ISA celebrates diverse storytelling with 2025 Diversity Initiative Selections

ISA

The International Screenwriters Association (ISA) has revealed the three standout screenplays selected for its 2025 Diversity Initiative, a program designed to amplify underrepresented voices in film and television. This year’s selections span deeply personal stories to daring, genre-challenging scripts that reflect the diverse, intersectional world we live in.

Chosen from one of the most competitive submission cycles in the Initiative’s history, the 2025 honorees are:

  • Down Bad by Brooke Solomon
  • Traditional by Min Tran
  • Unbound by Renn Tan

Each project earns a coveted spot on the ISA Development Slate, where they’ll receive career-changing exposure to top-tier industry partners including Netflix, Amazon/MGM Studios, Harpo Productions, CAA, Disney+, Max, Nickelodeon, and more.

More Than Just a Badge

But this initiative isn’t just about industry access—it’s about commitment. “The ISA’s Diversity Initiative isn’t about ticking boxes,” said Felicity Wren, ISA’s VP of Development. “It’s about enriching the very fabric of who we are as an organization. These voices aren’t just welcome—they’re essential.”

In addition to Development Slate placement, each of the three winners will receive:

  • A one-on-one career consultation with Felicity Wren
  • A one-year ISAConnect membership
  • Consideration for potential optioning via Creative Cypher and Creative Screenwriter Productions

What’s Next?

With Hollywood still reckoning with representation gaps, programs like the ISA’s serve as launchpads for writers who have stories we desperately need—stories that push the needle, stir conversation, and make the industry better.

If past Diversity Initiative alums are any indication, the film world will be hearing more from Solomon, Tran, and Tan very soon—on both big and small screens. For more on the ISA Diversity Initiative and the Development Slate, visit here.


Cannes Lions Day 1: Grands Prix winners announced


ISA

The International Screenwriters Association (ISA) has revealed the three standout screenplays selected for its 2025 Diversity Initiative, a program designed to amplify underrepresented voices in film and television. This year’s selections span deeply personal stories to daring, genre-challenging scripts that reflect the diverse, intersectional world we live in.

Chosen from one of the most competitive submission cycles in the Initiative’s history, the 2025 honorees are:

  • Down Bad by Brooke Solomon
  • Traditional by Min Tran
  • Unbound by Renn Tan

Each project earns a coveted spot on the ISA Development Slate, where they’ll receive career-changing exposure to top-tier industry partners including Netflix, Amazon/MGM Studios, Harpo Productions, CAA, Disney+, Max, Nickelodeon, and more.

More Than Just a Badge

But this initiative isn’t just about industry access—it’s about commitment. “The ISA’s Diversity Initiative isn’t about ticking boxes,” said Felicity Wren, ISA’s VP of Development. “It’s about enriching the very fabric of who we are as an organization. These voices aren’t just welcome—they’re essential.”

In addition to Development Slate placement, each of the three winners will receive:

  • A one-on-one career consultation with Felicity Wren
  • A one-year ISAConnect membership
  • Consideration for potential optioning via Creative Cypher and Creative Screenwriter Productions

What’s Next?

With Hollywood still reckoning with representation gaps, programs like the ISA’s serve as launchpads for writers who have stories we desperately need—stories that push the needle, stir conversation, and make the industry better.

If past Diversity Initiative alums are any indication, the film world will be hearing more from Solomon, Tran, and Tan very soon—on both big and small screens. For more on the ISA Diversity Initiative and the Development Slate, visit here.


Cannes Lions Day 1: Grands Prix winners announced