Zoya Akhtar (The Archies), Fawzia Mirza (Queen of My Dreams), and Roshan Sethi (A Nice Indian Boy) are set to join the 1497 Features Lab as Mentors.
Returning for its fourth year, the nonprofit 1497’s annual Features Lab will once again offer robust mentorship, script development, and industry access to elevate and advance the careers of screenwriters of South Asian descent. After expanding the Lab to a fully in-person format last year, this year’s program will build on that success with an intensive Retreat and subsequent Pitch Day. The Lab Retreat will take place this October 23-28, 2024 in Malibu.
The 1497 Features Lab, their signature impact program, entails three rounds of rigorous evaluation by independent Selection Committees to ultimately discover three Mentees to invest in. Each Mentee is then paired with a pod of Mentors – comprised of an established filmmaker, producer, industry representative, and a 1497 Features Lab Alum – from whom they...
Returning for its fourth year, the nonprofit 1497’s annual Features Lab will once again offer robust mentorship, script development, and industry access to elevate and advance the careers of screenwriters of South Asian descent. After expanding the Lab to a fully in-person format last year, this year’s program will build on that success with an intensive Retreat and subsequent Pitch Day. The Lab Retreat will take place this October 23-28, 2024 in Malibu.
The 1497 Features Lab, their signature impact program, entails three rounds of rigorous evaluation by independent Selection Committees to ultimately discover three Mentees to invest in. Each Mentee is then paired with a pod of Mentors – comprised of an established filmmaker, producer, industry representative, and a 1497 Features Lab Alum – from whom they...
- 4/29/2024
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Rap Sh*t breakout star Jonica Booth has signed with ColorCreative for representation.
Originally from St. Louis, Booth began her career in reality TV, later moving to Los Angeles, where she became known as an acclaimed comedian and actor.
Booth is now best known for her work on Rap Sh!t, where she plays as the self-proclaimed “Duke of Miami” and manager, Chastity on the show. She also guest starred opposite Betty Gilpin on the season finale of the Peacock series Mrs. Davis.
“Rap Sh*t has leveled up in season 2, and the Duke of Miami is even more of a force to be reckoned with. Jonica is a fierce talent, and we’re thrilled to work with her as she continues to build as an actor and creator,” said Raj Raghavan, Head of Talent at ColorCreative Management.
Booth continues to perform regularly at The Laugh Factory, The Comedy Store,...
Originally from St. Louis, Booth began her career in reality TV, later moving to Los Angeles, where she became known as an acclaimed comedian and actor.
Booth is now best known for her work on Rap Sh!t, where she plays as the self-proclaimed “Duke of Miami” and manager, Chastity on the show. She also guest starred opposite Betty Gilpin on the season finale of the Peacock series Mrs. Davis.
“Rap Sh*t has leveled up in season 2, and the Duke of Miami is even more of a force to be reckoned with. Jonica is a fierce talent, and we’re thrilled to work with her as she continues to build as an actor and creator,” said Raj Raghavan, Head of Talent at ColorCreative Management.
Booth continues to perform regularly at The Laugh Factory, The Comedy Store,...
- 11/6/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
1497 has selected three finalist for their Features Lab.
The Lab’s first year was held virtually, and the second year was hybrid, held virtually and in-person. For its third year, 1497 is conducting the Lab as an in-person, immersive, artistic retreat in Malibu, California, during which each Mentee will be paired with a pod of four Mentors from whom they will receive script feedback and career guidance. Mentees will also work with filmmaker and veteran script consultant Adrienne Weiss to further develop their scripts, with a particular emphasis on the emotional journey of their stories.
“We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: we started the 1497 Features Lab to empower writers in the South Asian diaspora to tell whatever stories they want to tell, regardless of the societal, industry, or stereotypical expectations that so often confine writers in our community to certain genres and cultural storylines,” Ahmed, Khan,...
