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CineStory Names Fellowship Winner

The CineStory Foundation has named Amyn Kaderali as their 2016 Feature Fellowship winner. His winning script is CHOKORA, a powerful story about a bright Kenyan boy who must join a gang of "Chokora" (street kids) in order to survive on Nairobi's mean streets. Kaderali's fellowship includes a $10,000 cash prize, an all-expenses-paid stay at the October Feature Writers Retreat, and a 12-month mentorship with two retreat mentors, all of whom are working industry professionals.

Past CineStory Fellows and other alumni have gone on to write features such as: "Children of Men," "Cake," "Iron Man," "Nightingale," "The King of California," "Ballast," and many more.

Upon hearing the news that he was the 2016 CineStory Fellow, Amyn said, "To me, making the most of this incredible opportunity means getting some key help, advice and support for my feature, "Chokora," as well as other scripts (both "Hollywood" and "indie") that I have been working on this past year. It will also be extremely beneficial to get input on how to focus my writing career and generate opportunities. And I'm excited to get to know my mentors and to build lasting relationships with them."

CineStory also honored Shavion Einstein and her script SUPERFECUNDATION with Second Place, while Julia Batavia, who wrote SARGENT and Adria Tennor, who wrote NEVER BEEN BORN, tied for Third.

Now in its 21st year, the CineStory Foundation holds two yearly writers retreat in Idyllwild, CA. One focuses on features, the other on television and digital platforms. The retreats provide undiscovered writers with mentorship by pairing them with industry professionals who give them one-on-one feedback on their work and advice on how to navigate their careers in Hollywood. Past mentors include writer Meg LeFauve (INSIDE OUT), producer Susan Cartsonis (THE DUFF), and producer Jason Brown (BEN-HUR), among many others (full details available at www.cinestory.org).

The four winning writers and twenty-one semifinalists earned an invitation to the Feature Retreat. While there is a cost to writers who attend, CineStory has begun an outreach campaign to find production companies, agencies, government institutions and individuals to make it financially easier for the writers to attend. This year, Paulist Productions and the Coalition Group will each provide one scholarship to an invited writer. This past April, Film Victoria and Screen Australia covered all the costs for four writers to attend the TV/Digital Retreat.

CineStory Executive Director Bryan Dick, a writer who attended the Feature Retreat in 2011, found his retreat experience invaluable. "Holding the retreat in Idyllwild, you're really isolated and spend all this time with other writers and mentors from early morning until late at night. Not only did I get introduced to a producer who hired me for my first professional writing assignment, I was able to meet and become friends with other screenwriters from around the world. There is nothing like the CineStory experience."

Updated: 08/16/2016

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