Bio – Lab 2024 – Virtual

RespectAbility Entertainment Professionals Lab 2024

Colin Murphy

Colin Murphy is a comedy writer and actor based in Los Angeles. He’s written and performed as a member of The Groundlings Sunday Company as well as on numerous house teams at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. He also has participated in the CBS Diversity Showcase, where he had multiple writing credits.

A rare hereditary gene mutation has led to multiple generations of Murphy’s family including him having muscular dystrophy. He and his family are like X-Men but their superpowers are bad balance and weak grip strength. This condition led to Murphy writing Special Treatment, a half-hour comedy pilot inspired from his experience being in junior high and coming to terms with both puberty and his disability at the same time. Not fun, but definitely funny. This very personal script was named the TV Pilot Winner in the 2021 Screencraft Family Screenplay Competition.

Murphy is a graduate of Gonzaga University where he majored in Broadcast Studies and minored in Theatre. It’s also important to note that one of his proudest moments was when a director once told him he should write a character that REALLY loves his wife since he clearly has experience with that.

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After an extensive search and interview process, 25 individuals were invited to participate in the Virtual Cohort of RespectAbility’s 2024 Entertainment Lab taking place May 7 – September 24, 2024. This 5-month Lab aims to develop and elevate the talent pipeline of disabled entertainment professionals working behind-the-scenes in television, film, and streaming, while connecting them with industry professionals and creatives. Participants include people with physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health, and other disabilities ranging in age from people in their 20’s through their 60’s. The Lab is a recipient of The Roddenberry Foundation Impact Award.

RespectAbility Entertainment Professionals Lab 2024

Coli B. Sylla

Coli Sylla, named an ISA Top 25 Screenwriters to Watch For in 2024, hails from Philly via Lome, Togo in West Africa. He holds a master’s degree in visual and media arts from Emerson College in Boston, MA.

During an internship at NBCUniversal in 2006, Sylla penned a spec script for the NBC comedy 30 Rock, catapulting him into professional writing. His inaugural project, the single-camera comedy Big Boy’s Neighborhood, loosely based on the radio show of the same name, featuring talents like Big Boy himself, Jamie Foxx and Snoop Dogg, was produced.

Subsequently transitioning to TV drama, Sylla crafted his first pilot, Porter, which garnered widespread acclaim, leading to meetings with major industry players like HBO and Showtime. Porter secured top honors at the Creative Screenwriting Magazine TV Pilot Competition in 2022 and found success on the Coverfly Red List twice before landing a shopping deal.

In 2023, Sylla’s second pilot, The Informer, achieved finalist status in the LA International Diversity Initiative and attracted a shopping agreement. His latest project, Afterlife, also has made waves on the Coverfly Red List, currently holding a prominent position at #16 Fantasy Television/Half-hour.

Sylla recently completed what he hopes to be the next script of all scripts.

Learn More

After an extensive search and interview process, 25 individuals were invited to participate in the Virtual Cohort of RespectAbility’s 2024 Entertainment Lab taking place May 7 – September 24, 2024. This 5-month Lab aims to develop and elevate the talent pipeline of disabled entertainment professionals working behind-the-scenes in television, film, and streaming, while connecting them with industry professionals and creatives. Participants include people with physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health, and other disabilities ranging in age from people in their 20’s through their 60’s. The Lab is a recipient of The Roddenberry Foundation Impact Award.

