Surpassing 10 years of developing emerging writers, CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) has selected its latest CAPE New Writers Fellowship class. The new cohort completed the program last spring prior to the WGA strike and the class Of New Writers Completed Program Prior To Start Of WGA Strike.
The Fellowship is a non-studio professional development program that trains emerging writers to succeed in Hollywood. The Fellowship boasts graduates who have been staffed on over 65 shows across all major network, cable, and streaming platforms in addition to those who have signed overall deals.
Featuring industry writers, producers, agents and executives, the Fellowship was co-founded and is co-chaired by Leo Chu (Showrunner/Executive Producer, Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion) and Steve Tao (Veteran TV Executive and Producer, The CW, ABC, & BAD ROBOT). In addition to being the only program helmed by both a Showrunner and a creative executive, the Fellowship has the added distinction of Leo Chu (along with his writing partner, Eric S. Garcia) being the first Asian Showrunner. Jess Ju, CAPE’s former Director of Programs and Operations, returned to run the program.
“I am extremely proud of the careers we have launched and the community we have built. Many of our previous Fellows are now upper-level TV writers and returning with other seasoned professionals to train and mentor the next generation,” said co-chair Leo Chu. “It’s all about giving back and lifting each other up. I can’t wait to see this talented new class rise in the industry.”
“With the industry-wide cutbacks in diversity programs seen in the last year, the CAPE New Writers Fellowship is more important and relevant than ever,” added co-chair Steve Tao. “The Fellowship not only guides our Fellows by making their original scripts as good as they can be, it also arms them with the tools needed to make it, survive, and thrive in the ever changing entertainment industry. It ensures the next generation of television writers will have diverse backgrounds and points of view necessary to appeal to an ever fragmented viewership. I could not be prouder of the dedication, talent, and professionalism of the 2023 class of CAPE New Writers Fellows.”
The 2023 class, consisting of all television writers, participated in the two months long program of virtual sessions including master classes, panels, workshops, and table reads. They were also paired up with high-level industry mentors to revise their scripts. This year’s Fellowship Speakers included: Naia Cucukov (Emmy Award-winning Executive Producer, The Babysitters Club), Eirene Donohue (Writer, Netflix’s A Tourist Guide to Love), Bash Naran (Agent, WME), Caroline Mak (VP, Development, Freeform), Prathi Srinivasan (Writer, PLAN B), Nic Sridej (Writer, THE WINCHESTERS) and more. Monica Macer (formerly the Showrunner of CBS’s MacGyver) also led a mock writers room for the new class of fellows.
The 2023 CAPE New Writers Fellowship participants and mentors are as follows:
Aldous Davidson Mentored by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong
Caroline Tsai is a Taiwanese-American comedy writer from Indiana who writes female coming-of-age stories and quirky ensemble comedies. After graduating from Harvard, she worked for Janet Yang Productions and APA. She is currently a showrunner’s assistant on Season 2 of The Summer I Turned Pretty. Her pilot Charade was a semi-finalist for the Script Lab Screenplay Contest. She is represented by Artists First.
Cindy Chu
