Disney’s curated short film program, Launchpad, features six unique features created by diverse filmmakers from different backgrounds. In the series second season, The Roof, directed by Alexander Bocchieri and written by W.A.W. Parker, which is up for Emmy consideration, tells a touching story about a queer two-spirit teenager (Phoenix Wilson) who is forced to spend time with his Northern Cheyenne Grandfather (Wes Studi) as he dangerously toils away on repairs to his leaky roof.
Here, Deadline talks to Launchpad senior manager and producer Phillip Domfeh about the powerful impact of diverse storytelling.
Deadline: How would you describe Launchpad as a program?
Phillip Domfeh:The best way to discuss Disney Launchpad is that it sits at the intersection of 100 years of storytelling expertise that resides within the Walt Disney Studios, and the next generation of storytellers that we’re trying to bring up that often come from underrepresented backgrounds, or...
Here, Deadline talks to Launchpad senior manager and producer Phillip Domfeh about the powerful impact of diverse storytelling.
Deadline: How would you describe Launchpad as a program?
Phillip Domfeh:The best way to discuss Disney Launchpad is that it sits at the intersection of 100 years of storytelling expertise that resides within the Walt Disney Studios, and the next generation of storytellers that we’re trying to bring up that often come from underrepresented backgrounds, or...
- 6/19/2024
- by Destiny Jackson
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: It’s all about connection in Season 2 of Disney+’s Launchpad.
The collection of live-action shorts is set to debut on September 29, and Deadline has an exclusive look at the posters for all six — Project Cc, The Ghost, The Roof, Beautiful, Fl, Black Belts and Maxine.
Three of the posters are above, and the remainder are below.
Launchpad Season 2 is a collection of live-action shorts from a new generation of dynamic filmmakers. This season showcases six writers, five directors and one writer-director from underrepresented backgrounds who were given the opportunity to share their perspectives and creative visions.
Continuing the goal of Disney’s first season of Launchpad, which was to diversify the types of stories that are being told by giving access to those who historically have not had it, the second installment focuses on the theme of “connection.”
‘Beautiful, Fl,’ ‘ Black Belts’ & ‘Maxine’
Here are more details about...
The collection of live-action shorts is set to debut on September 29, and Deadline has an exclusive look at the posters for all six — Project Cc, The Ghost, The Roof, Beautiful, Fl, Black Belts and Maxine.
Three of the posters are above, and the remainder are below.
Launchpad Season 2 is a collection of live-action shorts from a new generation of dynamic filmmakers. This season showcases six writers, five directors and one writer-director from underrepresented backgrounds who were given the opportunity to share their perspectives and creative visions.
Continuing the goal of Disney’s first season of Launchpad, which was to diversify the types of stories that are being told by giving access to those who historically have not had it, the second installment focuses on the theme of “connection.”
‘Beautiful, Fl,’ ‘ Black Belts’ & ‘Maxine’
Here are more details about...
- 9/21/2023
- by Katie Campione
- Deadline Film + TV
Updated with Best Screenplay Award for Switch, written by Sara Robin: The 19th HollyShorts Film Festival has handed out its awards, including the Grand Prix Best Short Award to We Were Meant To, an honor that comes with a $60,000 prize from Panavision.
Tari Wariebi directed We Were Meant To, set in a reality where “Black men have wings and their first flight is a rite of passage.” The film stars Tim Johnson Jr. The Grand Prix Award qualifies the short for Oscar consideration. Also qualifying for the Oscars are Misan Harriman’s The After, which won Best Live Action Short, Rita Basulto’s Humo (Smoke), winner of the Best Animation Award, and Elisa Gambino’s Every Day After, winner of Best Documentary Short.
‘Humo’
The After stars David Oyelowo and Jessica Plummer. Animated winner Humo, meanwhile, “follows a boy called Daniel, who travels to a dark destination known as the smokehouse.
Tari Wariebi directed We Were Meant To, set in a reality where “Black men have wings and their first flight is a rite of passage.” The film stars Tim Johnson Jr. The Grand Prix Award qualifies the short for Oscar consideration. Also qualifying for the Oscars are Misan Harriman’s The After, which won Best Live Action Short, Rita Basulto’s Humo (Smoke), winner of the Best Animation Award, and Elisa Gambino’s Every Day After, winner of Best Documentary Short.
‘Humo’
The After stars David Oyelowo and Jessica Plummer. Animated winner Humo, meanwhile, “follows a boy called Daniel, who travels to a dark destination known as the smokehouse.