RespectAbility Entertainment Professionals Lab 2024

Christopher Guerrero

Christopher Guerrero is an esteemed Latinx filmmaker, writer, and educator hailing from the agricultural town of Selma, CA. Diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia at a young age, his undying passion for storytelling propelled him to surmount his challenges and pursue a fulfilling career in directing. His commitment to using narratives as a tool to challenge injustice led him to the world of cinema, shaping his distinctive voice that amalgamates humor, horror, drama, and social consciousness. After receiving his MFA from USC, he collaborated with major brands like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, GEICO, and Disney. He worked alongside celebrities such as The Rock, Wayne Brady, and Jack Black. Now a proud USC alumnus, Christopher teaches directing at his alma mater where he is also on the ‘Adjunct Faculty Alliance’ union bargaining committee. His work is distinguished by its unique fusion of humor, horror, drama, and social consciousness. His films and screenplays have been featured at prestigious festivals like Slamdance, Austin Film Festival, Hollyshorts, and Santa Barbara, earning numerous accolades. The Cordillera Film Festival awarded his feature film script Assimilated a $150,000 in-kind production grant. Guerrero’s achievements include participation in directing programs for FREE THE WORKS Residence Program, AdAges ‘The List,’ AICP’s Mentorship Program, and the CDDP Directing Program. As a Latinx filmmaker, he is devoted to creating authentic narratives and promoting positive change through his work.

Learn More

After an extensive search and interview process, 25 individuals were invited to participate in the Virtual Cohort of RespectAbility’s 2024 Entertainment Lab taking place May 7 – September 24, 2024. This 5-month Lab aims to develop and elevate the talent pipeline of disabled entertainment professionals working behind-the-scenes in television, film, and streaming, while connecting them with industry professionals and creatives. Participants include people with physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health, and other disabilities ranging in age from people in their 20’s through their 60’s. The Lab is a recipient of The Roddenberry Foundation Impact Award.

RespectAbility Entertainment Professionals Lab 2024

Ben Freidman

Ben Friedman is an award-winning screenwriter, poet, and literary fiction writer based in West Orange, New Jersey. Living with Crohn’s Disease and its associated complications since the age of 8, he has managed (between flare-ups and surgeries) to serve in environments as eclectic as the American Museum of Natural History, Esalen Institute in Big Sur, Leaddog Marketing Group in NYC, the Newark office of then-Senator Jonathan Corzine, and FEGS Health and Human Services in Lower Manhattan, leading writing groups for a disabled and economically disadvantaged population.

A Cum Laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in English and Cinema Studies, Ben was hard at work producing and co-directing his own crowdfunded sci-fi/fantasy short in Australia in 2016, when a major flare-up left him medically homebound with a ruptured intestine and insufficient medical coverage to correct the problem for the next 3.5 years.

His gastrointestinal surgery finally happened in December 2019…coinciding neatly with the onset of the most dangerous (and ableist) pandemic in modern U.S. history… and silver linings being what they are, this at least gave Friedman ample time to ponder the many sublime ironies, cruelties,  absurdities, and precious rare moments of grace characterizing this chaotic era, helping  fuel a new and excitingly generative period for him as a creative writer.

A lifetime of memories navigating the dysfunctional American healthcare system and, more recently the dehumanizing bureaucracy of SSI Disability, offer the inspiration for his current feature script: The Chronic Ills. He also is collaborating with a CNN and NatGeo editor on a pilot for a tech-thriller miniseries that investigates the ways social media, AI, and Big Data are warping our humanity through the lens of a single hyper-victimized family, and with an Emmy Award-Winning LA-based TV producer on a mind-bending crime dramedy feature about the biggest psychedelics bust in U.S. History.

Learn More

After an extensive search and interview process, 25 individuals were invited to participate in the Virtual Cohort of RespectAbility’s 2024 Entertainment Lab taking place May 7 – September 24, 2024. This 5-month Lab aims to develop and elevate the talent pipeline of disabled entertainment professionals working behind-the-scenes in television, film, and streaming, while connecting them with industry professionals and creatives. Participants include people with physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health, and other disabilities ranging in age from people in their 20’s through their 60’s. The Lab is a recipient of The Roddenberry Foundation Impact Award.

