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
HBO Max is developing the comedy series “Unfriendly Black Hotties” from Keke Palmer, Jermaine Crawford, and Amy Aniobi, Variety has learned exclusively.
Per the official logline, the series is a “comedic satire exploring Gen-z’s weaponization of political correctness told through the eyes of four high school girls.”
Palmer, Crawford, and Aniobi will serve as co-writers and executive producers on the series. Aniobi executive produces under her SuperSpecial Inc. banner. Lenoria Addison will also executive produce along with Big Boss Entertainment and SuperSpecial’s Aanch Khaneja. “Unfriendly Black Hotties” is a co-production between HBO Max and Entertainment One, with Palmer currently under an overall deal at eOne and Aniobio under an overall deal at HBO and HBO Max.
Palmer is an actress, singer-songwriter, producer, and television host. She is known for her recent roles in films like Jordan Peele’s “Nope” and for voicing the character Izzy in Disney’s “Lightyear.
Per the official logline, the series is a “comedic satire exploring Gen-z’s weaponization of political correctness told through the eyes of four high school girls.”
Palmer, Crawford, and Aniobi will serve as co-writers and executive producers on the series. Aniobi executive produces under her SuperSpecial Inc. banner. Lenoria Addison will also executive produce along with Big Boss Entertainment and SuperSpecial’s Aanch Khaneja. “Unfriendly Black Hotties” is a co-production between HBO Max and Entertainment One, with Palmer currently under an overall deal at eOne and Aniobio under an overall deal at HBO and HBO Max.
Palmer is an actress, singer-songwriter, producer, and television host. She is known for her recent roles in films like Jordan Peele’s “Nope” and for voicing the character Izzy in Disney’s “Lightyear.
- 1/25/2023
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Amy Aniobi and her production company SuperSpecial, have acquired the rights to the upcoming novel The Nigerwife by author Vanessa Walters to develop into a drama series under her overall deal at HBO. Both Aniobi and Walters will executive produce; Aanch Khaneja will co-executive produce on behalf of SuperSpecial.
The novel is scheduled for release in June 2023 from Atria/Simon & Schuster.
The Nigerwife tells the story of Nicole Oruwari, who has the perfect life: a handsome husband, a palatial house in the heart of glittering Lagos, Nigeria, and a glamorous, highly-exclusive group of friends. A UK ex-pat with two young children, Nicole left everything behind to become a “Nigerwife” – the foreign bride of a Nigerian man – trading gloomy London, along with her overreaching family, for sunny, moneyed Lagos.
But when Nicole disappears without a trace from a boat in the affluent Ikoyi harbor, the cracks in...
The novel is scheduled for release in June 2023 from Atria/Simon & Schuster.
The Nigerwife tells the story of Nicole Oruwari, who has the perfect life: a handsome husband, a palatial house in the heart of glittering Lagos, Nigeria, and a glamorous, highly-exclusive group of friends. A UK ex-pat with two young children, Nicole left everything behind to become a “Nigerwife” – the foreign bride of a Nigerian man – trading gloomy London, along with her overreaching family, for sunny, moneyed Lagos.
But when Nicole disappears without a trace from a boat in the affluent Ikoyi harbor, the cracks in...
- 8/23/2022
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Amy Aniobi is preparing for life after Insecure.
Aniobi, who exec produces Issa Rae’s comedy that is coming to an end with its fifth and final season, has launched her own production SuperSpecial and renewed her overall deal with HBO and HBO Max.
She has brought in former UTA agent Aanch Khaneja, who has previously worked at Noah Hawley’s 26 Keys and Lady and the Lake producer Alma Har’el, as head of film and television.
Under the deal, Aniobi will develop, produce and direct programming for HBO and HBO Max. She is currently writing HBO Max’s food media industry comedy Enjoy Your Meal and is co-writing limited series The Dolls, which is in development at HBO and set to star Rae and Laura Dern, with Laura Kittrell.
In addition to Insecure, Aniobi was previously showrunner, head writer and exec producer of HBO’s 2 Dope Queens. She...
Aniobi, who exec produces Issa Rae’s comedy that is coming to an end with its fifth and final season, has launched her own production SuperSpecial and renewed her overall deal with HBO and HBO Max.
She has brought in former UTA agent Aanch Khaneja, who has previously worked at Noah Hawley’s 26 Keys and Lady and the Lake producer Alma Har’el, as head of film and television.
Under the deal, Aniobi will develop, produce and direct programming for HBO and HBO Max. She is currently writing HBO Max’s food media industry comedy Enjoy Your Meal and is co-writing limited series The Dolls, which is in development at HBO and set to star Rae and Laura Dern, with Laura Kittrell.
In addition to Insecure, Aniobi was previously showrunner, head writer and exec producer of HBO’s 2 Dope Queens. She...
- 11/3/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Amazon Studios has signed a first-look TV deal with “Honey Boy” director Alma Har’el’s production company Zusa, the studio announced Tuesday.
The deal expands Har’el and the newly launched company’s foray into television, which also includes the previously announced Apple TV+ series “Lady in the Lake” starring Lupita Nyong’o and Natalie Portman and the scripted anthology “Women of the Year” at Amazon.
Aanch Khaneja is the head of film and television development at Zusa.
“I’m truly thankful for the support Jen Salke has shown me and Free The Work over the years,” Har’el said in a statement. “As an immigrant who is finally in a position to hire artists I admire, I’m committed to finding ways to include more global stories and international filmmakers in Zusa’s future projects. Being given a platform to produce, write, and direct stories that capture my imagination is a freaking dream coming true.
The deal expands Har’el and the newly launched company’s foray into television, which also includes the previously announced Apple TV+ series “Lady in the Lake” starring Lupita Nyong’o and Natalie Portman and the scripted anthology “Women of the Year” at Amazon.
Aanch Khaneja is the head of film and television development at Zusa.
“I’m truly thankful for the support Jen Salke has shown me and Free The Work over the years,” Har’el said in a statement. “As an immigrant who is finally in a position to hire artists I admire, I’m committed to finding ways to include more global stories and international filmmakers in Zusa’s future projects. Being given a platform to produce, write, and direct stories that capture my imagination is a freaking dream coming true.
- 4/13/2021
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Amazon Studios has closed a first-look television deal with award-winning director Alma Har’el (Honey Boy) and her newly formed production company, Zusa. Under the pact, Har’el will work with the studio to develop and create new television series to run exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.
The pact formalizes Har’el’s existing relationship with Amazon on the feature and TV side. Her film Honey Boy for Amazon Studios won her the Sundance 2019 Special Jury Directing Award for Craft & Vision. And on International Women’s Day, Amazon Studios announced that Har’el is developing a scripted anthology series, Women of the Year. Based on the Time 100 Women of the Year initiative conceived by Har’el, the TV series will feature a selection of women visionaries who played critical roles in society’s greatest achievements. Har’el executive produces the project through her company, Jellywolf.
At Zusa, Har’el recently...
The pact formalizes Har’el’s existing relationship with Amazon on the feature and TV side. Her film Honey Boy for Amazon Studios won her the Sundance 2019 Special Jury Directing Award for Craft & Vision. And on International Women’s Day, Amazon Studios announced that Har’el is developing a scripted anthology series, Women of the Year. Based on the Time 100 Women of the Year initiative conceived by Har’el, the TV series will feature a selection of women visionaries who played critical roles in society’s greatest achievements. Har’el executive produces the project through her company, Jellywolf.
At Zusa, Har’el recently...
- 4/13/2021
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
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