LET OUR VOICES BE HEARD
A safe place for women and diverse writers to receive a professional showcase of their stories to a live industry audience.
Season Two
MAY 18 @ 7PM EDT
Cycle 6 (2/15/21): Black History Month Special
Cycle 6 (2/15/21): Black History Month Special
Featured Writers: Michele Miller, PJ Edghill, Kia T. Barbee and Deborah Goodwin
Featured Cast:
Adrian Baidoo, Verina Banks, Alyssa Brayboy, Atticus Cain, Rachel Drayke, Alex Emanuel, Michael Ford, Elle Gonzalez, Lawrin Green, Thomasina Gross, Katarina Morhacova, Tyler Han Pong, Freddy D. Ramsey, Jr., Cameron Silliman & Jonathan West.
Cycl
Featured Writers: Michele Miller, PJ Edghill, Kia T. Barbee and Deborah Goodwin
Featured Cast:
Adrian Baidoo, Verina Banks, Alyssa Brayboy, Atticus Cain, Rachel Drayke, Alex Emanuel, Michael Ford, Elle Gonzalez, Lawrin Green, Thomasina Gross, Katarina Morhacova, Tyler Han Pong, Freddy D. Ramsey, Jr., Cameron Silliman & Jonathan West.
Cycle 7 Guest Mentor: Writer/Producer & Podcaster Hilliard Guess (Screenwriter's Rant Room & SyFy's Deadly Class).
Cycle 6 (2/15/21): Black History Month Special
Cycle 6 (2/15/21): Black History Month Special
Cycle 6 (2/15/21): Black History Month Special
Featured writer-director: Deborah Goodwin
Featured Cast: Sally Stewart, Matt Crabtree, Justin Hurtt-Dunkley, Verina Banks, Alex Emanuel, Bob Jaffe, Rachel Drayke, Lisa Robins, Michael Barbee, Sue Kim-Molina, Joseph Corrao, Jack Sochet, Alan Simon, Dan Roe, Alex Carmine, Jovan Tyler-Graham, Evan Klein & Jonathan West.
Cycle 6 Guest Mentor: F
Featured writer-director: Deborah Goodwin
Featured Cast: Sally Stewart, Matt Crabtree, Justin Hurtt-Dunkley, Verina Banks, Alex Emanuel, Bob Jaffe, Rachel Drayke, Lisa Robins, Michael Barbee, Sue Kim-Molina, Joseph Corrao, Jack Sochet, Alan Simon, Dan Roe, Alex Carmine, Jovan Tyler-Graham, Evan Klein & Jonathan West.
Cycle 6 Guest Mentor: Filmmaker/author Deborah Riley Draper (Versailles '73, Olympic Pride, American Prejudice)
Season 2 Guest Mentors
Deborah Riley Draper - Cycle 6
Deborah Riley Draper - Cycle 6
Deborah Riley Draper - Cycle 6
Deborah Riley Draper is an award-winning filmmaker, making Variety Magazine’s “2016 Top 10 Documakers to Watch”. Her documentary, Olympic Pride, American Prejudice now a book of the same name published by Simon & Schuster has received an 2021 NAACP Image Award for both Outstanding Documentary and is currently nominated for Outstanding L
Deborah Riley Draper is an award-winning filmmaker, making Variety Magazine’s “2016 Top 10 Documakers to Watch”. Her documentary, Olympic Pride, American Prejudice now a book of the same name published by Simon & Schuster has received an 2021 NAACP Image Award for both Outstanding Documentary and is currently nominated for Outstanding Literary Work for Biography/Autobiography.
A successful advertising agency executive, Deborah’s advertising acumen and creativity can be found in major campaigns and projects for Lamborghini, Coca-Cola classic, ExxonMobil, REI, AT&T, and adidas earning her awards including two Emmy’s.
Deborah’s 2019 short film about immigration Illegal Rose stars Jasmine Guy and is currently on the festival circuit and her Draper’s next project is an adaption of April Sinclair’s novel Coffee Will Make You Black about an African-American girl growing up in 1960’s Chicago. The film will be produced by Octavia Spencer, Tate Taylor and John Norris with Deborah serving as writer and director.
Hilliard Guess - Cycle 7
Deborah Riley Draper - Cycle 6
Deborah Riley Draper - Cycle 6
This award winning writer, director, producer and podcaster is a native of Detroit and lover of 80s MOD, Hilliard’s knowledge of craft has earned him awards at Sundance, Nicholls Fellowship among others. Hilliard produces the popular Screenwriter’s Rant Room podcast and interviews A-List writers on the WGAW’s 3rd & Fairfax podcast.
Hil
This award winning writer, director, producer and podcaster is a native of Detroit and lover of 80s MOD, Hilliard’s knowledge of craft has earned him awards at Sundance, Nicholls Fellowship among others. Hilliard produces the popular Screenwriter’s Rant Room podcast and interviews A-List writers on the WGAW’s 3rd & Fairfax podcast.
