“One of the things that I value the most about Inevitable is its community,” says Visionary and Accelerate Fellow Monica Lucas. “It's one of the best communities that I've been a part of in Hollywood.” Read more at InevitableInsider.com about how the foundation is expanding its creative and career-based community experiences for disabled writers and filmmakers with events like our first-ever Fellow Summit, hosted in Los Angeles last month.
1. A diverse group of people, some in wheelchairs, others with canes and facemasks, smile while standing in front of an "Inevitable Foundation" sign.
2. Panel discussion featuring four speakers in director chairs with microphones, set against a yellow curtain backdrop under a banner reading "Inevitable Foundation." A sign language interpreter stands to the side of the panelists, and an audience member in a wheelchair is in the foreground.
3. A diverse group of people sit attentively at tables, focused on a presentation in a bright room with sheer curtains and large windows letting in natural light.
4. Four people stand shoulder-to-shoulder smiling in front of a sign that reads “Inevitable Foundation.”
5. A group of people sit in a circle outdoors as part of a writers' room simulation, engaged in a discussion. Some have laptops and coffee.
6. Five people are seated around an outdoor table, chatting and smiling with drinks and snacks present.
7. Three people stand in conversation, each holding a drink, in an indoor garden setting.
8. Two people engage in conversation at a candlelit restaurant table, set with salads and drinks.
9. A group of people, including a sign language interpreter, sits at a dimly lit restaurant table, engaged in conversation.
10. A group of people sits around a warmly lit dinner table at a restaurant. They are smiling and engaged in conversation. Plates and drinks are on the table.
Last month, Inevitable Foundation provided testimony in support of a bill that would establish a fund to cover the cost of disability accommodations and access personnel on New York City film, TV, and theater productions. We were joined by actor-producer Woody Harrelson, 'Only Murders in the Building' star James Caverly, Tony nominee Katy Sullivan, leaders of SAG-AFTRA and the DGA's disability committees, and casting directors like Rosalie Joseph.
Learn more about why District 1 Council Member @chrismartenyc sponsored the bill, how the research in Inevitable's Cost of Accommodations Report has been crucial to its creation, and the ways disabled and ally entertainment industry members came together to push for transformational industry change.
Image Description: Blue border on a white box. Inevitable Insider logo in the top right. Text reads: "Woody Harrelson, Tony Nominee Katy Sullivan support Accessibility Fund." Below, a woman is pictured via webcam, with a City Council meeting ongoing in an adjacent image. Flags and officials are present.
On Nov. 12, at The Linwood Dunn Theater in Los Angeles, Inevitable Foundation’s Visionary Fellows—Filipe Coutinho (8 Tracks), Monica Lucas (Double Birthday Christmas Wedding), Zayre Ferrer (Bembé), Alys Murray (Beware C*ckblocking Ghosts) and Katherine Craft (The Hog Queen)—premiered their short films to an intimate audience of creative community and industry members, including representatives from Netflix, Disney, 20th Century, Shondaland, Mattel, United Talent, DPD Casting, and more.
The night was the culmination of more than 12 months of work and marked a major milestone for the accomplished filmmakers, made possible by hundreds of contributors. That includes crew, cast, fellowship mentors and speakers, and foundation staff. The showcase also marked the first step in a larger journey for all five fellows and Inevitable as we continue our work making transformative investments in disabled writers and filmmakers.
Image Descriptions:
1. Five people stand smiling on a red carpet in front of a blue backdrop with “Inevitable Foundation” logos.
2. A hand holds five programs against a blue backdrop with Inevitable Foundation logos. Program text reads “Visionary Fellowship Short Film Showcase.”
3. An audience sits in a dimly lit theater listening to two people speak at a podium.
4. A man and a woman stand at a wooden podium talking to a crowd next to a sign labeled “Inevitable Foundation.” A sign language interpreter gestures nearby.
5. Silhouettes of two people watching a movie theater screen. The screen has an orange background that displays “Written & Directed by Filipe E. Coutinho.”
