RespectAbility Entertainment Professionals Lab, Summer 2020
First generation Iranian-American, LGBTQ+ writer/producer, and Person Who Stutters, Shea Mirzai is a four-time honoree of Franklin Leonard’s annual Black List and Co-Chair of the WGA’s Disabled Writers Committee. Mr. Mirzai has written features for Overbrook Entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Tooley Entertainment, AGC Studios, and Universal Studios. He is also Executive Producer of Nat Geo’s ORIGINS: THE JOURNEY OF HUMANKIND. In 2019, after selling action-drama feature spec RUTH and being hired to write the latest installment of the AMERICAN PIE franchise, Shea launched Space Coyote Productions, a full service production company of which he is the founder & CEO. A graduate of the University of California, Irvine with a B.A. in Film & Media Studies and African-American Studies, Shea combined the two into a unique program emphasizing Race & Representation. He cut his teeth in glorious Hollywood, USA working for mini-major studio Relativity Media as Head of the Story Department from 2008-2015. A collector of books, movie soundtracks, and (too many) Funko Pops!, Shea has written across multiple genres and formats including comedy, drama, and action-thrillers. He spends his free time over-analyzing every situation and rooting for the LA Clippers. Mirzai is repped by Zero Gravity Management and Brecheen Feldman Breimer Silver & Thompson.
LEARN MORE
After an extensive search and interview process, 30 individuals were invited to participate in RespectAbility’s Summer 2020 Lab for Entertainment Professionals. This 5-week, 15-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 16 – July 16, 2020. Participants include diverse people with physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health and other disabilities. 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 and The Walt Disney Company
- Gold Sponsors: Cast & Crew, Comcast NBCUniversal and Final Draft
- Silver Sponsors: Fox Corporation and Sony Pictures Entertainment