Hilliard was a writer on the Russo Bros action SYFY series DEADLY CLASS and is currently an EP on the dark anthology series TICKER. In addition, he is developing TV & Film projects for several
production companies including RSA/Hudlin Entertainment. Hilliard serves on the following WGAW Committees: Co-Chair - Committee of Black Writers (with Michelle Amor & Bianca Samms), Co-Chair - The Education Committee (with Showrunner Jeff Melvoin) a nd he’s also a member of the LGBTQ+, Latino and Genre Committees. You can also find Hilliard on the cover and featured in the popular iTunes book “THE TOP 100 INDIE
WRITERS IN THE WORLD.”
Through his company Hilldog Productions, he produces TV Pilots, Films, POC’s, Shorts, Web Series and Music/Historical Documentaries.
Hilliard has over a dozen produced film and TV projects in various mediums such as TAINTED a
supernatural teen pilot, FAUX SHOW a comedy series (starring Tiffany Haddish & Kim Coles),
MOUTHPIECE a comedy feature (starring Lamonica Garrett), THE UNWRITTEN RULES a hit comedy web series, BLACKOUT a horror film, TROUBLESOME a critically acclaimed drama and THE LAST GIRL an award-winning martial arts action film.
Season One
Cycle 3 (6/22/20): Stories that highlight the LGTBQ experience
Cycle 3 (6/22/20): Stories that highlight the LGTBQ experience
Cycle 3 (6/22/20): Stories that highlight the LGTBQ experience
Augusto Amador: Playwright "Kissing Che" (play)
Cast: Mara Sanchez, Dee Dee Stephens and Julio Rey
Kia T. Barbee "Meet You in the Middle" (feature)
Cast: Cherie Danielle, Rachel Drayke, Michael Barbee, Thomasina Gross, Eileen Faxas
Narration by Toy Lei
Directed by Deborah Goodwin
Cycle 4 (8/10/20): Family/Teens with a POV on race
Cycle 3 (6/22/20): Stories that highlight the LGTBQ experience
Cycle 3 (6/22/20): Stories that highlight the LGTBQ experience
Phyllis Toben Bancroft & Gus Avila "A Papa's Love" (feature)
Cast: Jacob Gibson, Rebekah Kennedy, Lisa L Robins, Lisa Renee Pitts, and Tiffany Michelle Thompson
Kia T. Barbee "Silly of Me" (feature)
Cast: Thomasina Gross, Derrick Delgado, Kevin Kreider and Eileen Faxas
Narration by Eileen Faxas
Directed by Deborah Goodwin
Cycle 5 (10/26/20): Sci-fi/Supernatural
Cycle 3 (6/22/20): Stories that highlight the LGTBQ experience
Cycle 5 (10/26/20): Sci-fi/Supernatural
Lauren Flick & Toy Lei "Dawn" (pilot)
Cast: Toy Lei, Kim Estes, Tyler Ham Pong & Narrated by Kaypri
Daniel Albino "Too Young To Die" (feature)
Jennifer Yun, Ethan Grandoit, Dave Roberts, Kaypri (also Narrator)
Kia T. Barbee "Visions of London" (feature)
Alyssa Brayboy, Toon De Melker, Patricia Clark, Tiffany Michelle Thompson, Piper Sobel & Na
Lauren Flick & Toy Lei "Dawn" (pilot)
Cast: Toy Lei, Kim Estes, Tyler Ham Pong & Narrated by Kaypri
Daniel Albino "Too Young To Die" (feature)
Jennifer Yun, Ethan Grandoit, Dave Roberts, Kaypri (also Narrator)
Kia T. Barbee "Visions of London" (feature)
Alyssa Brayboy, Toon De Melker, Patricia Clark, Tiffany Michelle Thompson, Piper Sobel & Narrated by Alexia Marza
Directed by Deborah Goodwin
Hosteb by Eileen Faxas
Season 1 Guest Mentors
STEVE HARPER - Cycle 3
Elaine Del Valle - Cycle 4
Elaine Del Valle - Cycle 4
Steve is a playwright, TV writer, producer and actor. His plays have been produced in theaters across the country. He has written for multiple TV shows including God Friended Me, American Crime, Covert Affairs and the upcoming HBOMax series Tell Me Your Secrets. Steve coaches writers through his company Your Creative Life.
(click on the photo to hear more)
Elaine Del Valle - Cycle 4
Elaine Del Valle - Cycle 4
Elaine Del Valle - Cycle 4
Elaine is a director, producer, writer/author and casting director. She garnered critical acclaim with her autobiographical, Off-Broadway stageplay, "Brownsville Bred”. Elaine subsequently published her story as a novel and garnered the 2020 ILBA Award, "Most Inspirational Young Adult Book". Elaine won numerous Best Director and Best Short Film awards. Her short film “Me 3.769” is now on HBOMax. Elaine is a Miami New Times "5 Filmmakers to Watch” and a 2020 NALIP Showcase Director. (click on her photo to learn more)