A Reproductive Justice Story Facilitation Program for Screenwriters
2024 APP Writer Xenia Matthews writer of “Mambaby.”
About the Abortion Pipeline Project
The Abortion Pipeline Project (APP) is an annual lab for feature film scripts to seed and source narrative film projects which center abortion. It is part of the Athena Film Festival’s Creative Development Program.
APP writers will take part in a virtual lab and other virtual sessions which will introduce writers to reproductive justice experts and writing coaches to create stories that are steeped in expertise. The participants will also be connected with writing mentors to support their creative process, and will receive a grant to continue to develop their project.
The Abortion Pipeline Project is in Collaboration with: Jess Jacobs, filmmaker/activist; Renee Bracey-Sherman, Co-Executive Director of We Testify; Dr. Gretchen Sisson, lead researcher of ANSIRH’s Abortion Onscreen; Melissa Silverstein, Artistic Director of Athena Film Festival.
Awards and Prices
Five writers will be selected and will receive grant money, writing mentorship, and sessions with experts on the depiction of abortion on screen.
Timelines
Submissions are open until March 17, 2025. The virtual sessions will take place in June 2025.
Rules and Eligibility
- Projects must have a woman, trans or non-binary character(s) in leadership role(s) or
- position(s).
- Projects must center around an individual who has decided they will have an abortion and the potential obstacles to receiving a safe abortion. These obstacles can include, but are not limited to legal, medical, cultural, or religious barriers
- Projects from all genres are accepted; we look for stories from all racial, ethnic,
- socioeconomic, ability and cultural groups, but must be a NARRATIVE;
- Projects must be written in English (dialogue intended to be filmed in non-English
- language is OK) and cannot be more 120 pages;
- Projects can be either feature-length scripts (no more than 120 pages), or an episodic (no more than 60 pages);
- If you have been on the Athena List, you can submit a project, but it CANNOT be a script that was on the Athena List;
- Scripts based on existing material will be considered, as long as the writer(s) have
- secured the underlying rights to the source material;
- There is NO FEE to submit your project
The Athena Film Festival encourages applications from people of all races, religions, national origins, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, and ages, as well as veterans and individuals with disabilities. We strongly encourage you to apply if you are from a marginalized or underrepresented group, particularly in the film industry.
For more information, check out our FAQ page or reach out to us at athenafilmfestival@gmail.com.
2024 Program Participants
Baby by Brandy Carie
Bringing It Home by Sabine El Gemayel
Let Their Hearts Beat by Emily Saunders
Mambaby by Xenia Matthews
Situationship by Luisia Fernanda Alvarex Restrepo & Rahul Arun Chaturvedi
