RespectAbility Entertainment Professionals Lab, Summer 2021
Asha Chai-Chang
Asha Chai-Chang is an Award-Winning Writer/Director and Emmy Nominated Producer. As a First-generation Afro-Latina and Caribbean-Asian American with disabilities, Asha is a stigma disruptor as a Yale graduate and former finance professional turned production company owner. Asha is making strides as a 2022 TV Writer Fellow in the Inaugural RespectAbility Children’s Content Disabled Creators Lab sponsored by Netflix, a 2023 BlackMagic Collective Emerging Filmmaker by BlackMagic Design, and a 2023 Writer/Director Fellow for the Los Angeles Latino Film Festival (LALIFF) Inclusion Fellowship, both sponsored by Netflix.
As a Sci-Fi/Fantasy nerd and gamer, Ms. Chai-Chang inspires people of color to get into STEM through her projects and as a panelist at Comic Conventions and Universities. Her Sci-Fi/Comedy “Spoiler Alert” and Family drama “All by Design” films have been recognized by Oscar-qualifying film festivals and the NAACP. Impacting audiences of all ages, Asha is creating a preschool animated Spanish bilingual TV series, “Wendy on Wheels” and fantasy teen comedy, “Harlequin Heights”.
As an invited guest of the President of the United States, Asha visited the White House in celebration of her advocacy for diversity and disability inclusion and the 32nd Anniversary for the ADA. Dedicated to highlighting films made with and/or by disabled creatives, Asha serves as a Co-Founder, Co-Captain, and Juror for the Academy Award qualifying Unstoppable program at Slamdance Film Festival and has been interviewed by publications including Variety, Hollywood Reporter, and Forbes.
Asha also serves on the Black Directors Advancement Initiative Committee in Alliance of Women Directors, as a founding member in the Platano Pipeline by Blactina Media, and CEO of Love My Productions, LLC.
Learn More
After an extensive search and interview process, 30 individuals were invited to participate in RespectAbility’s Summer 2021 Lab for Entertainment Professionals. This 8-week, 24-session virtual summer Lab series for people interested in – and with experience in – development, production and post-production, including careers as writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, animators and other production roles, will take place June 22 – August 12, 2021. Participants include diverse people with physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health and other disabilities. This Lab is a recipient of The Roddenberry Foundation Impact Award. Learn more: www.respectability.org/respectability-la-lab.
This program, which continues building the talent pipeline of young professionals with disabilities looking to work behind the scenes, is made possible with support by:
- Platinum Sponsors: Murray/Reese Foundation, The Harnisch Foundation, Pop Culture Collaborative, Sony Pictures Entertainment and The Walt Disney Company
- Gold Sponsors: A&E and Final Draft
- Silver Sponsors: NBCUniversal and ViacomCBS