The Lab’s first year was held virtually, and the second year was hybrid, held virtually and in-person. For its third year, 1497 is conducting the Lab as an in-person, immersive, artistic retreat in Malibu, California, during which each Mentee will be paired with a pod of four Mentors from whom they will receive script feedback and career guidance. Mentees will also work with filmmaker and veteran script consultant Adrienne Weiss to further develop their scripts, with a particular emphasis on the emotional journey of their stories.
“We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: we started the 1497 Features Lab to empower writers in the South Asian diaspora to tell whatever stories they want to tell, regardless of the societal, industry, or stereotypical expectations that so often confine writers in our community to certain genres and cultural storylines,” Ahmed, Khan,...
- 9/27/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
1497 has revealed the finalists of its third annual Features Lab. See their bios below.
The lab is designed to elevate and develop screenplays by writers of South Asian descent, while providing career support. It aims to empower writers in the South Asian diaspora to write whatever stories they feel compelled to tell, unbounded by genre, cultural content, geographic location, or any other stereotypical expectation.
Established in 2020 by Adeel Ahmed, Lipica Shah, and Kamran Khan, 1497 has been steadfast in its commitment to championing and empowering South Asian talent, countering their historical marginalization and year preceding colonization in what is now recognized as South Asia.
Sponsored by Final Draft, the 2023 Features Lab will guide three Mentees through a comprehensive, multi-tiered journey during a five-day retreat in Malibu. This transformative process will begin with working with Sundance filmmaker and seasoned script consultant Adrienne Weiss, to bolster the refinement of their feature film scripts.
The lab is designed to elevate and develop screenplays by writers of South Asian descent, while providing career support. It aims to empower writers in the South Asian diaspora to write whatever stories they feel compelled to tell, unbounded by genre, cultural content, geographic location, or any other stereotypical expectation.
Established in 2020 by Adeel Ahmed, Lipica Shah, and Kamran Khan, 1497 has been steadfast in its commitment to championing and empowering South Asian talent, countering their historical marginalization and year preceding colonization in what is now recognized as South Asia.
Sponsored by Final Draft, the 2023 Features Lab will guide three Mentees through a comprehensive, multi-tiered journey during a five-day retreat in Malibu. This transformative process will begin with working with Sundance filmmaker and seasoned script consultant Adrienne Weiss, to bolster the refinement of their feature film scripts.
- 8/16/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
1497, the nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting South Asian filmmakers, has enlisted Mira Nair, Geeta Malik (India Sweets and Spices)and Minhal Baig (Hala) as mentors for its third Features Lab. Baig is returning after having also served as a mentor for last year’s lab, held virtually and in-person in New York.
The 2023 edition will move cross-country to Malibu for the first time, taking place Oct. 18 through 23, wherein a newly structured format each of the three Lab participants will be given a dedicated pod of experts — a filmmaker, a producer, a representative and a Lab alum — to help them with script development and career guidance. In addition, they will receive (along with seven other finalists) the latest version of software from Final Draft, which is returning as Lab sponsor.
1497 has assembled a team of industry figures descended from all eight officially recognized South Asian countries — Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, The Maldives,...
The 2023 edition will move cross-country to Malibu for the first time, taking place Oct. 18 through 23, wherein a newly structured format each of the three Lab participants will be given a dedicated pod of experts — a filmmaker, a producer, a representative and a Lab alum — to help them with script development and career guidance. In addition, they will receive (along with seven other finalists) the latest version of software from Final Draft, which is returning as Lab sponsor.
1497 has assembled a team of industry figures descended from all eight officially recognized South Asian countries — Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, The Maldives,...
- 4/12/2023
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: SAG Award-winning and Grammy-nominated actor and singer Amber Riley has signed with ColorCreative for representation.
Known for her breakout role as Mercedes Jones on Fox’s musical comedy series Glee, Riley most recently starred in the Lifetime movie Single Black Female and won Season 8 of The Masked Singer.
Riley made her West End debut in 2016 as Effie White in Dreamgirls for which she received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical and the Evening Standard Theater Award for Best Musical Performance. In 2020, Riley released her debut EP Riley and is currently recording a second EP with Grammy-winning producer Harmony Samuels.
