Six FWI Finalists Staffed on FOX Series for 2016-17

Fox Audience Strategy today announced that writer Ester Lou Weithers has been selected as this year’s Fox Writers Intensive (FWI) Fellow. Chosen from the fifth annual group of FWI finalists, Weithers has received a script development deal with Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX) and Twentieth Century Fox Television.

Launched in 2011, FWI is an advanced initiative designed to nurture experienced writers who have diverse voices, backgrounds and life experiences, and create a strong pipeline of well-rounded talent for potential staffing on FOX television shows, films and other Fox Entertainment projects.

The FWI finalists spend four months participating in a rigorous curriculum, administered by FWI partner Film Independent, which focuses on honing their craft and establishing deeper creative connections across Fox’s television, film and other entertainment businesses. This year’s program featured collaborative sessions with producer Glen Mazzara, senior executives from FOX, Twentieth Century Fox Television and FX Networks, as well as managers and agents.

Passionate about storytelling from an early age, Weithers worked at MTV in New York before relocating to Los Angeles to embark on her writing career.  She first was an assistant in the writers’ room of “House of Lies” and in 2015, co-created and directed the web series, “Sexless” and “Chef Julian.”  Weithers’ script, “Sparrow,” resulted in her being named this year’s FWI Fellow.

In addition to Weithers, the 2016 FWI class included Peter Chen, Jamila Daniel, Jasmine Elist and Ben Shalom Rodriguez, Julia Fontana, Ahmadu Garba, Leon Hendrix, Tricia (TJ) Johnson, Ann Kim, Jorge Rivera, Jamie Rosengard and Jake Zebede.  Following their completion of FWI, they each are being promoted throughout the Fox creative community and submitted for potential staffing on current and future Fox entertainment productions. To date, six FWI finalists have been staffed on FOX dramas premiering in 2016-17, including APB, EMPIRE, LUCIFER, PITCH, SHOTS FIRED and STAR. Additionally, several FWI alumni have been staffed, ranging from staff writer to co-producer, on a number of new and returning FOX series, including EMPIRE, GOTHAM, LETHAL WEAPON, ROSEWOOD and WAYWARD PINES, as well as FX Network’s upcoming “Katrina: American Crime Story.” 

“Writing for TV requires a lot of trust, collaboration and fearless creativity. FWI engenders these values in its participants,” said Todd Harthan, creator and executive producer of FOX’s ROSEWOOD, which has staffed FWI alumna Diana Mendez as a story editor.

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“FOX WRITERS INTENSIVE” FELLOW NAMED – Page 2

“Establishing FWI as a creative resource was a primary goal for our company and, through our partnerships with so many of the Fox creative businesses and shows, that goal is being realized -- to the benefit of the industry,” added Nicole Bernard, Executive Vice President, Audience Strategy, Fox Television Group.  “I am especially thrilled that the FWI participants embraced the addition of our partnership with Young Storytellers this year to contribute to the future pipeline of dynamic talent.” 

This year’s 12 FWI finalists were selected from a record 500-plus nominations submitted by talent representation, show runners and arts organizations across the country, including National Association of Latino Independent Producers, Sundance Institute, Athena Film Festival, Outfest, Film Independent, NAACP, Women in Film Los Angeles and the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment and Visual Communications. 

As part of this year’s program, the FWI finalists also mentored Los Angeles Unified School District elementary school students who participate in the Young Storytellers “Script to Stage,” a semester-long program in which students write their own original short scripts that are performed live by professional actors.

ABOUT FOX WRITERS INTENSIVE

The FWI seeks both to elevate the craft of participating writers and further establish deeper connections with a wide range of Fox staff writers, showrunners, screenwriters, filmmakers and creative executives across television (both on-air and multi-platform), feature films and digital entertainment. Curated with Film Independent, a non-profit arts organization supporting artists who embody diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision, the initiative offers trained writers a rigorous, four-month curriculum focused on developing original material, learning and honing writing skills for multiple mediums and exploring the business of media and entertainment.

Selected writers have the opportunity to receive detailed feedback and guidance on their scripts through interactive “master classes” and engage in intimate guest speaker sessions with experienced writers, showrunners, executives and directors to discuss case studies of their films and television shows, and learn about their writing processes. Upon successful completion of the program, finalists receive priority staffing meetings for the established FWI Staff Writer position on Fox entertainment productions. 

Fox Audience Strategy is a department within 21st Century Fox designed to identify programming and operational opportunities that reflect diverse perspectives across all of its entertainment platforms.  For more information about the Fox Writers Intensive and a full list of referring organizations, please visit: http://www.foxaudiencestrategy.com/.

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