- 8/21/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
In a HollyShorts Film Festival awards ceremony that took place at midnight the day before a tropical storm was scheduled to his Los Angeles, Tari Wariebi’s “We Were Meant To” won a $60,000 prize and with the win qualified for the Academy Award in the Best Live Action Short category.
The awards were originally scheduled to be handed out on Sunday evening at the TLC Chinese Theatre, but they were moved to the unusual Saturday midnight slot as Hurricane Hilary approached.
“We Were Meant To,” set in a world where Black men can fly, won the Grand Prix for the best short in the 10-day festival, which began on Aug. 10 at the Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood. For the first time, the top film also received a $60,000 prize from Panasonic, in addition to the Oscar qualification.
Three other films also qualified for this year’s Oscars by winning awards at HollyShorts: Misan Harriman’s “The After,...
The awards were originally scheduled to be handed out on Sunday evening at the TLC Chinese Theatre, but they were moved to the unusual Saturday midnight slot as Hurricane Hilary approached.
“We Were Meant To,” set in a world where Black men can fly, won the Grand Prix for the best short in the 10-day festival, which began on Aug. 10 at the Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood. For the first time, the top film also received a $60,000 prize from Panasonic, in addition to the Oscar qualification.
Three other films also qualified for this year’s Oscars by winning awards at HollyShorts: Misan Harriman’s “The After,...
- 8/20/2023
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Disney Plus has announced the films and filmmakers for Disney Studios Content’s second season of “Launchpad,” a collection of live-action short films.
Selected out of almost 2,000 applicants, all from underrepresented backgrounds, the lineup of filmmakers features six writers, five directors and one writer-director (Niki Ang). Their six short films, based on the theme “connection,” will debut on the streaming service in 2023.
After the successful debut of the pipeline program last year, the Disney team strived to up the ante with year two. Disney senior manager Phillip Domfeh, who runs the initiative’s second season, tells Variety that the team asked themselves, “How do we grow and expand impact? And how do we continue to take our program to the next level?”
The pipeline program therefore added a writing track, which allowed both directors and writers to apply, while the first season was geared solely toward multi-hyphenate filmmakers.
“One of...
Selected out of almost 2,000 applicants, all from underrepresented backgrounds, the lineup of filmmakers features six writers, five directors and one writer-director (Niki Ang). Their six short films, based on the theme “connection,” will debut on the streaming service in 2023.
After the successful debut of the pipeline program last year, the Disney team strived to up the ante with year two. Disney senior manager Phillip Domfeh, who runs the initiative’s second season, tells Variety that the team asked themselves, “How do we grow and expand impact? And how do we continue to take our program to the next level?”
The pipeline program therefore added a writing track, which allowed both directors and writers to apply, while the first season was geared solely toward multi-hyphenate filmmakers.
“One of...
- 2/18/2022
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
As Asian Pacific American Heritage Month comes to a close, Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (Cape) and The Black List have unveiled the 10 features and 10 pilots for the second annual Cape List, a survey of Hollywood executives’ favorite unproduced screenplays.
The Cape List includes a curated list of scripts center on diverse Asian Pacific characters and experiences from writers Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
“We are excited to partner with The Black List again for the 2nd annual Cape List,” said Cape Executive Director Michelle K. Sugihara. “Last year we highlighted 12 feature scripts for #asianallyear and this year we’re pleased to include pilot scripts for #20for2020.”
The Black List Founder and CEO Franklin Leonard adds, “We’re incredibly excited to be partnered with Cape for a second year on an even more expansive survey of exceptional writing by and about members of the Aapi community, almost as...
The Cape List includes a curated list of scripts center on diverse Asian Pacific characters and experiences from writers Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
“We are excited to partner with The Black List again for the 2nd annual Cape List,” said Cape Executive Director Michelle K. Sugihara. “Last year we highlighted 12 feature scripts for #asianallyear and this year we’re pleased to include pilot scripts for #20for2020.”
The Black List Founder and CEO Franklin Leonard adds, “We’re incredibly excited to be partnered with Cape for a second year on an even more expansive survey of exceptional writing by and about members of the Aapi community, almost as...
- 5/29/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: As the Asian and Asian American community in Hollywood continues to bask in the awards season victories of Lulu Wang’s The Farewell and Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (Cape) looks to add to Asian representation with the eighth annual Cape New Writers Fellowship. Partnering with major industry partners, Cape will launch the professional development program which trains emerging writers to succeed in Hollywood.
“As reflected by the Asian and Pacific Islander sweep of the Oscars screenwriting awards last night (original and adapted), it is clear stories written by our community have mainstream appeal,” said Michelle K. Sugihara, Cape Executive Director. “Pipeline programs like the Cape New Writers Fellowship are critical to provide a springboard into the industry and to elevate authentic storytelling.”
