Staff | Board of Directors | Mentors

The Screenwriters Colony’s Writers-in-Residence Program is successful in large part due to its unique mentorship program.  Every weekend during the October Colony, two respected and diverse members of the film industry are flown to Nantucket Island for two days to serve as Mentors, advise the writers, and workshop their scripts in one-on-one sessions.  This exchange offers Colonists an important opportunity to connect and network with more senior writers, directors, producers, executives, and managers, among others, who are successful in their respective fields and are committed to offering guidance and support to the next generation. Aside from focused and constructive one-on-one sessions between Colonists and Mentors, the group enjoys meals and outings together, and Mentors also have time to relax or work on their own projects.

Past mentors have included (in alphabetical order):

Stef Azpiazu
Vice President of Development and Production, Likely Story; Production Executive, Synecdoche, New York

Ali Bell
Vice President of Production and Development, The Montecity Picture Company

Lisa Bellomo
Senior Vice President of Production/Development, Pretty Pictures

Jeb Brody
President of Production, Vendome Pictures; Producer, Little Miss Sunshine, Chop Shop, Everything is Illuminated

David Bushell
Producer, Sling Blade, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Shane Carruth
Writer/Director, Primer

L.M. Kit Carson
Screenwriter/Actor, David Holzman’s Diary, Paris Texas

Meredith Finn
Vice President of Production and Acquisitions, New Line Cinema

Jacob Foreman
Screenwriter, All the Boys Love Mandy Lane

David Greenbaum
Vice President of Production and Development, Miramax

Ulu Grosbard
Director, Georgia, The Deep End of the Ocean, Straight Time

Cynthia Hargrave
Producer, Bottle Rocket

Dan Harris
Screenwriter, Superman Returns, X-men 2

J.V. Hart
Screenwriter, Dracula, Contact, Hook

Coleman Hough
screenwriter, Full Frontal, Bubble

Lawrence Inglee
President, Lightstream Pictures, Saving Private Ryan, The Day After Tomorrow

Patty Jenkins
Writer/Director, Monster

Jeffrey Kearney
Animation Writer, Galactik Football, Obanstar-Racers, The Magician

Brett C. Leonard
Playwright, Labyrinth Theater Company, Guini Pig Solo, Scotch and Water; Screenwriter Jailbait

Mitchell Lichtenstein
writer/Director, Teeth, Happy Tears

Claire Lundberg
Literary Acquisitions Executive, United Artists; Former Director of Development, Scott Rudin Productions

Kelly McCormick
Manager, Circle of Confusion

Heather McGowen
Novelist/Screenwriter, Tadpole

Emily McMaster
Production Executive, Big Beach Films Sunshine Cleaning, Little Miss Sunshine, Chop Shop

Will McRobb & Chris Viscardi
Screenwriters, Snow Day, Tales of Despereaux, Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Adventures of Pete and Pete

Sasha Mervyn
Director of Development, Laura Ziskin Productions, As Good As it Gets, Spiderman, Spiderman3, Spiderman3

Cecila Morelli
Production Executive, Primary Productions, Sin Nombre

Oren Moverman
Director/Screenwriter, I’m Not There, The Messengers, Married Life, Jesus’ Son

Bingham Ray
President of Distribution, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment; Co-Founder, October Films; Former President, United Artists

Ben Robbins
Colony Alumnus, Screenwriter, Documentary Filmmaker

Jon Shear
Writer/Director, Urbania

Alissa Shipp
Producer, This American Life Films

Campbell Scott
Actor/Screenwriter/Director/Producer, Big Night, Rodger Dodger, Off the Map

Peter Sollett
Writer/Director, Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist, Raising Victor Vargas

Whit Stillman
Writer/Director, Metropolitan, Barcelona, Last Days of Disco

Tory Tunnell
Founder/Partner, Safe House Pictures, Awake

John Vanco
Vice President and General Manager, IFC Waverly Theater

Lindsay Williams
Manager, The Gotham Group