THE WRITERS' INCUBATOR
The Writers’ Incubator offers three first-time and emerging BIPOC filmmakers the opportunity to bring their ideas to life. Led by co-founders Amy Nuñez and Gracie Flores, this program begins with a 10-week intensive group development lab that transitions into direct mentorship through crowdfunding, marketing, pre-production, and production. For the entirety of the program, our producers work hand in hand with filmmakers — from story consulting, pitch deck creation, casting, and beyond.
By empowering filmmakers to actively nurture their creative drive, the program aims to break down barriers to entry in the film industry, encouraging filmmakers to boldly carve their own path.
MEET THE 2026 COHORT
Celina Lamon
Celina Lamon is a writer, actor, and filmmaker from Indiana who has been telling stories since she was ten years old. Raised in Indianapolis and now living in a small rural town, she is drawn to the quiet, complicated lives of people often overlooked in plain sight.
Her work is shaped by her experience supporting people in addiction recovery, her acting training, and a deep commitment to family, which ground how she sees and writes about people; their contradictions, resilience, and relationships.
She is drawn to stories that feel emotionally truthful, regardless of genre.
In 2023, she founded Addison Street Productions as a home for character-driven work rooted in honesty and curiosity. Outside of writing, she can usually be found with her family, her beloved animals, a hot cup of black coffee, or adding to her collection of books and physical media, always looking for the next story worth holding onto.
Janette Orozco
Janette Orozco is a writer/filmmaker raised and based in East LA, California, with roots in Baja California, Mexico. Janette is a Cal alumni 25’ with a BA in Film and Media Studies. She is an emerging writer, director, and multimedia artist. Growing up in East LA has shaped Janette’s perspective on how Latinx folx are represented in film and television. Her goal is to create space for authentic latinx representation that showcases Latinx people’s multidimensional identities and stories. She believes having latinx artists behind and in front of the camera as well as in the writers room is key for authenticity. Janette is passionate about shedding light on underrepresented perspectives and is interested in writing about migrant stories, intergenerational family dynamics, and girlhood.
Joshua Labata
Joshua Labata is a writer/producer from Parañaque, Philippines. Raised as an immigrant and an orphan, he writes about just that: the funny, beautiful, and heartbreaking intersection of immigration and death. Writing has kept him from losing his mind, so he writes to help other people not lose their minds. He’s developed projects for a number of production companies, and his work has finalized at competitions like Academy Nichol, Slamdance, and Antigravity Academy’s Development Incubator. He’s written and produced two independent features, over 25 shorts, and has the blood pressure to prove it. Hobbies include blackjack, bird-watching, and fantasizing about owning a cat.
PROGRAM LED BY:
Amy Nuñez
Amy Nuñez is a Peruvian-American producer, writer, and cinematographer based in Los Angeles. She earned her B.A. in Theater, Film & Digital Production and her B.S. in Business Administration from the University of California, Riverside.
In 2025, she co-founded Sonder Pictures, an independent creative studio dedicated to creating space for emerging creators to grow together and bring their stories to life. Through Sonder, she has led two Writers’ Incubator cohorts, supporting writer-directors as they develop their voices and bring their projects from development to post-production.
She is a 2025–2026 fellow of the Creative Career Lab Year-Long Program with Get Lit – Words Ignite and was one of 36 women selected for Women in Media’s 2025 Activate Impact Initiative. She has also served as a mentor for the 2025 Hispanic Scholarship Fund’s Sports, Media, and Entertainment Summit.
Through her work, she hopes to tell stories that make people feel seen, invite them to look at the world differently, and find beauty and meaning in the complexities of the human experience. More than anything, she loves connecting with people, whether that’s through her work or simply creating a space where creatives can learn, grow, and make cool things together.
When she’s not creating, she loves going to film festivals, screenings, and going to the beach. Her favorite films include: Before Sunrise, Past Lives, and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Gracie Flores
Gracie is a Mexican-American writer, director, and producer based in Brooklyn, New York. She is a graduate of Columbia University with a B.A. in Film & Media Studies and has been mentored by industry leaders through Hello Sunshine and Women in Entertainment.
Writing and directing her own films since high school, she has self-taught herself the ins and outs of indie filmmaking—from producing, to marketing, to editing. Marketing her no-budget short-films on TikTok, she gained massive followings and support from people all over the world. Altogether, her films hold over 1.5 million views on Youtube.
Building on this momentum, Gracie founded Sonder Pictures, a production company dedicated to fostering a supportive ecosystem for independent creators. Through Sonder, she transitioned into producing, successfully overseeing three short films with budgets ranging from $7 to $25k. Her mission is to foster a space where creatives feel empowered to embrace the messiness of making their first big film & the freedom of being a beginner.
A few of her favorite films include Bottoms (2023), Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (2026), and The Double Life of Veronique (1991).