Meet the 2021 Breakthrough Initiative Participants
Benjamin-Shalom Rodriguez
WRITER
Charlene Bagcal
DIRECTOR
Cindy Chu
WRITER
Corey Dashaun
WRITER
Jeannette Godoy
DIRECTOR
Jerell Rosales
DIRECTOR
Jules Koostachin
DIRECTOR
Kelechi Urama
WRITER
Kryzz Gautier
DIRECTOR
Lisa & Laura Bunbury
WRITERS
Major brands are already championing the participants. Blackmagic Design, Scriptation, and others have committed to in-kind support spanning equipment, software, and beyond.
Participants were selected from an expansive pool of nominees based on their body of work and numerous recommendations from respected industry professionals.
Benjamin-Shalom Rodriguez – Queer Mexican-Israeli-American Jew with a comedy and drama focus, and an affinity for petty underdogs. Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation Development Grant recipient and alumnus of Sundance Screenwriters Intensive. Ben’s also had 20+ comedic shorts/webisodes produced and 2 dramatic, award nominated/winning shorts produced.
Charlene Bagcal – Director/Writer with a focus on genre and world building. Asian American and a Southern California native. Recently wrapped being staffed on psychological thriller series, Red Bird Lane, starring Susan Sarandon. Currently in development for hour-long dystopian series, The Un/Desirables, of which she is the creator and a director for.
Cindy Chu – Focus on comedy/horror/drama. Queens native, from a working-class Taiwanese/Chinese immigrant family. Created an award-winning digital series, Queens on Amazon Prime, and received Hennessy’s Unfinished Business grant.
Corey Dashaun – Comedy/Horror writer with a focus on themes of identity, sexuality, masculinity and race as kids of color come to age. Rochester, NY native and former educator. Currently, a writing fellow for Film Independent’s Project Involve.
Jeannette Godoy – Director/Writer. Focus on YA/Family Drama/Dramedy. First generation, Mexican American, choreographer turned director. Wrote a YA dance drama in development with Campanario Entertainment which she will direct.
Jerell Rosales – Director of young adult dramedy thrillers. Gay military brat. Feature debut stars Lana Condor, François Arnaud and James Franco for Lifetime/A+E: High School Lover. Jury Award win at Austin Film Festival for latest short The Terrorist. Also a writer with a Humanitas Prize.
Jules Arita Koostachin – Director/Producer/Writer born in MoshkeKo AsKi (Ancestral lands of the InNiNeWak – Cree) with a focus on protocol and practices in relation to Indigenous stories. A documentarian, an academic, and delving into the scripted world with my first feature drama Broken Angel.
Kelechi Urama – Comedy/Dramedy writer with a focus on stories about women and relationships. Nigerian American and Maryland native. Recently optioned a pilot to a major studio.
Kryzz Gautier – Focus on Sci-Fi/Genre/World Building. Queer, Afro-Latina writer/director born in the Dominican Republic who lived in the US as an undocumented adult for 5+ years. Set up a series and a feature at studios in the last six months, both of which she wrote and will be directing.
Lisa Bunbury & Laura Bunbury – Sisters. Writing/Producing team. Focus on Teen/Family Drama. Florida Natives with Caribbean roots. Producing win at Cannes for Tuesday.