Born and raised in Compton, Riley most recently became the first celebrity to win both Dancing With the Stars and The Masked Singer.
“Amber Riley brings a powerhouse talent to the table with her incredible voice and just as strong acting skills,” said Raj Raghavan, Head of Talent at ColorCreative.
Known for her breakout role as Mercedes Jones on Fox’s musical comedy series Glee, Riley most recently starred in the Lifetime movie Single Black Female and won Season 8 of The Masked Singer.
Riley made her West End debut in 2016 as Effie White in Dreamgirls for which she received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical and the Evening Standard Theater Award for Best Musical Performance. In 2020, Riley released her debut EP Riley and is currently recording a second EP with Grammy-winning producer Harmony Samuels.
Born and raised in Compton, Riley most recently became the first celebrity to win both Dancing With the Stars and The Masked Singer.
“Amber Riley brings a powerhouse talent to the table with her incredible voice and just as strong acting skills,” said Raj Raghavan, Head of Talent at ColorCreative.
- 3/22/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Australian actor Pallavi Sharda has signed with ColorCreative and WME for representation in all areas.
Sharda most recently starred in the Netflix romantic comedy feature Wedding Season, which was in their top five globally for the first two weeks after it premiered in August 2022. She recently wrapped filming the role of “Ash” in the FX network pilot The Answers, executive produced by Darren Aronofsky and Danny Strong.
In her native Australia, Sharda can currently be seen starring opposite Sam Neill in the limited series The Twelve for Warner Bros TV Australia and Foxtel, which is being distributed internationally by Lionsgate TV. Her previous credits include the 2016 Oscar-nominated feature Lion, opposite Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman; the Warner Bros feature Tom & Jerry opposite Chloë Grace Moretz and Colin Jost; Gurinder Chadha’s limited series Beecham House for ITV/PBS; and the Netflix limited series The One.
From 2013-2017, Sharda worked primarily in Bollywood.
Sharda most recently starred in the Netflix romantic comedy feature Wedding Season, which was in their top five globally for the first two weeks after it premiered in August 2022. She recently wrapped filming the role of “Ash” in the FX network pilot The Answers, executive produced by Darren Aronofsky and Danny Strong.
In her native Australia, Sharda can currently be seen starring opposite Sam Neill in the limited series The Twelve for Warner Bros TV Australia and Foxtel, which is being distributed internationally by Lionsgate TV. Her previous credits include the 2016 Oscar-nominated feature Lion, opposite Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman; the Warner Bros feature Tom & Jerry opposite Chloë Grace Moretz and Colin Jost; Gurinder Chadha’s limited series Beecham House for ITV/PBS; and the Netflix limited series The One.
From 2013-2017, Sharda worked primarily in Bollywood.
- 2/23/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Stanford in Entertainment revealed the winners of its 2022 “All Write Now!” TV Script competition.
This year’s winners are Garrett Werner and Celine Foster, and Allison Oddman. They were chosen via a blind judging process over multiple rounds.
The annual competition, now in its 17th year, highlights Stanford alumni writers and connects them with showrunners, producers, agents, and other industry figures.
The winners will have their scripts read by industry leaders, including Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip) and ColorCreative’s Raj Raghavan, both of whom are also Stanford grads. The winners will also take part in a live table read organized by Stanford in Entertainment.
They join previous winners Oscar-nominated Hidden Figures scribe Allison Schroeder, Julia Meltzer, whose show Yours, Mine & Paul was put into development at ABC, and Danny Jacobs, actor/writer who most recently starred in the latest season of American Crime Story.
Read about the scripts and...
This year’s winners are Garrett Werner and Celine Foster, and Allison Oddman. They were chosen via a blind judging process over multiple rounds.
The annual competition, now in its 17th year, highlights Stanford alumni writers and connects them with showrunners, producers, agents, and other industry figures.
