Arts & Living

Arts & Living / 1329020

HIFF's Screenwriters Lab Is Back For 2019

icon 7 Photos
Barbara Cigarroa

Barbara Cigarroa

Tamara Jenkins

Tamara Jenkins

Lab participant Barbara Cigarroa

Lab participant Barbara Cigarroa

Lab participant Kirsten Tan

Lab participant Kirsten Tan

Lab participant Sontenish Myers

Lab participant Sontenish Myers

HIFF Screenwriters Lab mentor Michael H. Weber

HIFF Screenwriters Lab mentor Michael H. Weber

author on Mar 18, 2019

The Hamptons International Film Festival’s (HIFF) 19th annual Screenwriters Lab takes place April 5 to 7 in East Hampton and will pair rising screenwriters with established and knowledgeable screenwriters, directors and producers for a weekend of one-on-one mentoring sessions.

The three selected screenplays for mentoring this year are Barbara Cigarroa’s “El Otro Lado (The Other Side),” Sontenish Myers’ “Stampede,” and Kirsten Tan’s “Higher.” For the second year in a row, all of the selected lab participants are women.

“Over the years our annual Screenwriters Lab has become a wonderful opportunity for writers to explore the possibilities of their work and receive guidance from some of the industry’s most prolific storytellers,” said David Nugent, artistic director of HIFF.

This year’s mentors include Michael H. Weber, screenwriter of “The Disaster Artist,” for which he was nominated for an Academy Award, and “The Fault in Our Stars”; and Caroline Kaplan, producer of more than 70 films including “Sorry To Bother You” and “Boys Don’t Cry.”

Oscar-winning screenwriter Jim Taylor and Oscar-nominated screenwriter Tamara Jenkins will lead this year’s screenwriting Master Class, which is open to the public. Mr. Taylor won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for “Sideways,” while Ms. Jenkins was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for her film The Savages,” and is also known for “Slums of Beverly Hills.” The pair worked together recently on “Juliet, Naked” and they will use clips and personal experiences to detail all that goes into writing a script for every type of audience.

The Master Class will take place at 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 6, at the Ross School in East Hampton.

Also during lab weekend, HIFF will present a special screening of “Terms of Endearment” on Friday, April 5, at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor, with a post-screening conversation between David Nugent and Alec Baldwin. Tickets for the Master Class or the film screening are $25 at hamptonsfilmfest.org.

"

You May Also Like:

‘World War II Radio Christmas Play’ To Run at Southampton Cultural Center

Boots on the Ground Theater at the Southampton Cultural Center will present Pat Kruis Tellinghusen’s “World War II Radio Christmas Play” from December 5 to 14. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. The holiday production recreates the experience of attending a 1940s radio show broadcast on Christmas Eve during World War II. Featuring songs of the era, stories inspired by real veterans, live sound effects, and a full on-stage radio studio, the play transports audiences to another time. Old-fashioned radio sponsors, jingles, and classic Christmas carols round out the performance, offering a festive ... 12 Nov 2025 by Staff Writer

Guild Hall's 2025 Student Art Festival, 'Rauschenberg 100,' Celebrates Local Artists, Students, and the Legacy of a Legendary Painter

Guild Hall’s Student Art Festival, an annual tradition since 1938, returns on November 15 with ... 11 Nov 2025 by Hope Hamilton

Round and About for November 13, 2025

Music & Nightlife Mysteries, Deceptions and Illusions Allan Zola Kronzek, a sleight-of-hand artist, will perform ... by Staff Writer

At the Galleries for November 13, 2025

Montauk The Lucore Art, 87 South Euclid Avenue in Montauk, is showing “Moment of Motion,” ... by Staff Writer

Get Ready To Laugh: Long Island Comedy Festival Hits The Suffolk on Thanksgiving Eve

The Long Island Comedy Festival returns to The Suffolk on Thanksgiving Eve to kick off the holiday season with a night of laughs on Wednesday, November 26, at 8 p.m. Now in its 19th season, the Long Island Comedy Festival brings together four of New York’s funniest comedians in one night, hosted by Long Island’s own Paul Anthony. The lineup includes Maria Walsh, known as “America’s Naughtiest Mommy” and a Las Vegas headliner; John Santo, a master impressionist performing at Mohegan Sun; Rob Falcone, a national headliner who has appeared on Showtime and HBO; and Chris Monty, a national headliner ... by Staff Writer

Guild Hall’s Student Art Festival, Rauschenberg 100, Launches This Weekend

Guild Hall’s Student Art Festival, an annual tradition since 1938, returns on November 15 with ... 10 Nov 2025 by Hope Hamilton

BCM Autumn Concerts Continue This Weekend

On Saturday, November 15, at 5 p.m., Bridgehampton Chamber Music will present the second of ... by Staff Writer

Sticks & Stones Comedy To Present All-Star Stand-Up Show Featuring D’yan Forest

Sticks & Stones Comedy will present an “All-Star Stand-Up Comedy Show” featuring Michelle Schwartzman, Rob White, Joe Winchell and the Sticks & Stones All-Star Comedy Lineup on Saturday, November 15, at 8 p.m. at the Southampton Cultural Center. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Fresh from her sold-out show at Joe’s Pub, special guest and Southampton resident D’yan Forest will join the lineup. Forest holds the Guinness World Records title for the oldest working female comedian in the world at age 89. Often called “the naughty Betty White,” she has appeared on “The Drew Barrymore Show,” Time Out New York, The ... by Staff Writer

Sag Harbor’s Julie Keyes To Jury Newport Art Museum’s Members’ Exhibition

Julie Keyes, a Sag Harbor-based art consultant with more than 30 years of experience in the contemporary art world, will serve as juror for the Newport Art Museum’s “Springboard: Members’ Juried Exhibition,” opening Thursday, January 22, 2026. Keyes is founder and principal of Keyes Art, a global art consultancy, and has worked with private collectors, corporations and cultural institutions to acquire and present significant works of art. She brings a unique perspective as both an advocate for emerging talent and a trusted advisor to established collectors. “‘Springboard’ invites artists to put their best foot forward,” Keyes said. “In conversation with ... by Staff Writer

‘Sea Through River’ Opens at LTV Studios

LTV Studios will present “Sea Through River,” an exhibition curated by Haim Mizrahi, on display now through November 30. The exhibition features works by Anahi DeCanio, Josh Dayton, Michael McDowell, Steve Romm, Lenore Bailey, Haim Mizrahi and Zach Minskoff. An opening reception will be held Saturday, November 15, from 4 to 7 p.m. The public is invited to view the exhibition and meet the artists. LTV Studios is located at 75 Industrial Road in Wainscott. For details, visit ltveh.org. by Staff Writer