Roundtable discussion w/ Sonali Mehta, M.Rowan Meyer, and Desa Larkin-Boutté - three of ISA's Top 25 Screenwriters's To Watch in 2021 - to talk about pitching. Instead of hearing from industry pros who receive pitches, we will be doing the flip-side of that discussion and get the inside scoop from fellow writers about how they pitch, prep & avoid pitfalls.

PANELISTS:

SONALI MEHTA

Sonali Mehta is a TV writer’s assistant and former video game story editor. A genre-agnostic, all of Sonali’s writing centers around one relevant and complex theme. Sonali’s favorite shows include Succession, Breaking Bad, and Killing Eve. She is repped by Tulsea.

ROWAN MEYER

Rowan is a NYC based screenwriter and producer. In 2020, his period pilot Lemonlight won Best Comedy at Austin Film Festival, his religious pilot Cloistered won ISA's Table Read My Screenplay and received a staged reading at Sundance, and he released his self-produced medical pilot Patient. Co-author of Freak Week with 2x NYT Best Selling author Grace Helbig. One of ISA's 25 Emerging Writers to Watch in 2021. He has a Masters in Acting from Rutgers University.

DESA LARKIN-BOUTTÉ

Born in Los Angeles, raised in Atlanta, and educated in Boston, Desa has first-hand knowledge of America’s vast and varied communities. She has worked in the television industry for over a decade, learning extensively from the creative minds behind The Walking Dead, Better Call Saul, and Westworld. Desa was a 2018 AFF Semifinalist, as well as the 2020 Grand Prize Winner of Creative Screenwriting's Unique Voices Competition. Desa is repped by Meridian Entertainment and Verve Talent & Literary Agency.

SPONSORS:

PAGE-TURNER:

page–turn·er \?pj-?t?r-n?r\ n. A script so compelling or exciting that the reader is unable to put it down. That’s exactly what the PAGE-TURNER Screenplay Competition is looking for. Regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation or economic background, Page-Turner is focused on finding & supporting great original stories with a strong voice that grip the reader from the first page to the last. Whether the story you tell is a genre film or an indie pic, a network procedural or an edgy cable drama, we want to find the most compelling, unique, page-turning scripts out there. We are looking for scripts that we CAN’T put down. Our mission is to help screenwriters through writing competitions where they are read by professional working writers who give honest professional feedback on their scripts. Send us your best. We look forward to supporting & helping you grow as a writer.

ERMANTOURAGE: The Industry Next / Hollywood Chills / Chat for Hope Campaign

The Industry Next initiative supports filmmakers & writers of underrepresented communities for a chance at winning mentorship meetings with our line up, as well as a guest spot at our upcoming virtual Hollywood Chills entertainment summit. Hollywood Chills 14, a 2-weekend virtual entertainment summit on Saturday, Apr 24 & Saturday, May 1, for full days of networking, talks with special guests, performances & relationship building with our private one-on-one general meetings. Special guests include reps from Marvel Studios, 3 Arts, Plan B, Sony & more! Ermantourage's Chat for Hope campaign with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention! Entrants vie for a chance to have a Zoom meeting with either actress Nathalie Emmanuel ("The Fast & The Furious" franchise, "Game of Thrones") this April or actor Jack Black ("Jumanji" franchise, "School of Rock") this May.

CAPITAL FUND SCREENPLAY COMPETITION your scripts are read directly by investors who buy projects & fund films at the studio level - domestically & abroad. Investors or Funds may elect to option or purchase your script at any time regardless of whether or not your script places in the contest. All current & previous years winners & The Hot 100 Lists are showcased at investor meetings at the major film markets worldwide. Your summary & logline will get exposure year after year. Our entrants have been optioned & sold at AFM, Cannes, Berlin, Toronto & Shanghai film markets.

Firenze FilmCorti Festival & Screenplay Contest

Firenze FilmCorti Festival are among the most important & well regarded in Europe. Many renown actors & directors have been a part of the festival, including Sharon Stone who held her Italy premiere for her short film An Undeniable Voice in the third season, which she produced & starred in. Oscar-winner Billy Bob Thornton, submitted his short film Stand Down to the 5th edition of the Festival, where he was awarded as best actor. The festival awards cash for the Best Screenplay. Features, Shorts & TV episodes are accepted in English or Italian. The Jury is formed of experts who work in the cultural industries, journalists, directors, reviewers - English & Italian speakers. Final deadline: Oct 10.