The winners will have their scripts read by industry leaders, including Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip) and ColorCreative’s Raj Raghavan, both of whom are also Stanford grads. The winners will also take part in a live table read organized by Stanford in Entertainment.
They join previous winners Oscar-nominated Hidden Figures scribe Allison Schroeder, Julia Meltzer, whose show Yours, Mine & Paul was put into development at ABC, and Danny Jacobs, actor/writer who most recently starred in the latest season of American Crime Story.
Read about the scripts and...
- 2/10/2023
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
ColorCreative Adds Veteran Managers Danielle Robinson and James Shani to Leadership Team (Exclusive)
Issa Rae’s Hoorae Media has added veteran managers Danielle Robinson and James Shani to the leadership team at ColorCreative, the talent management company co-founded by Rae and Denise Davis in 2014.
Robinson will assume the role of co-head of talent and manager, while Shani has been named executive producer and talent manager. Both Robinson and Shani will report to ColorCreative president Talitha Watkins.
In her new role, Robinson will focus on identifying new clients to grow the company’s roster and fostering new opportunities for emerging talent, alongside ColorCreative’s co-head of talent, partner and manager Raj Raghavan. Prior to joining the company, Robinson was a partner at Alan Siegel Entertainment. She brings with her clients including Lashana Lynch, Sarah Niles, Ray Panthaki, Tamara Smart, Charlotte Ritchie, Daniel Ings, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Taylor Handley and Sauriyan Sapkota.
“Danielle Robinson has impeccable taste, boundless energy, and incredible passion for her clients. I...
Robinson will assume the role of co-head of talent and manager, while Shani has been named executive producer and talent manager. Both Robinson and Shani will report to ColorCreative president Talitha Watkins.
In her new role, Robinson will focus on identifying new clients to grow the company’s roster and fostering new opportunities for emerging talent, alongside ColorCreative’s co-head of talent, partner and manager Raj Raghavan. Prior to joining the company, Robinson was a partner at Alan Siegel Entertainment. She brings with her clients including Lashana Lynch, Sarah Niles, Ray Panthaki, Tamara Smart, Charlotte Ritchie, Daniel Ings, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Taylor Handley and Sauriyan Sapkota.
“Danielle Robinson has impeccable taste, boundless energy, and incredible passion for her clients. I...
- 11/10/2022
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Raj Raghavan is on board at ColorCreative Management as Head of Talent, Partner and Manager.
Leaping over to Issa Rae’s Hoorae founded banner from Echo Lake Management, the ex-CAA agent will report directly to ColorCreative boss Talitha Watkins in his new gig.
“We are excited to partner with Raj Raghavan to build out the ColorCreative talent division,” said ColorCreative president Watkins to Deadline today. “Raj’s entrepreneurial spirit, impeccable taste, and stellar reputation for excellence in representation align with our core values.”
“I have been a fan of Issa Rae ever since I watched the first episode of Insecure,” added Raghavan. “I’m thrilled to join the ColorCreative team and be part of the mission of bringing stories to life from the freshest, coolest, and most unique voices. And I’m beyond excited about working with my good friend Talitha Watkins again.”
Watkins and Raghavan were colleagues at CAA for years.
Leaping over to Issa Rae’s Hoorae founded banner from Echo Lake Management, the ex-CAA agent will report directly to ColorCreative boss Talitha Watkins in his new gig.
“We are excited to partner with Raj Raghavan to build out the ColorCreative talent division,” said ColorCreative president Watkins to Deadline today. “Raj’s entrepreneurial spirit, impeccable taste, and stellar reputation for excellence in representation align with our core values.”
“I have been a fan of Issa Rae ever since I watched the first episode of Insecure,” added Raghavan. “I’m thrilled to join the ColorCreative team and be part of the mission of bringing stories to life from the freshest, coolest, and most unique voices. And I’m beyond excited about working with my good friend Talitha Watkins again.”
Watkins and Raghavan were colleagues at CAA for years.
