The 1497 Features Lab consists of an in-person Retreat and additional professional development opportunities all intentionally designed to elevate screenplays by writers who will further 1497's mission to change South Asian representation in the American entertainment market, while providing career support.
We want to empower writers in our community to write whatever stories they feel compelled to tell, unbounded by genre, cultural content, geographic location, or any other stereotypical expectation. Then we want to challenge the gatekeepers in the American film and television industry to bring those stories to light.
We believe in a holistic approach to foster writers' creative and career journeys. As a result, THREE selected Mentees move through a multi-tiered process during the 1497 Features Lab:
1) SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT- Mentees' scripts undergo a rigorous development cycle during the Lab Retreat, consisting of feedback from multiple perspectives and guidance from a Script Consultant who focuses on the emotional and psychological journey of the screenplay.
2) MENTORSHIP- Mentees are each assigned a Mentor pod (comprised of an established filmmaker, producer, industry rep, and 1497 Features Lab Alum) with whom they meet 1:1 during the Lab Retreat to continue interrogating their scripts and receive advice and insights to launch or further their careers. Past Mentors have included Gurinder Chadha, Mira Nair, Deepa Mehta, Nisha Ganatra, Aneesh Chaganty, and more!
3) INDUSTRY CONNECTION- During the Lab Retreat, Mentees also participate in engaging masterclasses and fireside chats to provide additional professional development opportunities and creative inspiration. In the spring following the Lab Retreat, 1497 hosts an in-person, curated "Meet the Mentees" event with producers, development executives, financiers, and other industry guests to allow for organic connection and relationship building.
This year's Lab Retreat will take place October 21-26, 2026 in Malibu, CA (dates subject to change). For Mentees who are not local to the city in which the Lab Retreat is taking place, 1497 will reimburse 50% of travel costs (round trip, economy class) and cover 100% of all accommodations, food, and certain other costs from the moment they land at the airport to attend the Lab to the moment they arrive back at the airport after the Lab ends. For Mentees who are local to the city in which the Lab Retreat is taking place, 1497 will reimburse mileage at the standard business mileage reimbursement rate set by the IRS (72.5 cents/mile in 2026) and cover 100% of all accommodations, food, and certain other costs from the moment they arrive at the Lab Retreat to the moment it ends. These covered costs are also applicable for the in-person "Meet the Mentees" event in the spring following the Lab Retreat.
-Semifinalists will be notified on July 10, 2026
-Finalists will be notified on August 17, 2026
-3 Mentees will be notified on September 21, 2026
