MACRO, Lena Waithe, Eva Longoria & The Black List Unveil Episodic Lab For People Of Color
June 6, 2018
MACRO, Lena Waithe, Eva Longoria & The Black List Unveil Episodic Lab For People Of Color
MACRO founder and CEO Charles D. King, Emmy winner Lena Waithe, Eva Longoria, and The Black List’s Franklin Leonard are paying it forward. The Hollywood movers have teamed to launch The MACRO Episodic Lab Powered by The Black List, which will cater specifically to episodic storytellers of color. The mission stated is to discover, support, and empower these creatives with tools and resources to help launch their careers for who typically do not have access to the traditional Hollywood system.
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“We are elated to partner with Franklin Leonard of the Black List, Lena, and Eva to further our mission of bolstering fresh voices of color. They are all leaders of the current shift towards equitable representation and we are thrilled to join forces as MACRO continues to produce and champion work that is rooted in authenticity, creativity, and excellence,” said King and Aaliyah Williams, Chief Content Officer of MACRO Digital Studio.
The organization is currently accepting applications through August 6. Ideas will be reviewed by MACRO and the Black List team and semi-finalists will have the opportunity to pitch their projects to a group of reps from MACRO, The Black List, Waithe, and Longoria. Up to three winners will receive development support and a pilot presentation or sizzle at a budget of up to $30K each.
“I am a longtime fan of everyone involved in this process, from Charles D. King and Aaliyah Williams at MACRO to Lena Waithe and Eva Longoria, whose commitment to replicating their success for others speaks for itself at this point. It is a true joy to partner with them in a process that will identify the next generation of Lenas, Evas, Charles, and Aaliyahs. I look forward to sitting back on my couch in the not too distant future and enjoying the episodic fruits of their labor,” said Leonard.
“I’m super excited to find some fresh new voices. By working with MACRO and The Black List it’s a great way for me to find scripts that otherwise wouldn’t reach my desk,” said Waithe.
“UnbeliEVAable’s mandate and mission has always been to nurture and foster diverse voices so, when MACRO and The Black List presented us with the opportunity to participate in the episodic lab, we knew this was the perfect partnership. Discovering emerging voices is one of the most thrilling parts of producing and we can’t wait to bring these stories to screen alongside Lena and the team,” said Longoria.
The winners will be announced in December 2018.