6. A crowd watches a movie in a dimly lit theater.
7. Four people pose with friendly expressions against a blue “Inevitable Foundation” backdrop on a red carpet.
8. Eleven diverse individuals smile in front of a blue “Inevitable Foundation” backdrop. One person wears a mask; another waves.
9. Four people stand side-by-side in front of a blue backdrop with “Inevitable Foundation” logos.
10. A group of people engages in conversation at a movie screening reception. It’s a relaxed atmosphere, with warm lighting and wall art in the background.
Last week, the five Inevitable Foundation Visionary Fellows screened their short films at The Academy Museum's Linwood Dunn Theater for select industry members. But the work doesn't stop there. In our latest Inevitable Insider story, discover how fellow Filipe Coutinho, writer-director of '8 Tracks,' is approaching the next phase of his filmmaking journey: the festival run.
These tips and strategies are based on research and conversations with filmmakers, producers, creative executives, festival programmers, and directors of development for production companies. They can be used by fellow disabled filmmakers to know how and where to submit their next short, and increase the presence of disabled creatives (who currently make up just 1% of writers and filmmakers!) in the TV and film industry.
Read more at InevitableInsider.com.
Image Description: A blue border surrounds a white box, which features the Inevitable Insider logo and text that reads: "Visionary Fellow Filipe Coutinho on Building a Festival Submission Strategy for Your Short Film" Beneath the text is a photo of a Filipe Coutinho, a man in a white t-shirt and black headphones, directing on a film set.
Join us in welcoming Marcus Soutra to Inevitable Foundation's Board of Directors! Soutra began his career in teaching before co-founding Eye to Eye (now the Neurodiversity Alliance), a non-profit that supports youth with learning disabilities through mentorship connections. He currently serves as a social impact strategist and has joined Inevitable Foundation in our mission to make transformative investments in disabled writers and filmmakers.
Learn more about Soutra and how he hopes to work with Inevitable on inevitableinsider.com.
Image Description: A blue border surrounds a white box, which features the Inevitable Insider logo and text that reads: "Board Member Marcus Soutra on Helping Realize the Foundation’s Vision for Disability Storytelling." Beneath the text is a photo of a white man with shoulder-length brown hair in a light gray suit jacket, smiling against a neutral background.
Changing the narrative around disability means disabled people speaking for themselves in media, politics, and policy.
Over the last five years, several emerging organizations, including @DisabilityCultureLab and @InevitableFoundation , have challenged society’s inaccurate portrayals of and relationships to disabled people.
Learn how they're driving new, empowering paradigms in policy, film, and TV at the link in bio!
For Elevate Collective member @cherylmeyerwrites , the last few years have culminated in a series of meaningful creative career wins, including a limited U.S. theatrical release for her post-apocalyptic thriller #AlltheLostOnes, along with a Canadian Screen Award win alongside co-writer @karaharuncreative for their work on an episode of Prime Video's #BeyondBlackBeauty.
But like many writers in the industry, Meyer is also feeling the effects of Hollywood's production slowdown. Read about how she is weathering the current industry moment and finding wins in unlikely places. Read more at InevitableInsider.com or the link in our bio.
Image Description: A white background with a light blue border frame with the Inevitable Insider blog logo at the top. Below, text in black reads: "How Cheryl Meyer Stays Focused on Her Creativity and Career Amid Industry Slowdown." Below the text is a photo of a woman holding a trophy, standing and smiling in front of a dark background. Below the photo is text in black that reads: Read the full article at invevitableinsider.com.
Elevate Collective member and Accelerate Fellow @sheridan.odonnell discusses his approach to accessibility while on the film festival circuit, including the ReelAbilities Film Festival premiere of 'Rising Phoenix: A New Revolution' (@risingphxglobal ). Read more at InevitableInsider.com or the link in our bio.
