THE ATHENA FILM FESTIVAL PARTNERS WITH THE BLACK LIST TO PRESENT THE INAUGURAL ATHENA FILM FESTIVAL BLACK LIST MINI-LAB
SUBMISSIONS OPEN OCTOBER 1
THE SIXTH ATHENA FILM FESTIVAL TO TAKE PLACE FEBRUARY 18 – 21, 2016
New York, NY (October 1, 2015) – The Athena Film Festival (AFF) announced today that they are partnering with The Black List to present the inaugural Athena Film Festival Black List Mini-Lab. This unique Mini-Lab, offered as part of the 2016 program, is open to female writers with scripts focusing on women’s leadership. The Athena Film Festival, an annual celebration of women and leadership, will return for its sixth year February 18–21, 2016 at Barnard College.
The Black List is a well-respected database where writers submit their screenplays for filmmakers and producers. The Mini-Lab will consist of an intensive peer workshop and one-on-one sessions with professional screenwriters as mentors. The two-day lab will provide an opportunity to receive professional guidance, and prepare each writer for the realities of life in the industry. Previous Black List Mini-Lab mentors have included Beau Willimon (House of Cards, The Ides of March), Leslye Headland (Sleeping with Other People, Bachelorette), Kiwi Smith (Legally Blonde, 10 Things I Hate About You), Billy Ray (The Hunger Games, Captain Phillips), Max Borenstein (Godzilla, Minority Report), Jessica Bendinger (Bring It On) and Michael Mitnick (The Giver).
This Mini-Lab is only open to women writers. Ten screenwriters will be picked, based on the strength of their scripts, as evaluated by The Black List screenplay evaluation service and invited to submit a one page personal statement. Four writers will be selected to participate in the Mini-Lab.
“The Athena Film Festival strives to give voice to the incredible female talent in the entertainment world.” said Kathryn Kolbert co-founder of the Athena Film Festival and Constance Hess Williams Director of the Athena Center. “Partnering with The Black List was an obvious choice as their goals align perfectly with the festival’s: to discover, harness, guide and mentor creative artists.”
“The deplorable state of gender diversity in Hollywood’s screenwriting ranks is both a moral and an economic outrage,” said Franklin Leonard, Founder and CEO of The Black List. “We’ve long admired what the Athena Film Festival, and co-founder Melissa Silverstein in particular, have done to raise the profile of this issue and address it head on. It was only natural for us to partner in an endeavor like this, and we’re very excited to do so.”
The submission period for the Athena Film Festival Black List Mini-Lab is now open. Every script must be evaluated and hosted on www.blcklst.com. The deadline to purchase an evaluation is November 1, and the deadline for submission is November 21. Male-female screenwriting teams are not eligible, Athena List winning scripts are also not eligible.
For more information please visit https://athenafilmfestival.com or https://blcklst.com/.
ABOUT THE ATHENA FILM FESTIVAL
Now in its sixth year, the Athena Film Festival — a celebration of women and leadership—is an engaging weekend of feature films, documentaries and shorts that highlight women’s leadership in real life and the fictional world. The festival also created the Athena List, an annual slate of between 3-5 screenplays with female leaders or strong female protagonists that have yet to be made into films. The four-day festival, which includes conversations with directors, producers and actors, as well as activities for filmmakers, will be held February 18 – 21, 2016 in NYC at Barnard College. The Founding Sponsor of the Athena Film Festival is The Artemis Rising Foundation, Regina K. Scully, Founder and CEO.
ABOUT THE BLACK LIST
The Black List, an annual survey of Hollywood executives’ favorite unproduced screenplays, was founded in 2005. Since then, more than 300 Black List scripts have been produced, grossing almost $25 billion in box office worldwide. Black List movies have won 43 Academy Awards, including three of the last seven Best Picture Oscars and eight of the last sixteen Best Screenplay Oscars.
In October of 2012, the Black List launched a unique online community where screenwriters make their work available to readers, buyers and employers. Since its inception, it has hosted more than 25,000 screenplays and teleplays and provided more than 40,000 script evaluations. As a direct result of introductions made on the Black List, well over one hundred writers have found representation at major talent agencies and management companies, as well as sold or optioned their screenplays.
ABOUT WOMEN AND HOLLYWOOD
Women and Hollywood educates, advocates, and agitates for gender parity across the entertainment industry. Over the last eight years, it has grown to be one of the most respected sites focused on women’s issues and popular culture, and its founder, Melissa Silverstein, has become a well-respected leader on the subject.
ABOUT THE ATHENA CENTER
Established at Barnard College in 2009, the Athena Center for Leadership Studies is a catalyst for the education, development and advancement of inspired and courageous women leaders worldwide. Renowned civil rights attorney, Kathryn Kolbert, is the Center’s Constance Hess Williams Director.
ABOUT BARNARD COLLEGE
The idea was bold for its time. Founded in 1889, Barnard was the only college in New York City, and one of the few in the nation, where women could receive the same rigorous and challenging education available to men. Today, as the world-renowned liberal arts college for women at Columbia University, Barnard remains devoted to empowering extraordinary women to become even more exceptional.
ABOUT ARTEMIS RISING FOUNDATION
Artemis Rising Foundation is committed to transforming our culture through Media, Education, the Arts and Spirit. Regina K. Scully is its founder and CEO.
# # #
MEDIA INQUIRIES
ATHENA FILM FESTIVAL
FRANK PR | (646) 861-0843
Stephanie Davidson | Stephanie@frankpublicity.com
Jeff McBride | Jeff@frankpublicity.com
THE BLACK LIST
Megan Halpern | megan@blcklst.com
