Ubisoft Film and Television has revealed its participants for the Women’s Film and Television Fellowship, a paid six-month program designed to highlight female voices in the entertainment and gaming industry. From a pool of 150 applicants, fiction writer Heather Quinn was chosen for film and screenwriter Nneka Gerstle for television.
During the program, Quinn and Gerstle will search the Ubisoft library for development opportunities as well as explore original ideas and pitch specific projects. They will be mentored by Margaret Boykin, director of film development; Danielle Kreinik, director of television development; and Jason Altman, head of film and television.
“It’s incredibly exciting to partner with talented women like Nneka and Heather for the second year of our fellowship program and we’re looking forward to their unique perspectives on our IP and the gaming world,” said Kreinik in a statement.
“It’s a privilege to be able to continue the fellowship this year with Heather and Nneka, two exceptional women and talented writers,” added Boykin. “We are proud of Ubisoft’s commitment to create more opportunities for women in the film and television space, and amplify diverse voices in the gaming community.”
Hailing from Boston and now based in Los Angeles, Quinn wrote the screenplay Moxie, which appeared on the Black List in 2017. It was optioned by Peter Lawson, who is producing the title under his banner, Steel String Pictures, along with Sugar23.
“Part of what drew me to the fellowship was being given the luxury of time to explore and develop together, as a team, which I feel makes for a wonderful creative environment,” Quinn said.
Born and raised in Nigeria, Gerstle was an assistant on HBO’s Enlightened before becoming a staff writer on Bourne spinoff Treadstone and penning the Lifetime movie Envy.
“Ubisoft is an expert in creating vivid and enthralling worlds,” said Gerstle. “That’s why the opportunity to create a narrative using Ubisoft’s imaginative and expansive library was exciting for me.”
At the conclusion of the program, Quinn and Gerstle will have the opportunity to pitch projects with the goal of securing development deals. Last year’s participants, Tasha Huo and Mishna Wolff, both received deals for their respective film and television projects.
