EXCLUSIVE: Film Independent has selected six writers for its 2025 Episodic Lab. Running in person this year from August 11-22, the lab’s participants are Bryce Cracknell, Spencer Jamison, Rom Lotan, Lilian T. Mehrel, Leah Sarbib, and Ida Yazdi.
Film Independent’s Episodic Lab is designed to provide individualized story and career development for writers with original pilots for television. Through personalized feedback from experienced showrunners, creative producers and executives, who will serve as advisors, Fellows will get help in revising and refining their pilots, along with tips on navigating a changing industry landscape. As Founding Sponsor, Netflix will provide opportunities to learn specifically from showrunners helming their series. A final networking and pitch event will offer Fellows the opportunity to introduce themselves and their work to studio and network executives.
Creative Advisors and Guest Speakers will include Christian Alvarez, KJ Booze, Wendy Calhoun, Sera Gamble, Emmeline Yang Hankins, Eric Heisserer, Anil Kurian, Marvin Lemus, Kyle Lau, Felischa Marye, Dani Melia, Caroline Mak, Marc Mounier, Adriana Nassar, Van B. Nguyen, Robbie Pickering, Erica Rosbe, Jasmine Russ, Eddie Quintana, Loretta Ramos, Gina Reyes, Beth Schacter, and Ellen Shanman.
“Amidst the changing landscape for television writers, we’re honored to have the opportunity to uplift such bold and innovative voices in the Episodic Lab,” said Dea Vazquez, Film Independent’s Associate Director of Fiction Programs. “We’re thrilled to work with these writers in the program where we will nurture the development of their projects and careers and cannot wait to continue to support them as they progress forward in the television industry.”
Film Independent also today announced that Lab participant Mehrel will receive a $20,000 grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to support the development of their pilot, Baddies.
Learn more about the projects of this year’s participants below.
Title: Baddies
Writers: Lilian T. Mehrel
Logline: A (romantic) comedy series about the team who works at Baddies — a dating app using behavioral science to undo their bad rap, beat the competition, oh and help people find love. If they can figure it out for themselves first.
Title: Cycle Four
Writers: Leah Sarbib
Logline: In The Domain, where nobody dies or gives birth, Miriam’s visions prove to be memories of an erased past that can no longer be ignored.
Title: Golden
Writers: Ida Yazdi
Logline: A rebellious, young Iranian immigrant shakes off family traditions and becomes a sugar baby to the wealthy women of Tehrangeles. In a whirlwind of wealth, desire, and eccentric clients, he carves out his own path to the American Dream.
Title: Lacuna
Writers: Bryce Cracknell
Logline: A haunted soldier is conscripted into a secret mission inside the Lacuna, a surreal, perilous realm where myths are real, time is unstable, and his past awaits.
Title: Subpar
Writers: Spencer Jamison
Logline: After a public meltdown, a disgraced LPGA golfer returns home, where coaching her half-sister’s struggling golf team may be her only shot at redemption.
Title: Zer0 Trust
Writers: Rom Lotan
Logline: When high-powered companies are hacked and every second costs millions, elite cybersecurity expert Amelia Hayes and her response team are called in to contain the breach. However, the most dangerous vulnerabilities aren’t in the code- they’re in people’s blind spots.
