Laugh Out Loud and Sundance Institute Select Three Writers for Inaugural ‘Women Write Now’ Comedic Screenwriting Fellowship

In one of the most important moves from the industry to support women creatives, Laugh Out Loud, the multi-platform comedy brand founded by Kevin Hart, and Sundance Institute, the non-profit film organization behind the Sundance Film Festival and Labs, announced the three selected fellows for their inaugural Women Write Now screenwriting fellowship, a program designed to champion the next generation of Black women in comedy. As part of a new partnership between Laugh Out Loud and NBCUniversal, the projects from all three fellows will stream exclusively on Peacock, and one fellow will receive a career-defining development deal.

The three selected writers—Wilandrea Blair, Danielle Nicolet, and Moni Oyedepo—were chosen from a pool of over 670 scripts submitted by aspiring writers across the country between July 8th and August 5th. 17 semifinalists were selected from 672 submissions, and after interviews with the program directors and LOL Studios executives, the group was carefully narrowed down to ten finalists, whose scripts were presented to a jury panel of award-winning filmmakers, industry leaders, as well as executives from LOL and Sundance Institute who selected the final three fellows.

“When we started this program, it was alway with the intention of creating meaningful opportunity for Black women in comedy and changing the industry narrative around this talented and dynamic group of women who have traditionally been overlooked,” said Laugh Out President & COO and program Founder Thai Randolph. “What we’ve seen through this program is that there is no ‘pipeline problem.’ Danielle, Moni, and Wilandrea are three incredible writers who represent an unbelievably great pool of talent, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to partner with NBCU to create more opportunity and visibility for these women.”

In the coming weeks, the three finalists will develop their scripts through one-on-one guidance from Black-ish writer, Save By the Bell executive producer, and Women Write Now lead screenwriting mentor Yamara Taylor as well as receive mentorship on both their projects and careers from a panel of mentors and creative advisors working across the industry.

In addition to Taylor, mentors Val Boreland (EVP, Head of Content Acquisitions, NBCUniversal Television & Streaming) Keesha Boyd (Executive Director, Multicultural Entertainment, Comcast / NBCU), Tiffany Brown (VP, TV Development, Hartbeat), Leigh Davenport (Writer + Executive Producer Run the World), Tabitha Jackson (Director, Sundance Film Festival and Public Programming), Staci R. Collins Jackson (CEO, The Collins Jackson Agency), Zainab Johnson (Comedian and Actor, Upload), Thai Randolph (President & COO, Laugh Out Loud), Folayo Lasaki (Head of Marketing & Communications, Laugh Out Loud), Bresha Webb (Actor, Writer, Run the World), Candice Wilson Cherry (Head of Production & Development, Laugh Out Loud), and Michelle Satter (Founding Senior Director, Artist Programs, Sundance Institute) are set to guide the final writers as they get their scripts production ready through a series of five curated lab sessions.

“To say that it was no easy task to narrow the list down to our three fellows would be a gross understatement, but the sheer talent of the writers made the process a joy” said Laugh Out Loud, Head of Production & Development Candice Wilson Cherry. “This program has been a reminder of how much untapped talent exists—talent that is poised for opportunity. With their incredible scripts, Danielle, Moni, and Wilandrea each brought to life impactful, funny stories that jumped off the page. We are thrilled to be rolling into the next stage of the program with this incredibly gifted group of emerging writers and look forward to bringing their visions to life.”

Each writer, and project, will be paired with one of the Women Write Now guest directors—Gabrielle Dennis (A Black Lady Sketch Show), Meagan Good (The Intruder, Think Like a Man), or Bresha Webb (Run the World)—and production will begin later this month.

The 2021 Women Write Now screenwriting fellows and their projects are:

BUDDY AND BERNICE

Writer: Wilandrea Blair (Headshot)

Logline: A nursing home’s famous funny man feels upstaged when his old comic nemesis moves in, reigniting their bitter rivalry. Knowing a hearty laugh could put each of them in cardiac arrest, their goal is to tell jokes that kill — each other. (Directed by Gabrielle Dennis)

BLACK KAREN

Writer: Danielle Nicolet (Headshot)

Logline: On the advice of a therapist to treat her anxiety by, “thinking and behaving like happy people do”, one Black woman notices that white people seem pretty happy… (Directed by Meagan Good)

TAKE THE JOB

Writer: Moni Oyedepo (Headshot)

Logline: When Bri is offered a full-time job at the end of her internship, she’s shocked by the one stipulation her employer has for the position. (Directed by Bresha Webb)

In partnership with Laugh Out Loud, NBCUniversal will provide a development deal for one Women Write Now fellow. At the culmination of the lab, each writer will pitch their projects to programming executives, and one will be selected to develop a project for NBCUniversal, co-produced by LOL Studios.

“Developing diverse voices has long been a part of NBCU’s ethos and Laugh Out Loud and the Sundance Institute have been magnificent like-minded partners,” said Susan Rovner, Chairman, Entertainment Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “With Women Write Now, we’re able to use our platform to help support a new generation of Black women in comedy, taking an important step in ensuring more audiences see their lives reflected on screen.”

Selected projects will be produced by LOL Studios and premiere at a private screening during the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. The three writers will each receive a $10,000 stipend, a four-night trip to the Festival, and a first look deal with LOL. Following the Festival, the final short films will premiere and stream on Peacock for an exclusive window before releasing wide on LOL Network to an audience of over 100 million viewers.

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Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.