- 11/7/2022
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Disney Branded Television is developing A Crown of Wishes, a live-action YA series based on the second book in Roshani Chokshi’s bestselling Star-Touched Queen duology. Avantika is attached to star and executive produce the project for Disney+.
A Crown of Wishes is a fantasy series rooted in Hindu mythology. The novel centers on Princess Gauri (Avantika), who is imprisoned after a failed siege against her malevolent brother, the King of Bharata. When Gauri is exiled from her kingdom, she reluctantly teams up with Vikram, an untrustworthy prince from a rival neighboring land, to enter the Tournament of Wishes. One wish will be granted to the winner, and though Princess Gauri and Prince Vikram have differing agendas, they will be forced into an uneasy alliance—and unexpected romance—while saving both their kingdoms.
Zanne Devine of Montana North Media will executive produce alongside Avantika.
A Crown of Wishes is a fantasy series rooted in Hindu mythology. The novel centers on Princess Gauri (Avantika), who is imprisoned after a failed siege against her malevolent brother, the King of Bharata. When Gauri is exiled from her kingdom, she reluctantly teams up with Vikram, an untrustworthy prince from a rival neighboring land, to enter the Tournament of Wishes. One wish will be granted to the winner, and though Princess Gauri and Prince Vikram have differing agendas, they will be forced into an uneasy alliance—and unexpected romance—while saving both their kingdoms.
Zanne Devine of Montana North Media will executive produce alongside Avantika.
- 11/3/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Stanford In Entertainment has identified the two winners for its 2021 TV script competition “All Write Now!” Stanford alumni Catherine Loerke and Sienna Streiber are the latest installment’s winners.
The annual competition, which is now in its 16th year, highlights Stanford alumni writers and connects them with showrunners, producers, agents and other industry figures. As winners, Loerke and Streiber will have their scripts read by industry leaders such as writer and executive producer Amy Aniobi, Echo Lake Entertainment’s Raj Raghavan, writer/director Lisa Joy of Kilter Films, and executives at Issa Rae’s Hoorae. Aniobi, Raghavan, Joy, and Rae are all Stanford alums.
Loerke and Streiber will also receive a free month of hosting and an evaluation at the Black List, and a live table read organized by Stanford in Entertainment. They join previous winners Oscar-nominated Hidden Figures scribe Allison Schroeder, Julia Meltzer and Danny Jacobs.
The annual competition, which is now in its 16th year, highlights Stanford alumni writers and connects them with showrunners, producers, agents and other industry figures. As winners, Loerke and Streiber will have their scripts read by industry leaders such as writer and executive producer Amy Aniobi, Echo Lake Entertainment’s Raj Raghavan, writer/director Lisa Joy of Kilter Films, and executives at Issa Rae’s Hoorae. Aniobi, Raghavan, Joy, and Rae are all Stanford alums.
Loerke and Streiber will also receive a free month of hosting and an evaluation at the Black List, and a live table read organized by Stanford in Entertainment. They join previous winners Oscar-nominated Hidden Figures scribe Allison Schroeder, Julia Meltzer and Danny Jacobs.
- 12/20/2021
- by Alexandra Del Rosario
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Former CAA agent and Imagine Artist Management partner-manager Raj Raghavan is joining Echo Lake Entertainment as a talent manager, where he’ll continue to rep a roster of accomplished actors, playwrights, comedians and novelists.
Raghavan’s clients include Golden Globe Nominee Jason Lee (My Name Is Earl), four-time Filmfare Award winner and Bollywood superstar Alia Bhatt (Gully Boy), British Independent Film Award winner Ashley Walters (Top Boy), BAFTA nominee Suraj Sharma, Ryan J. Haddad (The Politician), Brandon Scott Jones (The Good Place), Daria Berenato (WWE Superstar Sonya Deville), Sebastián Zurita (Cómo Sobrevivir Soltero), Niv Nissim (Sublet), Gibran Saleem (Better Things), Amanda Shechtman (Sunnyside), Thomas Beaudoin (Shameless), Anna Maguire (The Hummingbird Project), Gil Cates, Jr., and Sameer Pandya.
