (Legion).
Many NEW VOICES winners have found professional success through staff jobs and development deals.
"In a world where talent is not always enough, we are happy to provide an access point for these talented writers. Having the help of a working writer is incredibly valuable and HUMANITAS is pleased to provide this for our NEW VOICES," said HUMANITAS President Ali LeRoi.
HUMANITAS will receive NEW VOICES submissions for the 10th season on October 15, 2019.
For more information, please visit: https://www.humanitasprize.org/new-voices/
Media Contact: The HUMANITAS Prize
Abigail Boland, Development Associate
[email protected]
(310) 454-8769
SOURCE The HUMANITAS Prize
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