RespectAbility Entertainment Professionals Lab 2024

Cecilia Weiss

Cecilia Weiss grew up in New York City, where her parents were freelance musicians, which gave her a distinct perspective on the performing arts. From turning pages in the musician pits to hanging backstage at Broadway musicals, she gained a firsthand understanding of the industry’s inner workings. After a brief stint in ballet, Weiss transitioned to TV production in Los Angeles, where she discovered her passion for creating stories. She became a senior producer on numerous shows, including nine seasons on the award-winning Extreme Makeover Home Edition. A serious accident altered her path, leaving her with cognitive and physical challenges that put her out of work but led her back to passion for writing. Having gained insight into the struggles of the disability community, particularly those with “invisible” disabilities, Weiss advocates for inclusivity in Hollywood, aiming to rewrite the script to provide opportunities for all.

Learn More

After an extensive search and interview process, 25 individuals were invited to participate in the Virtual Cohort of RespectAbility’s 2024 Entertainment Lab taking place May 7 – September 24, 2024. This 5-month Lab aims to develop and elevate the talent pipeline of disabled entertainment professionals working behind-the-scenes in television, film, and streaming, while connecting them with industry professionals and creatives. Participants include people with physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health, and other disabilities ranging in age from people in their 20’s through their 60’s. The Lab is a recipient of The Roddenberry Foundation Impact Award.

RespectAbility Entertainment Professionals Lab 2024

Dani Hanks

Dani Hanks (they/she) is a disabled Webby-award winning writer/director who challenges the status quo through quirky stories with a bit of comedic flair. Their Banff-nominated web series, Fake News Writer, was optioned after winning the Webby against Hasan Minhaj and James Corden. Since then, they have worked on projects in development at FilmRise, RKO, and TikTok. Their work has been showcased in more than 30 film festivals around the world. Most recently, their original pilot was selected for the Stowe Story Labs TV Writers’ Room.

After receiving their BFA in drama at NYU Tisch, Hanks finally “came out” as a writer/director, according to friends who had “known since high school.” Major themes in Hanks’ work include gender, sexuality, mental illness, and disability. A direct result of inhaling too much formaldehyde as a kid in their parents’ pathology lab, the stories they’re drawn to are often weird, darkly humorous, and off-the-beaten-path.

Hanks daylights as a laboratory technician cutting animal tissue at NYU Langone, much to the dismay of their pet rats. They love baking from scratch, playing board games, writing and singing indie songs, and chatting in American Sign Language.

Learn More

After an extensive search and interview process, 25 individuals were invited to participate in the Virtual Cohort of RespectAbility’s 2024 Entertainment Lab taking place May 7 – September 24, 2024. This 5-month Lab aims to develop and elevate the talent pipeline of disabled entertainment professionals working behind-the-scenes in television, film, and streaming, while connecting them with industry professionals and creatives. Participants include people with physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health, and other disabilities ranging in age from people in their 20’s through their 60’s. The Lab is a recipient of The Roddenberry Foundation Impact Award.

RespectAbility Entertainment Professionals Lab 2024

Derek Quick

Derek Quick (Negane Meno) is a multi-award-winning Native American/Hispanic Writer, Director, Producer, and U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard Veteran with more than 10 years of military service.

Quick is a member of the Ottawa tribe of Oklahoma and his grandfather Chuck Red Cedar Todd was the Chief of the tribe. Quick’s films have screened at Academy Award and BAFTA Qualifying festivals around the world, including Short Shorts Japan, Imagine Native, British Urban Film Fest, Hollyshorts, Pan African Film festival, and Cannes with the American Pavilion.

Quick’s Film Kommando 1944, a WWII film about the Japanese Americans in Internment camp in Manzanar California, won more than 160 awards, including Outstanding World War II Short Film winner at the 2019 Spielberg’s Band of Brothers film festival, as well as two Telly awards for best director and best diversity film. He also won two Remmy awards for best director and best drama short film at the World Houston festival.

