Wscripted Unveils 2025 Cannes Screenplay List Supporting Women & Non-Binary Writers
The 2025 list showcases projects from 14 female and non-binary filmmakers and screenwriters seeking producing and financing partners. (scroll down for full list).
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Among the nominees is Emmy-nominated Kenyan American filmmaker Peres Owino, who co-wrote Netflix's African Queens – Njinga and Queen Cleopatra, and is now developing feature film The Basket Weaver, from her own original screenplay.
The list also features New York writer, comedian, and singer-songwriter Liz Nico and L.A.-based trans writer, director and artist Jules Byrne, whose debut feature Summer of 69 premiered at this year's SXSW as a Hulu original film. The pair are collaborating on rom-com feature Jane Hates Miranda.
Further nominees include Filipina American actor, filmmaker, and Sundance fellow Kristine Gerolaga, with horror feature Lamok.
Spearheaded by Wscripted's founder and CEO Ellie Jamen, Wscripted's Cannes Screenplay List was launched in 2021 to support women and non-binary writer-directors, with a focus on film. It has championed 92 diverse projects since its inception.
The initiative was designed to mirror the market dynamics between international sales agents and distributors during the Cannes's Marche du Film, with a focus on pushing deal opportunities for female-led projects in early to late stage development.
This year's shortlist was revealed during an event in Cannes, with nominees in attendance to pitch their projects and a fireside chat featuring Mounia Meddour (Papicha, Houria), who has previously supported the initiative as a jury member. Other previous jurors include Vanessa Kirby.
This year's jury featured Emmy and BAFTA TV Award nominee Nava Mau (Baby Reindeer), filmmaker Fawzia Mirza (The Queen of My Dreams), and director Erica Tremblay (Fancy Dance).
Mau made history as the first trans woman nominated for both Emmy and Bafta TV Awards for her performance in Baby Reindeer and won an Independent Spirit Award for the role.
Beyond acting, Mau also directs. Her short film All The Words But The One screened in festivals around the world and competed for the prestigious LGBTQ Iris Prize.
'We know that the film industry is in need of significant culture change, and I'm honored to support this effort to amplify the power of women and non-binary filmmakers,' she said.
Mirza's Pakastani-Canadian comedy The Queen of My Dreams starred Amrit Kaur as a woman, whose relationship with parents was strained after she came out as a Lesbian.
The film will be released in the U.S. by female-led distribution labels Willa and Product of Culture on June 20. Following screenings at TIFF and SXSW, the film won prestigious awards from the Directors Guild of Canada and Canadian Screen Awards, marking a significant achievement in Canadian cinema with the film's groundbreaking portrayal of queer love and identity.
Tremblay, an alumna of the Second Wscripted Cannes Screenplay List with her debut feature film Fancy Dance.
Starring Lily Gladstone as a Native American woman who takes her niece to a state powwow while searching for her missing sister, the film was acquired and released by Apple TV in summer 2024. Tremblay is currently a co-executive producer and director on AMC's series Dark Winds.
'Fancy Dance is a story about Native women and the deep responsibility they often carry in our communities. I wanted to show how love and care persist, even in the face of loss and systemic injustice. My work centers Native characters who are fully human: messy, funny, complicated. My next project is a horror feature, and I'm excited to explore those same complexities within the genre space,' she said.
Tremblay emphasized the importance of initiatives such as the Wscripted Cannes Screenplay List.
'They help open doors that are often closed to women and other marginalized voices. These spaces make it possible to meet the right creative partners, to build lasting collaborations, and to receive meaningful support from fellow filmmakers and jury members who genuinely believe in your voice,' she said.
Wscripted's Cannes Screenplay List has been presented in partnership with Mubi since 2022. The company regularly champions female directors, with recent titles including The Substance by Coralie Fargeat. Bird by Andrea Arnold, Dahomey by Matt Diop, and How to Have Sex by Molly Manning Walker.
The full list of nominees:
Acids by Tamar Feinkind
Alma Aparicio by Jesahel Newton-Bernal
El Baca by Michelle Calderon
Jane Hates Miranda by Liz Nico & Jules Byrne
Lamok by Kristine Gerolaga
Livingstone by Robin Henry & Pearse Lehane
Long Story Short by Simbi Hall
Piper by Katy Dore
Satoshi by Sara Crow & David Rafailedes
Show & Tell by C.C. Webster
The Basket Weaver by Peres Owino
The Seahorse by Devon Kirkpatrick
To The Sea by Vanessa Magic
With Your Permission by Sahar Jahani
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