Raghavan comes to Echo Lake from Imagine. Prior to Imagine, he was an agent at CAA from 2005-2019 in the Los Angeles office.
Raghavan’s clients include Golden Globe Nominee Jason Lee (My Name Is Earl), four-time Filmfare Award winner and Bollywood superstar Alia Bhatt (Gully Boy), British Independent Film Award winner Ashley Walters (Top Boy), BAFTA nominee Suraj Sharma, Ryan J. Haddad (The Politician), Brandon Scott Jones (The Good Place), Daria Berenato (WWE Superstar Sonya Deville), Sebastián Zurita (Cómo Sobrevivir Soltero), Niv Nissim (Sublet), Gibran Saleem (Better Things), Amanda Shechtman (Sunnyside), Thomas Beaudoin (Shameless), Anna Maguire (The Hummingbird Project), Gil Cates, Jr., and Sameer Pandya.
Raghavan comes to Echo Lake from Imagine. Prior to Imagine, he was an agent at CAA from 2005-2019 in the Los Angeles office.
- 7/15/2020
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
WWE star Daria Berenato has signed with Imagine Artist Management for representation, Variety has learned exclusively.
Berenato, who wrestles under the name Sonya Deville, is currently signed to WWE’s “SmackDown Live” brand. She is also known for appearing on Season 9 of WWE’s E! docuseries “Total Divas” and for her time on the WWE reality series “Tough Enough.” It was during her time on the latter show she publicly came out, making her the first openly gay female wrestler in WWE history. She has since been featured in the company’s partnership with GLAAD for Lgbtq Pride Month. Berenato and her tag team partner Mandy Rose also currently star in the weekly web series “Damandyz Donuts,” in which they review the best glazed donuts in America.
With the signing, she will now look to expand into film and television roles. Several other WWE stars have found success on the...
Berenato, who wrestles under the name Sonya Deville, is currently signed to WWE’s “SmackDown Live” brand. She is also known for appearing on Season 9 of WWE’s E! docuseries “Total Divas” and for her time on the WWE reality series “Tough Enough.” It was during her time on the latter show she publicly came out, making her the first openly gay female wrestler in WWE history. She has since been featured in the company’s partnership with GLAAD for Lgbtq Pride Month. Berenato and her tag team partner Mandy Rose also currently star in the weekly web series “Damandyz Donuts,” in which they review the best glazed donuts in America.
With the signing, she will now look to expand into film and television roles. Several other WWE stars have found success on the...
- 2/28/2020
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment has launched a management division that will be led by Jax Media’s Tony Hernandez, the company confirmed.
Imagine Artist Management will be an independent division that will help support directors, producers, actors, writers and comedians. Hernandez will continue to serve as partner while overseeing the new management division. Imagine acquired Jax Media in 2018.
Former Generate founding partner Kara Welker will serve as president of the venture, which will be based in Los Angeles and New York. Dave Rath will join Welker as a founding partner. Former Wme and CAA agents DC Wade and Raj Raghavan will join Imagine Artist Management as well.
Also Read: Ron Howard to Direct Paradise Wildfire Documentary for National Geographic
“We launched Impact last year to democratize opportunities for storytellers, while empowering them with resources that we have codified over the last 35 years in the business,” Grazer and Howard said.
Imagine Artist Management will be an independent division that will help support directors, producers, actors, writers and comedians. Hernandez will continue to serve as partner while overseeing the new management division. Imagine acquired Jax Media in 2018.
Former Generate founding partner Kara Welker will serve as president of the venture, which will be based in Los Angeles and New York. Dave Rath will join Welker as a founding partner. Former Wme and CAA agents DC Wade and Raj Raghavan will join Imagine Artist Management as well.
Also Read: Ron Howard to Direct Paradise Wildfire Documentary for National Geographic
“We launched Impact last year to democratize opportunities for storytellers, while empowering them with resources that we have codified over the last 35 years in the business,” Grazer and Howard said.
- 7/22/2019
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
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