Hi, everyone!

Slow news day but here’s another initiative being supported by Andrew and Cate’s Dirty Films production company.

New York-based The Writers Lab has launched The Writers Lab U.K. and Ireland, with a script development program for women over 40. The initiative is supported by Dirty Films, the production company headed by Cate Blanchett, Andrew Upton and Coco Francini with development producer Georgie Pym.

The Writers Lab is the only program devoted exclusively to script development for woman-identifying writers over 40. The U.K. lab will be produced with U.K. partner Untamed Stories, the creative production hub helmed by development producers Julia Berg and Ruth Spencer. It is in association with Birds’ Eye View, the not-for-profit that champions the female perspective in film headed by Mia Bays.

The virtual lab will be held June 10-13 and applications will open April 1. Submissions of features and pilots will be accepted for consideration and up to 12 writers reflecting the diversity of the populations across Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland and Northern Ireland will be selected.

In a statement, Blanchett, Upton and Francini said: “The incredible work that The Writers Lab are doing in providing a platform for underrepresented creative voices resonates deeply with all of us at Dirty Films, so we jumped at the opportunity to support their expansion to the U.K. and Ireland. We’re excited to see the results of this year’s lab and we look forward to working with Untamed Stories, NYWIFT and The Writers Lab to discover some of the amazing untapped talent in this region.”

Source: Variety