Today marks the first day of PGA Create's 2024 Scripted Cycle, where twelve producers from ten projects will attend four days of intensive sessions and masterclasses. PGA Create is a lab for emerging and mid-career creative producers from underrepresented backgrounds who are in active development, financing or packaging of a feature or series. There are two cycles per year: one focused on scripted projects, and the other focused on documentary projects. The fellows for this cycle were previously announced on Deadline.com. Now, meet them below.
Laura Fries (BODY SHOP) is an accomplished producer and assistant director with over 15 years of experience in TV and film, who previously worked as an actor and stunt performer. As a Korean adoptee, she is passionate about giving a voice to underrepresented communities.
Andria Wilson Mirza (HEIRLOOM) is a CMPA Award-nominated producer and the co-founder of Baby Daal Productions. For the last 3 years, she has led ReFrame, the gender equity program of Sundance Institute and WIF, and is now leading WIF's international initiatives.
Evelyn Angelica Martinez (JOYRIDE) is a queer first-gen Mexican-American producer based out of Los Angeles. Her narrative focus is on heartfelt stories that intertwine with the surreal and fantastical featuring LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities.
Valeria Contreras (NOT MY NAME) is a Film Independent Producing Lab Fellow and has produced a diverse slate of short films. As a mission driven storyteller, she pursues to champion global, underrepresented narratives, in hopes of using the power of story to advance social change.
Constanza Castro (OUT TO GET YOU) is an award-winning Mexican producer, director, writer and co-founder of 271 Films. She is drawn to stories that push culture forward and spotlight underfunded communities in front of and behind the camera.
Doménica Castro (OUT TO GET YOU) is an award-winning Mexican writer, producer, and director driven by stories that shape culture. She co-founded 271 Films, a development and production company whose work has been featured on MTV, Nylon, Vice, HBO, BET Networks, as well as film festivals including Sundance, AFI Fest, DOC NYC, and Tribeca.
Phoebe Wong (PAPER TIGERS) is a Beijing-born LA-based producer, who brings a decade of experience in the Film/TV industry of the U.S. & Asia. She received an MFA in Producing at the New York Film Academy and an Entertainment Law certificate from USC’s Gould School of Law.
Mireia Vilanova (SILENCE SOMETIMES) is an animation and live action producer from Barcelona based in Los Angeles. Her work has been featured in festivals like Tribeca, Santa Barbara and Palm Springs, and has been supported by Film Independent, NALIP, Women in Film and Indeed Rising Voices.
Annam Rizwan (THE IMMIGRATION GAME) is an independent producer dedicated to telling stories about Muslims and Pakistanis living in the American South. A graduate of the University of Georgia, Annam found her passion for production and leadership while serving as a student leader and president for the Pakistani Students Association and Muslim Students Association.
Asad Farooqui (THE IMMIGRATION GAME) is a director, screenwriter, producer, and actor. He has directed multiple films and written various scripts about characters stuck in an America that refuses to accept them. He is a graduate of Emory University and received his MFA in Screenwriting and Directing from Columbia University where he was also a Teaching Fellow.
Andrew K. Li (BLISSFUL ACRES) is a graduate of the MFA Film Program from Columbia University working across film and scripted TV. His projects have received support from IFP, EAVE, Sloan and HAF.
Becca E. Davis (THROUGH VIOLET EYES) is a Producing Fellow at the American Film Institute Conservatory. She seeks to create content aimed at elevating the way people understand themselves and relate to each other.
For the fellows, this program will function as an introduction to the Producers Guild, aimed at cultivating and establishing relationships with potential future members of the organization.
PGA Create was developed through the PGA One Guild initiative, which supports inclusive membership, employment, content, and authentic depictions.
To learn more about PGA Create, please visit producersguild.org/pga-create.