Introducing our Fall 2021 Screenwriting Fellows
Image Description: On the right, a photograph of a woman with olive skin tone, black rimmed glasses, and long black hair smiling against a blurred background. She wears a red and gold salwar kameez, with big gold earrings. Text below reads: Shaina Ghuraya. On the left, a photograph of a smiling woman with short red hair and blue-framed glasses in light gray sportscoat. A slightly taller smiling man with brown hair in purple shirt on the right. The woman's elbow is on the man's shoulder. Green leaves in background. Text below reads: Greg Machlin & Aoife Baker.
We started Inevitable Foundation in January 2021 to fund and mentor mid-career disabled screenwriters. Today we are thrilled to announce our Fall 2021 Screenwriting Fellows, Shaina Ghuraya and writing partners Greg Machlin and Aoife Baker. Through the fellowship, Ghuraya, along with Machlin and Baker, will be awarded a $25,000 grant and access to six months of bespoke mentorship, workshops, and networking opportunities with entertainment industry leaders. They join Shani Am. Moore and Kalen Feeney, the program’s Spring 2021 Fellows.
“Mid-career disabled screenwriters face numerous barriers that make it exceedingly difficult to turn early breaks into thriving careers,” said co-founders Richie Siegel and Marisa Torelli-Pedevska in a joint statement. “Our Fellowship program, the only of its kind in the industry, is dedicated to helping mid-career writers make the jump from working on other peoples’ projects to developing their own, putting our Fellows in positions of power. We could not be more excited to welcome Shaina, Greg and Aoife into the program.”
About Shaina
Shaina Ghuraya, who is a Netflix writing apprentice and writer on the show “Boons and Curses,” jokes that she is a triple threat as a Punjabi woman who’s a wheelchair user. She graduated from USC's MFA Film and Television Production program and Academy Gold, and received a SFFilm Rainin Grant. Ghuraya creates quirky and bold comedies that embrace diversity and explore intersectionality. She is represented by Thuan Dang at Gotham Group.
“As a woman with a complex disability who needs 24-hour care and accessible housing, I know the huge cost of living with a disability,” shared Ghuraya. “This fellowship is incredible—it gives me peace of mind knowing that my survival needs will be taken care of for a few months. This means I can focus solely on advancing my career and developing my own projects with the support of mentors, the other fellows and Inevitable Foundation.”
About Greg and Aoife
Greg and Aoife, who both identify as neurodiverse, have written on the PBS KIDS series “Pandemic Playhouse,” which includes a segment on a disability both writers share. They write optimistic and diverse sci-fi/fantasy TV shows. Machlin is a professionally produced playwright-turned-screenwriter who was a semi-finalist for the Academy Nicholl Fellowship and the Austin Film Festival Screenwriting Competition. Baker began their career as a professional costumer before becoming a screenwriter. The duo met on set, where they discovered a shared love of weirdness and writing and have been collaborating ever since. They are currently seeking representation.
“Inevitable Foundation’s screenwriting fellowship came at a much-needed time as the pandemic hit both of us hard in various ways,” said Machlin and Baker in a joint statement. “Knowing that we now have the time and support to really hone our projects and take our careers to the next level is a joy and relief.”
Our Diverse Applicant Pool
We received hundreds of applications for the Fall 2021 Fellowship, proof of the massive demand and incredible talent within the disability community. Our ongoing commitment to diversity and intersectionality was highlighted in the latest round of candidates: 57% identified as female or nonbinary, 50% identified as BIPOC and 45% identified as LGBTQIA+.
Spring 2022 Applications: Open Now
Applications for our Spring 2022 batch are now open and we encourage any disabled screenwriters to apply. Learn more.
— Richie Siegel and Marisa Torelli-Pedevska
Co-Founders of Inevitable Foundation