The NYU Production LabS flagship creative incubator, function Film Development studio has announced its class 2025.
The cohort-based program collaborates with NYU GRADE students and students to develop their first functions. And programmums are some of Leading creative today: Chloé Zhao, Cathy Yan and Elegance Bratton were all part of the production laboratory.
Indiewire can now reveal the new fellows for the 2025 cohort, along with the six selected projects. Each creative team includes writers, producers and directors for the film; At least one member of the project must be a student or degree from New York University’s film program.
The Film Film Development Studio takes place over nine months and contains scripts with function length with function length, creates business plans and pitch materials and fine -tuned presentation. The program ends with a pitch in September before a vibrant audience and film professional. The cohort will collaborate with the NYU Production Lab staff and industry people to prepare to take their respective functions to the market.
“This year’s cohort exemplifies the bold, diverse story that is at the heart of what we are charming,” said Liz Nord, head of programs and creative development at the NYU production laboratory, in a press release. “From intimate exploration of sadness and family dynamics to sharp critics of social systems, these films are deeply resonant themes with originality and heart. We are pleased to support such a talented group of filmmakers when they give these powerful stories to life. “
The projects were selected from submissions over NYU for originality and marketing, explains Liz Nord, head of programs and creative development at the NYU production laboratory. The scholarship is unique as it emphasizes both the artistic and commercial forces that run the industry, she says.
Check out the 2025 projects, with Cohort CV and language provided by the NYU production laboratory below.
“Bastards of Young”
Author Mickey Falcone and director/producer Kayla Marie Arend
Driven to the edge of loss, abuse of abuse and a descent to self -destructive behavior, a teenager in the countryside must be reunited with her addict and confront a past that she has been trying to exceed for several years to win demolition Derby and take back her life.
Mickey Falcone is a Queer writer from New York who participated in NYU for an MFA in dramatic writing. He has participated in the Circle of Confusion Fellowship, Austin Film Festival and a mentoring with Issa Rae and has had internships with J’s production company, Citizen sake and Billy Porter’s production company, Incogro Productions. His work investigates themes of unlikely courage, the complexity of grief and the sometimes paradoxical nature of God and religion, while raising queer, trans and non-binary representation to move the social views from pride to honor.
Kayla Arend is a Luxembourg-American writer/director and producer known for his surreal, exciting story and rich depictions of complex female characters. A child with a camera that grew to study film director at the New York Film Academy and later at Montana State University, Arend worked with the legendary wildlife Cinematographer Jeff Hogan on several BBC and National Geographic projects shot in the Greater Yellowstone system. She received a degree from NYU, where her dissertation project, Leaves Yellowstonewas produced by Spike Lee. She is an adjunct professor at Nyu Tisch.
“Father and son’s discount meat“
Author/Director Robbin Rae McCulloch and author/producer Darius Dawson
When an apathetic son decides to sell his family’s flounder East Oakland’s discount store, he must first whip the joint in the form of passing his annual subsidy inspection.
Robbin Rae McCulloch is a native of California who spent two decades teaching and developed digital media art programs at various colleges in Oakland and Greater Los Angeles. She returned to school and earned an MFA from NYU. Her dissertation film, Oakland in blueLocated in NYU First Run 2016 Film Festival and received awards in film festivals across the country. She currently works as a digital media art teacher while producing short films and music videos that inspire and encourage change.
Darius Dawson is an award -winning filmmaker and teacher whose short, A rodeo movie, Won 2020 DGA student who led Grand Prize, Golden Tadpole at Camerimage 2020, and was purchased by HBO to stream on Hbomax. He has directed for Peter and Bob Farrelly’s quibi -show, Nowand led the other device on The largest beer run Eve. Dawson teaches director and visual story for Sundance’s online learning platform, Sundance Collab. He participated in NYU and AFI Conservatory.
“If I die in America”
Author/Director Ward Kamel and producer Emily McCann Lesser
After the sudden death of his immigrant husband, a young American man’s comforting relationship with his foreign Muslim in -laws reaches a breaking point when he tries to fit into the funeral they have arranged in the Middle East.
Ward Kamel is a Syrian filmmaker based in Brooklyn who strives to portray underrepresented characters in founded and related stories. An Academy Nicholl Fellow, a Sundance Feature Film Fellow and a Vimeo Breakout creator, his short film, If I die in AmericaPremiere on SXSW®. His work has been shown at Palm Springs Shortfest, Hollyshorts, Newfest and NFFFTY, where he won the best director. He won the best script at Urbanworld, was accepted to Stowe Story Labs and placed in the Austin Film Festival several times. A graduation from Nyu Tisch School of the Arts, he was a semi -finalist in the Student Academy Awards for AzizA short film he produced.