Educated at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts and the New York Film Academy, Quick brings a disciplined, educated approach to his art. His involvement with the Writers Guild Veterans Foundation and the Native American Media Alliance Feature Writers Program, supported by giants like NBCUniversal and Netflix, marks his dedication to the craft of screenwriting.

His screenplays have been featured on the Blacklist website’s top screenplays, Redlist; was selected for the Coverfly Pitch week 2024 and was ranked 1st in number of Manager and production meeting requests; and has won or advanced in numerous festivals in 2024.

Quick writes with the aims of educating, elevating, and entertaining. Drawing from his varied background, he specializes in crafting underdog stories featuring diverse and intriguing characters across many genres and formats.

Quick also is an active stock investor running his own fund since 2006 and placed third in the world stock investing championship against active professional hedge funds in 2023.

Learn More

After an extensive search and interview process, 25 individuals were invited to participate in the Virtual Cohort of RespectAbility’s 2024 Entertainment Lab taking place May 7 – September 24, 2024. This 5-month Lab aims to develop and elevate the talent pipeline of disabled entertainment professionals working behind-the-scenes in television, film, and streaming, while connecting them with industry professionals and creatives. Participants include people with physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health, and other disabilities ranging in age from people in their 20’s through their 60’s. The Lab is a recipient of The Roddenberry Foundation Impact Award.

RespectAbility Entertainment Professionals Lab 2024

Emma Layden

Emma Layden is a passionate writer from and living in New York City. She uses her experiences as a physically disabled woman to tell compelling, funny, and diverse stories. She and two of her sisters were born with an extremely rare neuromuscular condition known as multiple pterygium syndrome, Escobar variant. It’s a little like muscular dystrophy, a little like cerebral palsy, and it’s definitely a Miranda.

In 2017, Layden graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of The Arts with a degree in Dramatic Writing. Her credits include script work for Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS and writing an episode of the hit Netflix/Nickelodeon series, Sharkdog. She has assisted award-winning writer/director, David Shane, on several projects. Additionally, she produces and hosts a series on her Instagram called the “Disability Diaries,” in which she discusses her disability and things happening in the disability community; there have been more than 250 episodes. You also can catch Layden’s disability content on The Recount, where her videos have garnered hundreds of thousands of views.

Layden got her first period at the Barnes & Noble midnight release party of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn. If you need to know one thing about her, it’s that.

Follow Layden & her #DisabilityDiaries @emmalayden!

Learn More

After an extensive search and interview process, 25 individuals were invited to participate in the Virtual Cohort of RespectAbility’s 2024 Entertainment Lab taking place May 7 – September 24, 2024. This 5-month Lab aims to develop and elevate the talent pipeline of disabled entertainment professionals working behind-the-scenes in television, film, and streaming, while connecting them with industry professionals and creatives. Participants include people with physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health, and other disabilities ranging in age from people in their 20’s through their 60’s. The Lab is a recipient of The Roddenberry Foundation Impact Award.

RespectAbility Entertainment Professionals Lab 2024

Gayle Añonuevo

Gayle Añonuevo is a multimedia professional with more than 15 years’ experience editing, producing, and directing non-fiction video. Her work varies widely, ranging in outlets from broadcast to podcast, and in styles from documentary to social. Born and raised in New York and currently residing in the San Francisco Bay Area, she has an M.A. in video production from Emerson College and a B.S. in biology from Cornell University. She began her career in video to empower, educate, and entertain through media, and continues to do so today.

Learn More

After an extensive search and interview process, 25 individuals were invited to participate in the Virtual Cohort of RespectAbility’s 2024 Entertainment Lab taking place May 7 – September 24, 2024. This 5-month Lab aims to develop and elevate the talent pipeline of disabled entertainment professionals working behind-the-scenes in television, film, and streaming, while connecting them with industry professionals and creatives. Participants include people with physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health, and other disabilities ranging in age from people in their 20’s through their 60’s. The Lab is a recipient of The Roddenberry Foundation Impact Award.