1 month ago
EXCLUSIVE: Disability Belongs, a nationalist disability-led nonprofit known for creating systemic alteration successful really nine views and values group pinch disabilities, has announced a caller virtual cohort of participants for its 2026 Entertainment Lab.
In its eighth year, nan Lab has go a increasing pipeline for abnormal talent. The cohort — which includes writers, directors, producers, and those moving successful beingness accumulation — will prosecute successful interactive presentations, roundtables, and skill-building workshops pinch apical executives and talent from awesome studios, networks, and accumulation companies.
The 2026 participants are Aaron Potter, Allison White, Analesa Fisher, Brian Cohen, Brianna Naderpour, Clare Cooney, Corey Allen Evans, Dashiell Meier, Fionntán Price, Frances Rubio, Greg Jeffs, Jessiline Berry, Karen Jeynes, Kryzz Gautier, Lamont Lamar, Madeleine Shelley, Mary Pat Bentel, Matthew Yeungong Hua, Megan Metzger, Nathan Willis, Peter Soby, Serena Dykman, Shani A. Moore, Simone Brazzini, and Sophie Ostrove.
The cohort includes 10 writer/directors, six TV writers, 4 screenwriters, 3 documentary filmmakers, 1 shaper and 1 euphony composer. The Fellows are based in Los Angeles, New York City, and 11 further cities crossed North America, arsenic good arsenic Cape Town, South Africa.
“As personification who started successful this business pinch nary contacts, I’m passionate astir helping others break in,” Nathan Varni, Executive Director of Current Programming astatine ABC Entertainment Group and Disability Belongs Board member, said successful a connection connected Friday. “This Lab is cultivating nan adjacent activity of talented writers, producers, and board who are reshaping Hollywood.”
Launched successful 2019, nan Entertainment Lab is 1 of respective pipeline programs offered by Disability Belongs for abnormal intermezo professionals. The 2026 Disability Belongs Lab, which runs from May to September, is supported successful portion by Netflix and Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Alumni of nan programme person gone connected to activity pinch awesome studios and platforms, including Disney, Netflix, Paramount Pictures, and Sony Pictures Entertainment, premiering projects astatine awesome festivals specified as SXSW, and participating successful master improvement programs, including those offered by the Sundance Institute.
“Being an alumna of various Disability Belongs programs successful nan Lab backmost successful 2020, and aft that, erstwhile I started moving pinch them arsenic a fellow, was really my first commencement successful consultation activity successful nan intermezo industry,” Ava X. Rigelhaupt, a programme alumna, said successful a statement. “I learned from really immoderate of nan champion people, for illustration Lauren Appelbaum and my cohort astatine that time, connected really to activity pinch studios of various sizes—from indie studios to Disney—how to springiness notes, perceive to their needs, and supply solutions to these different projects. I besides learned really to discuss and push back, emphasizing not conscionable your position of why you would for illustration this change, but besides that location are ever nuances and group who work together and disagree, research, and nan disablement community’s request for existent inclusion and representation. I learned really to advocator for that pinch different people, knowing what various group request and really you mightiness beryllium capable to weave successful immoderate awesome stories.”
