Introducing our Spring 2022 Screenwriting Fellows

Image Description: On the left, a photograph of a late-20s, short-haired, caucasian man looking up and to the left while smiling slightly. He's wearing a red button down shirt and is set against a flat red background. Text underneath reads: Sam Dunnewold. On the right, a photograph of a mid 40s bi-racial Indigenous man, with long dark hair tied into two braids with a black leather cord. His face is in semi-profile and he is looking at the camera with a slight smile. He's wearing a black suit jacket with a gray tee-shirt. Text underneath that reads: Anton Ray.

Just over a year ago, Inevitable Foundation launched our flagship Screenwriting Fellowship program. Today, we are thrilled to name our Spring 2022 Screenwriting Fellows, Sam Dunnewold and Anton Ray. Through the fellowship, Dunnewold and Ray will each be awarded a $40,000 cash grant and access to 12 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, as well as Shaina Ghuraya and writing team Greg Machlin and Aoife Baker, the program’s Fall 2021 Fellows. By the end of this year, we will have provided over a quarter million dollars in cash grants and hundreds of hours of support and mentorship to mid-career disabled screenwriters.

In a joint statement, co-founders Richie Siegel and Marisa Torelli-Pedevska said, “We are thrilled to welcome Sam and Anton into the program. There is a massive void of upper-level talent in the industry—-of the 1,300 first look and overall deals on record in 2021, only one was with a disabled creator—and we are laser focused on putting disabled screenwriters in positions of power. Our Fellowship helps them develop and sell their own content and climb the (often inaccessible) ladder to the upper-levels of the film and television industry.” 

About Sam

Sam Dunnewold is a Minnesota-born comedy writer who likes a sharp wit and a good poop joke. After graduating from Carleton College with a major in film, Sam honed his comedy voice as an editor at places like The Onion, Funny or Die, and Team Coco before moving to LA to work on fiction podcasts. His writing is often high-concept, usually dark, and always nerdy. He was also a finalist at the 2022 ATX Pitch Competition. He has no colon.

“Receiving this Fellowship means I finally have the time and backing not just to write, but to build community, take meetings, read scripts, and still be able to take care of myself,” shared Dunnewold. “More than that, it’s crucial validation. In an industry where it's easy to question your own talent and skills, I'll frequently come back to the thought that Inevitable Foundation believes in me as a storyteller.”

About Anton

Anton Ray is a poly-ethnic writer and director who grew up both above and below the poverty line in Eugene, Oregon. After serving for eight years in the Army Infantry and returning from war, he ended his career as a squad leader and battalion instructor and was able to turn his full attention to his true passion—the arts. While earning his BFA in Acting from CalArts, he met his long-time collaborator and writing partner, Paul Masterson, with whom he created a production company, Warrior Poet. Anton went on to earn his MFA in directing from East 15th in London, and has written, directed, and produced over forty pieces of theater and film in New York, Los Angeles, and London. He works most often in the one-hour drama space, with a special fondness for Sci-Fi/Urban Fantasy that explores complicated moral gray areas. Anton just completed the WGA Veterans writing project.

“Being selected is quite literally life changing,” said Ray in a statement. “I have dedicated myself to screenwriting for nearly two decades while searching for opportunities to open doors for myself and others. Now that Inevitable Foundation has opened those doors, I will endeavor to make the most of it and keep them open behind me.”

Our 2021 Fellows

We are also thrilled to share progress with our Spring and Fall 2021 Fellows. Aoife Baker and Greg Machlin (Fall 2021) recently signed with Byron Wetzel and Christophe Desorbay at Range Media Partners, a leading management and production company. Shani Am. Moore (Spring 2021) is currently writing as a co-producer on the third season of Netflix’s global hit Sweet Magnolias.  Shaina Ghuraya (Fall 2021) was just selected for the Women in Film | The Sundance Institute Financing Intensive for her feature film Agg, which she will direct.

Our Diverse Applicant Pool

We have received hundreds of applications for the Screenwriting Fellowship, proof of the massive demand for our work. Of this talented applicant base, 58% identify as female or non-binary, 53% identify as BIPOC, and 46% identify as LGBTQIA+.

Fall 2022 Applications: Open Now

Applications for our Fall 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