Brooklyn, NY (May 9, 2022) – The Gotham Film & Media Institute (formerly IFP) announced today ten series projects participating in the Gotham TV Series Lab (running May 9-13) for outstanding projects in development and written/created by first-time series creators.

The Gotham TV Series Lab provides the teams of creators/writers and producers with the knowledge, resources and mentor support necessary for writing strong pitches and creating solid development strategies. The five-day program is composed of workshops, panels and case studies, with a particular focus on the inner workings of the writers room and new trends in the marketplace. 

For the first year included in the cohort of ten projects, there are two projects from the Expanding Communities program by way of recommendations of partner organizations, GYNO and NIGHT WATCHERS. Expanding Communities is a program dedicated to providing resources, a community space, and industry access to individuals with Disabilities and Black, Indigenous, PoC, and LGBTQIA+ creators across film, TV, and audio industries. Through partnerships with organizations aligned with uplifting historically excluded voices, the program acts as a platform for both creators and organizations to reach new audiences, develop networks of potential collaborators, and access career advancement resources and opportunities within the media and entertainment industry.

“We are proud to announce the newest cohort for our fourth annual Gotham TV Series Lab which provides writers and creators new to the TV field with first-hand mentorship opportunities with industry experts.  This year’s selections feature ambitious projects with exciting world-building concepts and powerful self-possessed characters representing the continued vitality of this ever expanding art form.  We are so grateful to be of service in supporting these amazing creators in reaching their intended audiences,” said The Gotham’s Executive Director Jeff Sharp.

The Gotham TV Series Lab provides extensive mentorship and resources to the selected fellows. All 2022 Lab projects will automatically participate in the 44th Gotham Week’s Project Market, where they will pitch their projects to industry decision makers. The TV Series lab operates under the artistic direction of  Senior Manager, Episodic and International Programming, Gabriele Capolino.

The 2022 TV Series Lab is guided by Lab Leaders Neerja Narayanan (Creative Producer, Sony Pictures International Productions), and Rae Benjamin (​​CEO/Founder, In the Cut; Staff Writer, Netflix’s The Witcher).

The 2022 Gotham Lab Projects and Attending Fellows include:

• Femme Queen Chronicles — An aspiring musician, CHANEL, and her trans girlfriends — ERYKAH and AMIRAH –try to make a name and life for themselves in the city of Detroit. Ahya Simone (Creator), Bré Rivera (Creator), Paige Wood (Creator)
  
• GYNO (Expanding Communities Fellow)— Connected by one trusty gynecologist, GYNO is an anthology episodic that follows fictional LA strangers who navigate their lives, reproductive systems, and everything in between. Ariel Zucker (Creator, Writer Executive Producer), Daryl Paris Bright (Creator, Writer, Executive Producer)
  
• Hot Dish — A struggling feminist porno writer working at a toxic, male-dominated, ultra-fine dining restaurant in L.A. falls into a secret relationship with the new chef that sparks the ire of hostile coworkers. Chy Chi (Creator, Writer)
• Night Watchers (Expanding Communities Fellow) — A socially anxious teen discovers she has powers when her parents are abducted by a demonic witch. In order to save her family, she must confront her innermost fears and join a gang of supernatural vigilantes called the Night Watchers. Stacie E. Hawkins (Creator, Writer)
• On The Line — A once-renowned 18-year old sprinting prodigy – Myles D’Vine – struggles back to the line as he faces the physical and mental reality of his life, on and off the track. Connor Austin Jones (Creator, Executive Producer)
• The Rise of Elisa Lynch — A historical satire inspired by the life of Elisa Lynch, who abandons the palaces of Paris for the jungles of Paraguay in the mid-nineteenth century. Maia Nikiphoroff (Creator, Writer, Executive Producer)
• S.L.U.T. — When Lia, a smart yet sheltered virgin, takes a stand after being slut-shamed, she finds herself the unlikely leader of fed-up popular girls, rebels and outsiders alike. As they band together to shift the culture at their school, each teen embarks on a unique journey to find their identity, power, and sexuality. Lauren Ciaravalli (Creator, Writer)
• Soul City — When a catastrophic hurricane slams a small town in North Carolina, a curious connection between the case of an escaped convict and a missing Black girl unearths a hidden Black utopia, long thought to be lost. Lori Webster Fore (Creator, Writer)
• Wiring Utopia — In 1970’s revolutionary Chile, an idealistic team of young people and an eccentric British cybernetician race against coup plotters to create an electronic nervous system that can save the country – and change the world. David Barker (Creator, Writer), Jerónimo Rodriguez (Writer), Jay van Hoy (Executive Producer)
• Youth — When the secretly atheist black sheep of the family returns home after her twin brother’s death, she gets roped into replacing him as the youth pastor at her parents’ Chicago church. Edith Rodriguez (Creator, Writer) 

ABOUT THE GOTHAM LABS

Now in their 18th year, the Gotham Labs work to ensure that talented emerging voices receive the support, resources, and industry exposure necessary to develop and complete their visions and reach audiences and industry decision makers. Creators in the areas of documentary feature filmmaking and TV series content meet multiple times during the year including pitching their projects at the Gotham Project Market in September.

ABOUT EXPANDING COMMUNITIES 

Expanding Communities is a program dedicated to providing resources, a community space, and industry access to individuals with Disabilities and Black, Indigenous, PoC, and LGBTQIA+ creators across film, TV, and audio industries. Through partnerships with organizations aligned with uplifting historically excluded voices, the program acts as a platform for both creators and organizations to reach new audiences, develop networks of potential collaborators, and access career advancement resources and opportunities within the media and entertainment industry. Partner organizations include Black Film Space, Black Star Projects, Black TV & Film Collective, CAAM, Film Fatales, Film Festival Alliance, Film Independent, Islamic Scholarship Fund, mama.film, Minorities in Film, NewFest, New Orleans Film Society, Philadelphia Latino Film Festival, Q26, Real Abilities Film Festival, Transgender Film Center, Undocumented Filmmakers Collective, Women in Film, Women Make Movies, among others. 

If interested in participating or supporting this program, please reach out to [email protected] 

SUPPORT FOR THE GOTHAM LABS

The Gotham Labs are made possible by the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York State Council on the Arts, and SAGindie. Together, we are partnering to discover, nurture and celebrate the next generation of storytellers.

ABOUT THE GOTHAM FILM & MEDIA INSTITUTE

The Gotham celebrates and nurtures independent film and media creators, providing career-building resources, access to industry influencers, and pathways to wider recognition. The organization, under the leadership of Executive Director and award-winning producer Jeffrey Sharp, fosters a vibrant and sustainable independent storytelling community through its year-round programs, which include Gotham Week, Gotham Labs, Filmmaker Magazine, the Gotham Awards, Gotham EDU, Owning It, and Expanding Communities.