RespectAbility Entertainment Professionals Lab, Summer 2022
Morani Kornberg
Born in Tel Aviv, Morani Kornberg had a dream to become a college professor. But after earning her PhD in English, she realized that she wanted her research on Israel and Palestine, coupled with her mental health experiences, to reach the widest possible audience. She has since transitioned from scholar-poet-translator to writer-actor.
Morani was recently selected to participate in the 2022 Women in Film Peer Mentoring Program. She also attended the UCLA School of Theatre, Film and Television in their Acting for the Camera Professional Program and UCB Improv. Previously, she taught literature, writing, and theory at UCLA, SUNY Buffalo, and Tel Aviv University. Morani has also published widely across genres, including academic articles, poems, essays, translations, and a poetry book, Dear Darwish. She participated in Oral Storytelling Shows at the Markaz/Levantine Center and showcased parts of her solo show Letting Go of Zelda. Morani was a member of TAU’s Playback Improv Theater and Buffalo’s Poets Theater and has performed her poetry in the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East.
Morani is currently working on multiple projects — spanning from television to film — all with the aim of breaking mental health stigmas, transforming the social imagination, and subverting political, gender, and national divides.
Learn More
After an extensive search and interview process, 20 individuals were invited to participate in the Los Angeles Cohort of RespectAbility’s 2022 Entertainment Lab taking place June 7 – July 14, 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 Los Angeles 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
- Location Sponsors: Bunim-Murray Productions, DreamWorks Animation, Endeavor, Lionsgate, Nielsen, and ROSIES Foundation