Led by top industry writers, producers, agents and executives, the Fellowship was co-founded and is co-chaired by Steve Tao and Leo Chu (Creator/Showrunner of Supah Ninjas and Afro Samurai; Batman Ninja screenwriter).
Fellows will participate in masterclasses and writing labs where they will receive one-on-one mentorship with industry professional including Walter Hamada, Adele Lim, Amy Rardin (Co-Creator/Ep of Charmed), Alex Tse (Co-Creator/Ep of Wu-Tang: An American Saga), Monica Macer (Showrunner/Ep of Gente-fied), Melinda Hsu Taylor (Showrunner/Ep of Nancy Drew), Laverne McKinnon, Jonathan King, and Lana Cho (Co-ep Four Weddings and a Funeral).
Below you can read the bios of the 2020 Cape New Writers Fellowship participants:
Chrissie De Guzman received her Mfa in Film and Television production at USC. She is a storyteller defined by curiosity of the Filipina & Queer experience, pushing mainstream boundaries in hopes to create a platform of non-traditional content. Her work has been exhibited at Outfest and other festivals, and she is the 2019-2020 Viacom ViewFinder: Emerging Director’s Program Fellow for the MTV network. Daniel J. Park is a Korean-American writer originally from Queens, NY. He studied screenwriting at Emerson College and currently works as the assistant to The Walking Deadcreator Robert Kirkman at his multiplatform entertainment company, Skybound. When he’s not writing, Daniel trains rigorously in multiple martial arts disciplines. He is repped by Eric Borja at Alldayeveryday. Dona Le grew up in the Bay Area, where she was an award-winning pianist who performed internationally. After graduating from Harvard, Dona earned an M.Phil in Literature at Trinity College Dublin. Dona currently serves as the Executive Director of Harvardwood, an arts, media, and entertainment nonprofit. Peter H. Lee is a Los Angeles native and the son of a poet. He attended the University of California, Irvine and has been featured on This American Life. He has survived limb loss, cancer, and evangelical Christian high school and currently works at a video game company where he helps produce a multiplayer online game. Nic Chatree Sridej is a second-generation Thai American genre writer from Dacula, Georgia. After studying journalism and theater at Piedmont College, he earned an Mfa in screenwriting from Florida State University. A semi-professional magician since middle school, Nic is currently the Showrunner’s assistant on American Gods and is managed by First Friday Entertainment. Nina Mohan is a Sri Lankan-American writer and producer, born and raised in the west suburbs of Chicago. After earning a BA in Creative Writing and a Bfa in Vocal Performance from Carnegie Mellon University, Nina moved to Los Angeles. While pursuing writing, Nina makes viral videos and articles working as a producer and writer for BuzzFeed. Niki Ang is a queer, Singaporean-Chinese American writer and director. She has spent the past several years as a full-stack producer/director at BuzzFeed Motion Pictures. Her short Were You Gay In High School?, will be on the festival circuit in 2020. A quintessential middle child, she currently lives in Los Angeles with her wife and the best cat in the world. Sam Boyer is a writer from Rockville, MD and holds degrees from the USC in film and business. He recently earned an Mfa from the Michener Center for Writers at Ut-Austin and was a finalist for the Universal Emerging Writers Fellowship and Tfi Sloan Student Discovery Award.
Alumni of the Fellowship include Bo Yeon Kim & Erika Lippoldt, Julie Wong (Grey’s Anatomy), Brian Shin (The Good Doctor), Helen Shang, Lisa Bao (Nancy Drew), Aaron Ho (Fresh Off The Boat), April Shih, Tania Lotia (Carnival Row), Teresa Huang (Seal Team), Thomas Wong (Good Trouble), Lauren Moon (Atypical), Chris Wu (Man in High Castle), Nathan Ramos Park (Club Mickey Mouse), Leonard Chang (Snowfall); Ken Cheng (House of Chow) among others.
This year’s fellowship partners include NBCUniversal, Hollywood Foreign Press Association, The Walt Disney Studios and Walt Disney Television, Amazon Studios, Pearl Studio, Warner Bros., Los Angeles County Arts and Culture, as well as in-kind partners Final Draft, The Black List, Film Independent, and Boo’s. Venue sponsors include NBCUniversal, The Writers Guild of America Foundation, The Gotham Group, Skybound Entertainment, Emerson College Los Angeles, Iw Group, and The CW.
