Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Carlos López Estrada (“Raya and the Last Dragon,” “Blindspotting,” “Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero”) is launching the Antigravity Academy Screenwriters Camp, a program designed to develop and package five features from first-time emerging filmmakers.
The program will be run by Abiram Brizuela, Antigravity’s head of incubator, and backed by independent film financier and Unapologetic Projects co-CEO Chris Quintos Cathcart. Brizuela is the executive director of The Unusual Suspects Theater Company and previously served as director of artist community at the Sundance Institute.
“This is a program built out of necessity. We’ve met hundreds of incredible filmmakers waiting to be seen. Filmmakers who anchor their stories on their own identity and explore the nuances of life from unprecedented perspectives,” stated Brizuela and López Estrada. “We’re proud to provide a platform where these storytellers can exchange ideas, engage in artistic practice, explore the power of their creative voice, and ultimately find a path forward for their films. This is only the beginning.”
The Screenwriters Camp begins with a weeklong intensive, running from May 24-29, 2024, in Lake Arrowhead, Calif., followed by five monthly virtual workshops and a month of “industry exposure.” Upon completion of the program, participants will have a new draft of their screenplay, a first-look deal for production financing from Unapologetic Projects, and Antigravity’s commitment to help bring the projects to market.
Started in November 2022, the Antigravity Academy is a multi-hyphenate creative home for emerging artists. The Screenwriters Camp incubator is the latest addition to Antigravity’s slate of community-building programs, furthering the mission to “amplify voices and make the industry more accessible to first-time filmmakers” from underrepresented communities. Antigravity’s latest film “Dìdi,” from writer-director Sean Wang, set to premiere in competition at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. The company will next set to produce “Kill Yr Idols,” a 2023 Sundance Writers Lab selection to be directed by López Estrada.
Applications for the Screenwriters Camp will open on Dec. 30 and close on Jan. 30, 2024. Filmmakers must be over 18 years old to apply and submit a finished draft of a feature screenplay, as well as a short video introduction. only filmmakers with no previously produced feature films will be considered. For more information on the incubator program and to apply, visit The Antigravity Academy Screenwriters Camp website.
