LOS ANGELES, CA — The Sundance Institute Episodic Program announced the Fellows selected for the second annual Pitch Parlor, presented by NBCUniversal, taking place today, March 9, 2023 in Los Angeles. The nine Fellows are Britt Adams (Onyx), Gianmarco Maximilian Giacomelli (To Kill a Pope), Naomi Ko (The 20-Year Curse), Ricardo Pérez González (Orlando), Justin Calen-Chenn and Giancarlo Sánchez (KNOCKTURNAL), Elissa Blount Moorhead and Ericka Blount Danois (fiftyTwo), and Nicole Saad (American Grand Prix). Project genres this year range from heartfelt intergenerational comedy to espionage thrillers and genre-bending horror.
Pitch Parlor is an industry facing curation of Episodic Program Alumni, who are ready to showcase pitches based on their original series ideas to producers, studios, and networks. Participating Industry Mentors who provided key guidance in the Fellows’ creative project development include Erika Kennair (Extracurricular), Karim Zreik (Cedar Tree Productions), Kesila Childers (Powderkeg), and Shana C. Waterman (Royal Ties).
The Episodic Program brings together writers with unproduced, original series IP. The Episodic Lab, taking place each fall in Utah, is a six-day immersive experience that allows writers to work closely under the stewardship of established showrunners, producers, and development executives. The Lab is overseen by Founding Senior Director of Artist Programs, Michelle Satter, and Episodic Program Director, Jandiz Estrada Cardoso.
“All of the content this year bolts out the gate with heroic characters, some against extreme odds – which is fitting for a post-pandemic audience,” said Episodic Program Director, Jandiz Estrada Cardoso. “One simple and human anthem of these shows is their infallible pursuit of self-defined victory, in territories as basic as family or as savage as folklore.”
The Sundance Institute Episodic Program is made possible by Founding Supporters Lyn and Norman Lear and Cindy Harrell Horn and Alan Horn. Leadership Supporters are AMC Networks, MGM+, MRC Television, Netflix, The Harry and Florence Sloan Foundation, The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and STARZ.
Episodic Lab Alumni include producers Katori Hall (P-Valley), Barry Jenkins (Underground Railroad), Tanuj Chopra (Delhi Crime Season 2), Desiree Akhavan (The Bisexual), and Heather Rae (Outer Range). Past Fellows have gone on to earn writing positions on shows including Ms. Marvel, The Staircase, This is Us, Dave, You’re the Worst, Better Call Saul, Silicon Valley, Nancy Drew, Marvel’s Armor Wars, One Of Us Is Lying, Sweet Tooth, and The Americans. Alumni have also set up or sold Lab projects at networks including HBO, Amazon, STARZ, Disney+, Hulu, FX, ABC, CW, AMC, TBS, and Netflix.
Additional information on the projects and writers chosen for the 2023 Episodic Pitch Parlor can be found below.