Black Boy Writes Media & Stage 32 Partner to Open Submissions for Black Boy Writes & Black Girl Writes Mentorship Initiative 2022/23
Winner Announcements
Contest Info
AS SEEN IN
"INSECURE" WRITER MIKE GAUYO PARTNERS WITH STAGE 32
TO OPEN SUBMISSIONS FOR BLACK BOY WRITES/BLACK GIRL WRITES MENTORSHIP INITIATIVE
ENTRIES OFFICIALLY OPEN NOVEMBER 18 THROUGH THE STAGE 32 PLATFORM.
To enter the competition you must complete ALL of the following:
1. Upload either a 1-Hour or Half-Hour Pilot (of any genre). Only one (1) entry will be accepted per applicant.
2. Submit a Biography and answer the required Essay Question. All applicants must submit a Biography and answer the Essay Question in order to be considered. Click here to submit your biography and essay.
Essay Question: How does who you are inform what you write, and if any, what impact do you see yourself making in this industry? (Please limit your response to 500 words or less in order to be considered.)
Mike Gauyo (Insecure, Ginny & Georgia) and industry-leading training platform Stage 32 open submissions to the Black Boy Writes & Black Girl Writes Mentorship Initiative under the Black Boy Writes Media banner. (Read the full Deadline article here.)
The initiative, which launched at the top of 2021, focuses on supplying industry access and resources to preWGA Black screenwriters. In partnership with Stage 32, admissions for the 2023 class will open November 18th 2022 and close December 18th 2022. The first round of the application will require a bio, 1-hour or half-hour original script (of any genre), and a short essay. Those chosen to move to the second round will interview with Mike and the initiative's Chief of Programming, Ashley Aronson, before 10 to 12 participants are selected.
Features of the mentorship initiative include monthly Writer Roundtables with established writers/industry leaders. Past participants include Amy Aniobi of Insecure, Kay Oyegun of This Is Us, and Golden Globe Winning & Oscar-Nominated Writer Kemp Powers writer of Soul and One Night in Miami.
In addition, mentees will participate in writing workshops and notes sessions to prepare mentees for Fellowships, Generals, and Staffing. They will also participate in general meetings with Networks and Production Companies. Past participants include Nick Jr., OutTV, Plan B, and Array. And at the end of the program, each mentee will have the opportunity to be read by Mike Gauyo’s agents at Culture Creative and Lit Managers at Writ Large, for representation consideration.
Mentees will also receive education and training through Stage 32 Next Level Education in the form of a free webinar of their choice and Stage 32 Script Services in the form of a free pitch session with the executive of their choice. Each mentee will also receive the latest in Final Draft software.
“With the Black Boy Writes & Black Girl Writes Mentorship Initiative I aim to create a pathway for up and coming Black writers to achieve success by providing them with access to education and industry professionals. I’m thankful to be partnered with such an innovative platform like Stage 32 and screenwriting software leaders Final Draft, who are both committed to serving underrepresented creatives all over the world.” says Insecure Writer Mike Gauyo.
“After a wildly successful year identifying and lifting up new and exciting screenwriting voices, we couldn’t be more excited to be back at it with Black Boy Writes/Black Girl Writes again. The objective of discovering, mentoring, and offering industry access to undiscovered talent falls right in line with Stage 32’s mission over the last 11 years to democratize the entertainment industry and level the playing field for all creatives and professionals around the world. And we get the added benefit of working with Mike Gauyo who I admire immensely. I can’t wait to meet and dive in with this year’s winners,” said Stage 32 CEO Richard Botto.
Contest Judges
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Mike Gauyo - TV Writer (INSECURE, GINNY & GEORGIA), Showrunner: Send Help AMC's ALLBLK
Mike Gauyo is the Founder of Black Boy Writes/Black Girl Writes, Showrunner on Send Help (AMC’S ALBLK) and a Writer/Producer of HBO’s Emmy & NAACP Image Award winning Insecure and Netflix’s Emmy-Nominated Ginny and Georgia.
Originally born in Haiti, Mike broke into Hollywood as a production assistant on reality shows like AMERICAN IDOL and SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE until being discovered by Issa Rae who staffed him as a writer on her fiction podcast FRUIT. Mike entered the world of TV writers’ rooms serving as a writers’ assistant on the TNT show CLAWS. Mike also founded The Black Boy Writes / Black Girl Writes Mentorship Initiative, a mentorship program for black men and women who are looking to break into TV writing, which partners with Stage 32 each year to find undiscovered voices. Mike’s varied background in TV writing has allowed him to experience many different writers’ rooms and has given him a keen sense on how to best write and perform in these settings.
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