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EXCLUSIVE: The Native American Media Alliance (NAMA) has revealed the four selected fellows for the 7th Annual Native American Feature Film Writers Lab, a talent development program that boosts the careers of Native American writers.
In collaboration with Comcast NBCUniversal, Cherokee Film, City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs and US Bank, the Native American Feature Film Writers Lab is an annual program for talented and aspiring screenwriters. Over the course of 10 weeks, chosen fellows develop a new screenplay, meet with creative executives from numerous studio partners and receive feedback on their scripts from literary professionals.
The Native American Feature Film Writers Lab received numerous applicants from several tribes throughout North America. The chosen fellows take part in a ten-week curriculum overseen by a seasoned writing instructor with industry experience. The lab consists of daily workshops, seminars and mentoring to help each writer develop and complete a new original screenplay in ten weeks. The program concludes with each participant participating in the LA Skins Fest.
“The Native American Feature Film Writers Lab is an incubator for Indigenous voices in cinema.” announced Ian Skorodin, Director of Strategy for the Native American Media Alliance. “It opens doors for talented screenwriters, providing them with the tools and support they need to share their stories with the world.”
The 7th Annual Native American Feature Film Writers Lab fellowship cohort:
Kris Crenwelge (Choctaw), most recently a staff writer on the CBS action-adventure spy comedy True Lies, was a fellow in the 2023 Native American Showrunner Program, the 2022 Disney Writing Program, and previously wrote on Spirit Rangers (Netflix), nominated for seven Children’s and Family Emmys. An instructor for the 2024 Native Media Apprenticeship Program, Kris was in the Women in Film Mentoring Program; an essayist for O, the Oprah Magazine; and her book, Growing Up With Granny: A Survivor’s Guide, won Roadmap’s WriteStart Manuscript Competition.
Kris, who had a previous career in sports, earned her master’s degree from Ohio University and worked in communications for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Houston Rockets. Upon moving to L.A., Kris launched her firm, Sports Publication Design, which produced branded content for more than 20 clients in the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB and NCAA. Kris is currently writing an upcoming educational docuseries about the history of Native Californians.
Kristal Faye is an Oklahoma native (Chahta/Mvskoke), who has worked in TV/Film Production in various roles since 2017. They got their creative start in Seattle, performing sketch comedy, burlesque, drag and even created their own web series, S(H)EATTLE. Their more recent credits include Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger, Panic (Amazon), Yellowstone (Paramount) and The Summer I Turned Pretty (Amazon). Recently, they purchased a home on their tribal land in The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. They hope to bring more film opportunities to the area and uplift voices of their community.
Shelby Ramirez is a Navajo (Diné) and Mexican American writer, artist, and comic book enthusiast. Growing up in New Mexico and Arizona, she lived in border towns on the edge of the Navajo Reservation. Her love for animation inspired her to take up drawing. While attending Dartmouth College, she pursued her artistic passion by studying traditional and 3D animation. Since 2015, Shelby has contributed to the creative vision of numerous television shows, including The Thundermans, Knight Squad, This Is Us, Single Parents and The Rookie. She was recognized as a 2020 Native American Animation Lab Fellow and a 2021 Native American TV Writers Lab Fellow. Her stories focus on the adventures of modern Native American female protagonists who challenge stereotypes with ambition and intellect.
Bre Skye is a writer born and raised in Niagara Falls, New York. She belongs to the Lower Cayuga band of Six Nations of the Grand River, and is passionate about telling Black and Haudenosaunee stories of the Rust Belt. Bre is a PhD candidate in English Language and Literature at Cornell University, having earned her master’s degree in 2021. She has a background in teaching literature and creative writing, from K-12 summer camps to early college. Bre recently moved to Los Angeles to hone her screenwriting craft and use her academic experience to provide script consultation to industry professionals.