Emily McCann Lesser is a producer born, raised and based in New York City whose films premiere at festivals including Sundance, Tribeca, SXSW and Outfest and have been distributed by HBO, Samuel Goldwyn Films, Orion Pictures, IFC Films and more. She is committed to telling powerful and entertaining commercial stories about under -represented societies and working with different filmmakers. She has been selected to participate in Gotham Week Project Market twice, as well as Film Independent’s Fast Track program, Inside Out Film Finance Forum and the producer’s Guild Mentorship program.
“Satoshi”
Author/Director Sara Crow and producer David Rafailes
The potentially true story of a teenage anime-obsessed hacktivist who, after losing his scholarship to Stanford, returns home to Arizona to become the mysterious inventor of a new digital currency.
Sara Crow is a Brooklyn-based writer/director whose stories focus on subcultures and fault adaptations. She is 2024 Sundance screenwriter Lab Fellow and the recipient of Sloan Sundance Fellowship with Satoshi, Which also received the SLOAN movie award of $ 100,000 at NYU. Her debut storytelling short film Blue bird Won the best short film at the Montana International Film Festival and New Jersey Film Festival. It received the Black Family Film Prize at NYU’s Graduate Film program. Cros is a Martin Scorsese Scholar at NYU and her upcoming dissertation film, Why i am anarchistGot NYU’s Annarose King Award for comical story.
David Rafailedes is a Detroit-based author/director/producer whose work focuses on satirizing the modern (and mostly Midwestern) American experience. He is 2024 Sundance screenwriter and directors lab scholarship Satoshi. Rafailedes is Co-Playwright for the Hit Off-Broadway game, Cellino v. BarnesWho won Time Out New York’s best comedy in 2024 and received critical praise from the Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine and The New York Times. His debut’s short film, Never been kissedPremiere at the Cleveland International Film Festival and won the audience award at the Soho International Film Festival. He is newly trained from the NYU exam film MFA/MBA Dual Degree programs.
“Squatter”
Author/Director Derrick Woodyard and producer Andrew Long
While mourning the loss of his mother, Jamal’s efforts to save his family from foreclosure become even more complicated when his new roommate, Che, is revealed to be a squatter.
Derrick Woodyard is an award -winning African American artist whose work includes directing, writing and cinematography and art and drawing. Born in New Jersey, Derrick is currently based in Brooklyn and has an MFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. His dissertation film, Love cranes (Executive produced by Spike Lee) was nominated for Best Live Action Short Film at the Chicago International Film Festival. Woodyard received Martin Scorsese Young Filmmakers Scholarship and was elected BAFTA NY HBO Scholar 2020. His work has been shown at festivals throughout the US and has been supported by the Spike Lee Production Award, Sandra Ifraimova Production Fund, Riese Post Production Short movie Award.
Andrew Long is a New York-based writer and director who is best known for co-writing Nigerian princewhich premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival 2018. Born in Washington, DC, he received his bachelor’s degree from Howard University and later finished his MFA in film at NYU. His short film Clearing housesexecutive produced by Paul Dano (There will be blood, Batman, prisoners), debuted at the Atlanta Film Festival 2022. Long is the recipient of several screenwriters, including Tribeca All Access and NYU King’s scriptwriting Award for Clearing House.
“Sweetwater”
Author/Director Cassidy Batiz and producer Natalie Novak Remplaowski
A teenage girl navigates in the prickly and complex world of young people, gender and the criminal system in a small town in Texas.
Cassidy Batiz is a filmmaker from Dallas now based in Brooklyn. She is currently MFA movie candidate at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she has been awarded the Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Scholarship and WTC Johnson Scholarship. Her story short, A large partyHas been shown at festivals nationally and was nominated for a best script prize. She is the recipient of Alan Landsburg Documentary Production Award for her upcoming short documentary, Metal Dad. She is currently in post -production on her story short, A little. Her photographs have appeared in Phaidon, Vice and Radius Books, among others.
Natalie Novak Remplakowski, founder and president of Citrine, is a Polish-Canadian filmmaker based in Toronto and New York City with over a decade of experience in both script and creative nonfiction work for all platforms. Citrin is currently in post -production on the debut function, Sea-horsewritten, directed by and with Aisha Evelyna in the lead role and also the lead role in Joseph Marcell (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air). Currently a student in NYU’s Tisch Graduate Film Program, she has been a producer on award -winning films and series recognized by Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television and festivals all over the world including Venice, TIFF, Sundance, Cannes, New York Film Festival and sxsw. The latest credits include the short films FreakThe Three Keeningsand Nola. Before NYU, she worked as an associated producer for Scythia films, based in Toronto, for Rector Daniel Beherman (The apprentice).
