RespectAbility Entertainment Professionals Lab, Summer 2022
Sarah Fischer
Sarah Fischer is a drama and genre writer who grew up in a small, rural, Illinois town, where everyone knew everyone and the most popular club in high school was the Future Farmers of America. Fischer knew early that such a town would not hold her imagination, and so she set off to explore the world, from Antarctica to Wales, trying to figure out where she was going and what to do when she got there. As a result, she tells small character stories set in grand worlds.
After finishing her Master’s degree, she worked as a high school girls’ varsity soccer coach at a Catholic high school, tutored students in English, and worked in artificial intelligence.
Fischer has worked in production and development at OddLot Entertainment, HeyDay Films, the Kennedy/Marshall Company, and USA Network. She’s also worked as an assistant on Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, Helstrom, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Rian Johnson’s Poker Face.
Fischer has advanced in a number of fellowships. She was a semifinalist for NBCUniversal’s Emerging Writers fellowship, a finalist for the Walt Disney Television Writing Program, and a finalist for the Sundance/Sloan fellowship. She was part of the 2019 Writers’ Assistant Network workshop, and has placed in screenplay competitions with the PAGE Awards, Final Draft’s Big Break, Scriptapalooza, ScreenCraft, and the Austin Film Festival. She also wrote the film adaptation for the Image Comics graphic novel series Revival.
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After an extensive search and interview process, 18 individuals and one writing duo were invited to participate in the Virtual Cohort of RespectAbility’s 2022 Entertainment Lab taking place August 16 – September 22, 2022. This 6-week, 18-session Lab aims to further develop and elevate the talent pipeline of diverse professionals with disabilities working behind-the-scenes in television, film, and streaming. Participants include people with physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health, and other disabilities ranging in age from people in their 20’s through their 50’s. The Lab is a recipient of The Roddenberry Foundation Impact Award.
The Virtual Cohort of the 2022 Entertainment Lab is made possible with support by:
- Platinum Sponsors: Murray/Reese Foundation and Netflix
- Gold Sponsors: The Harnisch Foundation, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and The Walt Disney Company
- Silver Sponsors: Hollywood Foreign Press Association Charitable Trust, the National Endowment for the Arts, and NBCUniversal