“As reflected by the Asian and Pacific Islander sweep of the Oscars screenwriting awards last night (original and adapted), it is clear stories written by our community have mainstream appeal,” said Michelle K. Sugihara, Cape Executive Director. “Pipeline programs like the Cape New Writers Fellowship are critical to provide a springboard into the industry and to elevate authentic storytelling.”
Led by top industry writers, producers, agents and executives, the Fellowship was co-founded and is co-chaired by Steve Tao and Leo Chu (Creator/Showrunner of Supah Ninjas and Afro Samurai; Batman Ninja screenwriter).
Fellows will participate in masterclasses and writing labs where they will receive one-on-one mentorship with industry professional including Walter Hamada, Adele Lim, Amy Rardin (Co-Creator/Ep of Charmed), Alex Tse (Co-Creator/Ep of Wu-Tang: An American Saga), Monica Macer (Showrunner/Ep of Gente-fied), Melinda Hsu Taylor (Showrunner/Ep of Nancy Drew), Laverne McKinnon, Jonathan King, and Lana Cho (Co-ep Four Weddings and a Funeral).
Below you can read the bios of the 2020 Cape New Writers Fellowship participants:
Chrissie De Guzman received her Mfa in Film and Television production at USC. She is a storyteller defined by curiosity of the Filipina & Queer experience, pushing mainstream boundaries in hopes to create a platform of non-traditional content. Her work has been exhibited at Outfest and other festivals, and she is the 2019-2020 Viacom ViewFinder: Emerging Director’s Program Fellow for the MTV network. Daniel J. Park is a Korean-American writer originally from Queens, NY. He studied screenwriting at Emerson College and currently works as the assistant to The Walking Deadcreator Robert Kirkman at his multiplatform entertainment company, Skybound. When he’s not writing, Daniel trains rigorously in multiple martial arts disciplines. He is repped by Eric Borja at Alldayeveryday. Dona Le grew up in the Bay Area, where she was an award-winning pianist who performed internationally. After graduating from Harvard, Dona earned an M.Phil in Literature at Trinity College Dublin. Dona currently serves as the Executive Director of Harvardwood, an arts, media, and entertainment nonprofit. Peter H. Lee is a Los Angeles native and the son of a poet. He attended the University of California, Irvine and has been featured on This American Life. He has survived limb loss, cancer, and evangelical Christian high school and currently works at a video game company where he helps produce a multiplayer online game. Nic Chatree Sridej is a second-generation Thai American genre writer from Dacula, Georgia. After studying journalism and theater at Piedmont College, he earned an Mfa in screenwriting from Florida State University. A semi-professional magician since middle school, Nic is currently the Showrunner’s assistant on American Gods and is managed by First Friday Entertainment. Nina Mohan is a Sri Lankan-American writer and producer, born and raised in the west suburbs of Chicago. After earning a BA in Creative Writing and a Bfa in Vocal Performance from Carnegie Mellon University, Nina moved to Los Angeles. While pursuing writing, Nina makes viral videos and articles working as a producer and writer for BuzzFeed. Niki Ang is a queer, Singaporean-Chinese American writer and director. She has spent the past several years as a full-stack producer/director at BuzzFeed Motion Pictures. Her short Were You Gay In High School?, will be on the festival circuit in 2020. A quintessential middle child, she currently lives in Los Angeles with her wife and the best cat in the world. Sam Boyer is a writer from Rockville, MD and holds degrees from the USC in film and business. He recently earned an Mfa from the Michener Center for Writers at Ut-Austin and was a finalist for the Universal Emerging Writers Fellowship and Tfi Sloan Student Discovery Award.
Alumni of the Fellowship include Bo Yeon Kim & Erika Lippoldt, Julie Wong (Grey’s Anatomy), Brian Shin (The Good Doctor), Helen Shang, Lisa Bao (Nancy Drew), Aaron Ho (Fresh Off The Boat), April Shih, Tania Lotia (Carnival Row), Teresa Huang (Seal Team), Thomas Wong (Good Trouble), Lauren Moon (Atypical), Chris Wu (Man in High Castle), Nathan Ramos Park (Club Mickey Mouse), Leonard Chang (Snowfall); Ken Cheng (House of Chow) among others.
This year’s fellowship partners include NBCUniversal, Hollywood Foreign Press Association, The Walt Disney Studios and Walt Disney Television, Amazon Studios, Pearl Studio, Warner Bros., Los Angeles County Arts and Culture, as well as in-kind partners Final Draft, The Black List, Film Independent, and Boo’s. Venue sponsors include NBCUniversal, The Writers Guild of America Foundation, The Gotham Group, Skybound Entertainment, Emerson College Los Angeles, Iw Group, and The CW.
- 2/18/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
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