Stowe Story Labs and the International Screenwriters' Association Announce 2016 Fellow
2016 ISA Fellow Rachel Liebling
Stowe Story Labs and the ISA are pleased to announce Rachel Liebling has won the inaugural ISA / Stowe Story Labs Fellowship to this September’s Lab.
Rachel’s script TRANSIT OF VENUS dramatizes the very real and complicated world of Emily Dickinson, creating a world around the reclusive poet’s life.
Rachel grew up a few blocks from Dickinson’s home in Amherst, Massachusetts. She has always been fascinated by “the enigmatic 'Belle of Amherst,' the mysterious recluse who rarely left her house, yet managed to encompass the universe in her poetry."
“We are thrilled to have Rachel joining us this fall,” said Stowe Story Labs founder and president David Rocchio. “Her pilot script and story bible show great promise and her experience in the world of independent film will bring so much to the conversations and work at the Labs,” he said.
"TRANSIT OF VENUS is an epic true-life tale about mesmerizing people who lived extraordinary lives," said Rachel about her pilot script and story bible. "At the center of it all is Emily Dickinson, the brilliant poet who said, 'Nature is a Haunted House - but art - a House that tries to be haunted.' My screenplay is the blueprint for a spellbinding house. The Labs will bestow a team of wizards to help me haunt it," she said.
Stowe Story Labs' fellowship partner, the International Screenwriters' Association, said of Rachel's project, it is "an excellent script with beautiful writing and a confident, sensitive handling of the story."
“I am so pleased ISA is collaborating with us on this fellowship,” said David Rocchio. “Both the Labs and the ISA are dedicated to getting good work made and seen. We hope the labs helps Rachel achieve that goal with TRANSIT.”
The ISA’s Director of Development, Felicity Wren was particularly impressed with the quality of the scripts submitted for the fellowship. "There are a lot of incredibly talented writers waiting to be fully discovered, and programs like Stowe Story Labs are an excellent way to bring the writers and their work to the attention of the Industry," she said.
Stowe Story Labs runs from September 10 - 13 in Stowe, Vermont. The Labs are a nonprofit collective working to help emerging filmmakers, screenwriters and creative producers get work made and seen.
The ISA is dedicated to supporting writers of all levels and backgrounds, who are proactive in developing their careers and willing to learn from the insights and expertise of community members.