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Aliza Brugger's screenplay "Lullaby” is one of three that will be workshopped at HamptonsFilm's annual Screenwriters Lab running April 4 through 6. COURTESY THE ARTIST
Academy Award-winning producer Dan Janvey, whose films include “Nomadland,” is a mentor at HamptonsFilm's annual Screenwriters Lab running April 4 through 6. COURTESY THE ARTIST
Screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes, who recently wrote the scripts for Luca Guadagnino's films “Challengers” and “Queer,” is a mentor at this year's HamptonsFilm Screenwriters Lab running April 4 through 6. COURTESY THE ARTIST
Keaton Ventura's screenplay “Halloween 1999” is one of three that will be workshopped at the HamptonsFilm Screenwriters Lab running April 4 through 6. COURTESY THE ARTIST
Pepi Ginsberg's screenplay “The Mirex” is one of three that will be workshopped at the HamptonsFilm Screenwriters Lab running April 4 through 6. COURTESY THE ARTIST
Executive producer/showrunner Rachel Shukert is a mentor at HamptonsFilm's annual Screenwriters Lab running April 4 through 6. COURTESY THE ARTIST
HamptonsFilm, home of Hamptons International Film Festival, has selected fellows, screenplays and mentors for the 25th edition of its annual Screenwriters Lab, which will take place on the East End from April 4 through 6.
The Lab pairs rising screenwriters with established screenwriters, directors and producers for a weekend of one-on-one mentoring sessions. The three selected screenplays for 2025’s Lab are “Lullaby” by Aliza Brugger, “Halloween 1999” by Keaton Ventura and “The Mirex” by Pepi Ginsberg. “The Mirex” will also receive HamptonsFilm’s 2025 Melissa Mathison Award, which was established in 2016 and is named for the late Oscar-nominated screenwriter. Ginsberg will receive access to a casting director and a staged reading of her project in New York City.
“After reviewing this year’s submissions, we were impressed by how these three projects stood apart with their originality and fresh storytelling,” said HamptonsFilm’s artistic director David Nugent. “We’re also pleased to have three esteemed creative voices to assist in fostering and mentoring the next generation of creative talent.”
This year’s mentors include Academy Award-winning producer Dan Janvey, whose past work includes “Janet Planet,” “Nomadland” and “Beasts of the Southern Wild”; playwright, novelist, and screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes, who most recently wrote “Challengers” and “Queer” (adapted from the William S. Burroughs novel), both of which were directed by Luca Guadagnino; and executive producer/showrunner Rachel Shukert who is the creator of “The Baby-Sitters Club” on Netflix and is currently adapting Judy Blume’s novel “Summer Sisters” for Jenna Bush Hager.
“Lullaby” by Aliza Brugger
Freshly released from prison after helping her oldest daughter obtain an illegal abortion, Frankie returns to her rural hometown where her religious relatives are seeking custody of her youngest child. In a conservative community filled with fear, hate and anger, Frankie must find allies willing to publicly defend her maternal capabilities in court and confront the community’s threatening hostility.
“Halloween 1999” by Keaton Ventura
In the days leading up to the Halloween of 1999 — the final witching season of the 20th century — Sally Dressing, a young, working class mother in upstate New York, finds her world upended by an untimely death. Faith, family and everything in between comes into question as she gets caught in the supernatural veil of the season.
“The Mirex” by Pepi Ginsberg
A suburban teenager plays a privileged noble in “The Mirex,” an immersive role play game set in a remote, 11th-century-style village in the woods, where she struggles to untangle herself from her team’s increasingly violent feud with a rival clan as the line between fantasy and reality becomes dangerously blurred.
Staff Writer on Mar 25, 2025