Netflix: Inevitable Foundation Expands Accelerate Fellowship in Partnership With Netflix; Names Fall 2022 Fellows
Image Description: Ten people smile for the camera in various positions, sitting and standing. Standing (L-R) are Richie Siegel, a white man with brown hair and a beard in a blue button down, Shani Am. Moore a Black woman with curly hair wearing a large necklace, bright blue blazer, black top and a purple scarf, Greg Machlin, a white man with dark hair wearing a light blue button down and brown slacks, Aoife Baker a white person with short blonde hair and red glasses, wearing a yellow cardigan with a red t-shirt, Marisa Torelli-Pedevska, a white woman with long brown hair in a ponytail, wearing an orange sweater and blue jeans, and Sam Dunnewold, a white man with short dark hair and glasses, wearing a mint colored button down, jeans and red shoes. On the bottom row, seated in various chairs (L-R) are Anton Ray, a man with long dark hair wearing a blue blazer, green t-shirt and blue jeans, Kalen Feeney, a white woman with short brown hair wearing a blue blouse and black pants, Saga Darnell, a white person with blonde braids wearing a pink top, yellow floral skirt and sneakers and Shaina Ghuraya, a woman with long dark hair and glasses, using a wheelchair and wearing a multicolored top, blue jeans and pink shoes.
Inevitable Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to breaking down barriers keeping mid-level disabled screenwriters from reaching their full commercial and creative potential, has announced the expansion of its Accelerate Fellowship (formerly Screenwriting Fellowship), supported by an exclusive, multi-year commitment from Netflix's Fund for Creative Equity.
Inevitable Foundation’s Accelerate Fellowship gives mid-level disabled writers the funding, mentorship, connections and community they need to become industry-leading creators. The year-long program offers $40,000 grants along with an immense amount of business and writing support to help Fellows 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 also announced Monica Lucas and David Dineen-Porter as its Fall 2022 Accelerate Fellows. They 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. Moore. Since launching in 2021, Inevitable Foundation has granted over $250,000 in funding to disabled screenwriters.
“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% of the U.S. population, less than 0.5% of first-look and overall deals go to disabled writers and 97% of writers’ rooms have no upper-level disabled writers. Netflix’s multi-year commitment—the largest from any streamer, studio or network to date—is a resounding endorsement of our barrier-breaking approach to fostering the next generation of disabled creators. We are also very excited to welcome Monica and David as our Fall 2022 Accelerate Fellows.”
Fall 2022 Accelerate Fellows Monica Lucas and David Dineen-Porter bring their unique experiences to the program.
Monica Lucas is a neurodivergent, Puerto Rican screenwriter who writes stylistic character dramas about women and girls wrestling back power from the systems that seek to diminish them. She believes in the power of story to make the world a more empathetic place, especially for women, people of color, and folks with disabilities. Monica got her start as a political activist in Washington, DC, where she worked in the U.S. Department of State and for various nonprofits and think tanks. She has received her MFA in Writing for Screen and Television from USC, has her first pilot in development and is co-writing an upcoming narrative podcast. She was the 2021 JHRTS Feature Drama Winner as well as a finalist in the Moving Picture Institute’s Short Film Lab.
“I am beyond excited to have been selected as a Fall 2022 Accelerate Fellow,” said Lucas. “Hollywood is a difficult industry with complex social norms that remain obscure to many who attempt to break in; navigating it with Autism has been especially challenging. This fellowship will set me up for success as I work to become a screenwriter who can break down stigma for other storytellers with disabilities.”
David Dineen-Porter is a comedy writer with an interest in science fiction and absurdism. He was born by emergency C-section, demonstrating an early love of drama. In college he majored in Assyriology, inspired by an episode of Star Trek (“Darmok”) and a deficit of long-term planning. He has worked on Magic For Humans on Netflix, The Late Late Show with James Corden on CBS and Xavier: Renegade Angel on Cartoon Network. He also produces and hosts the surrealist comedy podcast Party of Four. He was listed on Vulture’s 50 Comics to Know in 2015, and has performed at Just For Laughs 42, San Francisco Sketch Fest and Bridgetown Comedy Festival.
“Inevitable Foundation’s mission to provide specialized help to disabled creatives has renewed my optimism about what is possible for me. The opportunity to hone my craft with professional guidance and such a supportive community of peers is overwhelming,” Dineen-Porter shared.
Inevitable Foundation is also excited to report on the progress of its existing Accelerate Fellows. Since being named as a Fellow in Spring 2021, Shani Am. Moore has been a Story Editor on Hulu's political and relationship series The Bold Type and an Executive Story Editor on the BET+ series Kingdom Business. Most recently, she was a Co-Producer on the latest season of Netflix hit show Sweet Magnolias. Shaina Ghuraya (Fall 2021) recently signed with Jeff Portnoy at Bellevue Productions and Sam Dunnewold (Spring 2022) signed with Brandon Stein at Brillstein Entertainment Partners. Sam was also connected with director Ashley Eakin via Inevitable Foundation’s Concierge service, and the two are now working with a leading production company to adapt her short film Roommates, which debuted at SXSW in 2022, into a feature film.
As part of the relaunch, the Foundation is moving to an annual cycle for naming new Fellows and has updated its Mid-Level Criteria, which will now guide applicants to the programs that they’re eligible for. Prospective applicants for the Fellowship can learn more about Inevitable Foundation’s programs on its website and by taking their Programs Eligibility Questionnaire. Those who qualify will be invited to apply for the 2023 cohort early next year. About Inevitable Foundation
Inevitable Foundation is a non-profit that systematically breaks down barriers keeping mid level disabled screenwriters—the most underrepresented workforce in film and television from reaching their full commercial and creative potential. Disabled people make up 20%+ of the population but represent less than 1% of writers behind the screen. The access, relationship and opportunity barriers holding the community back—for example, it’s 2x more likely for a disabled person to be unemployed and live in poverty—need to be broken down.
Their signature programs empower mid-level disabled writers with the job placement, professional development, funding, networking and mentorship they need to build thriving careers in the entertainment industry. Learn more about their work at https://inevitable.foundation.
Image Description: Monica is a 30-year old woman with long brown hair, green eyes, and a medium-toned complexion. She is wearing a golden yellow t-shirt and is looking at the camera with a smile.
Image description: David Dineen-Porter is in his early 40s. He is a short haired, bearded white man looking into the camera and smiling. He's wearing a striped sweater over a linen shirt with a collar, and is standing in front of a white background.