Image description: A white background with a light blue border frame with the Inevitable Insider blog logo at the top. Below, text in black reads: "Sheridan O'Donnell on Navigating the Film Festival Circuit with Disabilities." Below the text is a photo of a man wearing glasses and a blazer, standing in front of a backdrop that reads "ReelAbilities." Below the photo is text in black that reads: Read the full article at invevitableinsider.com.
Elevate Collective member @keishazollar says her experience working on the Emmy-nominated FX limited series #DyingforSex and writing about death, sex, and disability for TV was "transformative." Part of that was how the show approached telling the story of a woman who spent her final days following a cancer diagnosis exploring her own sexuality.
“We read a ton of books, a ton of literature about pleasure and stimulation and people's boundaries, and we had intimacy coordinators from day one in the writers' room. We talked to a lot of cancer experts. We talked to palliative care social workers. We spoke to someone who is stage four about the reality of 'I will die, and it's not if, it's when,'” Zollar explains. “There was always, intellectually, a curiosity and a respect from day one.”
Read more about Zollar's experience at InevitableInsider.com or the link in our bio.
Image description: A white background with a light blue border frame with the Inevitable Insider blog logo at the top. Below, text in black reads: "Why the 'Dying for Sex' Writers Room Was a 'Transformative Experience' for One Disabled Writer." Below the text is a photo of a woman with pixie cut, blonde hair in a hospital bed, wearing a hospital gown and a nasal cannula. Below the photo is text in black that reads: Read the full article at invevitableinsider.com.
Filmmaker and Visionary Fellow Monica Lucas (@moni4trees ) sees storytelling as an immense responsibility. She says, “Story is the first human invention that created the ability for us to come together and move forward both morally and culturally. Stories began as a way for us all to get on the same page about what values we wanted to see in our communities."
Monica's short film, Double Birthday Christmas Wedding, was brought to life through the Visionary Fellowship and explores these questions and more. It will be released later this year.
Image descriptions:
Image 1: Three people stand in active conversation. In the middle is Director and Writer Monica Lucas, wearing a white sweatshirt and blue jeans. She's flanked by Director of Photography Rafael Gomez (left) and Editor Sherif Higazy (right).
Image 2: Three people smiling widely at the camera. Center is Monica, holding a film clapper. To her left and right are Richie Siegel and Marisa Torelli-Pedevska, Co-Founders of Inevitable Foundation.
Image 3: Monica Lucas stands with her back to the camera, pointing to something out of frame She's wearing a headset over a baseball cap. In the background, people bustle around a film set decorated for Christmas.
In early July, filmmaker Filipe Coutinho finished production on his short film, 8 Tracks, as part of the Visionary Fellowship.
When asked about the project, Filipe says, "Doing things differently, in a world where things often feel so much the same, is an enormous power and strength.”
Image Descriptions:
Image 1: Filipe, left, a white man with brown hair and wearing black corded headphones, in wrapt conversation with a Black woman who sits in a chair beside him.
Image 2: Three people stand with their arms around each other, smiling at the camera. From left to right, Olivia (Inevitable's Junior Creative Exec), Filipe (Visionary Fellow), and Richie Siegel (Inevitable's President and Co-Founder)
Image 3: Filipe, left, looking at a handheld monitor. In the background, a white man in a striped shirt looks over his shoulder at the monitor.
Filmmaker and Visionary Fellow Kat Craft wants to "highlight aspects of Texas culture that aren’t always thought of, especially together—feral hogs, strong queer culture, and campy horror-comedy," she says. Kat's short film, Hog Queen, which she's bringing to life through the Visionary Fellowship, is now in post-production before its release later this year.
Image Descriptions:
Photo 1: A smiling white woman wearing fuzzy pig ears, against a blue-purple background.
Photo 2: A woman in a white t-shirt and wearing a handheld monitor, gesturing to something out of frame.
Photo 3: A woman in pig ears and a white-shirt, looking at a handheld monitor. The background is lit in pink and orange.
