STARZ #TakeTheLead

Humanitas has proudly sponsored with STARZ #TakeTheLead since 2022. Under the leadership of STARZ executives Jennifer Minezaki-Washington and Daria Overby with Humanitas Executive Director Michelle Franke, the partnership with Humanitas was strengthened in 2024 as we announced the inaugural STARZ #TakeTheLead Award and winner Jeanine Daniels at the 2024 Humanitas Prizes Awards Show & Toast, and a sponsorship of the 2024-2025 New Voices Fellowship.

#TakeTheLead is STARZ's commitment to amplifying narratives by, about and for women and underrepresented audiences. By taking the lead and remaining fiercely dedicated to inclusion on and off screen, and throughout the company, as well as the commitment to bold, unapologetic stories and characters, STARZ #TakeTheLead hopes to inspire others across the industry.​

Find more information about the STARZ #TakeTheLead initiative on their website.

Sony Pictures Entertainment

Sony Pictures Entertainment has sponsored Humanitas’s Industry 101 event series since 2022, serving thousands of writers across the globe, and will continue to do so in 2025.

Special thanks to Sony Pictures for their continued support of Humanitas and Industry 101.

Abacus Financial Business Management

Humanitas has proudly partnered with LA-based Abacus Financial, a minority & female-owned boutique business management company, for two Industry 101 events in 2024, including a follow up to the “You Sold a Thing: Consulting with Accountants and Attorneys” panel called “Finance 101,” dedicated to a number of financial concerns of early-to-mid career writers, and featured Abacus Financial Principal Belva Anakwenze.

Abacus Financial & Belva Anakwenze have served as a trusted business manager and business management firm to some of the hardest working professionals in the television and film industries for more than a decade.

Black Boy / Black Girl Writes Media

Humanitas has partnered with Mike Gauyo and his Black Boy Writes media company and Black Boy/Girl Writes Mentorship Initiative since 2022. On March 27, 2024, Black Boy Writes Media partnered on the Industry 101 event called “Making a Career of It: How to Set the Road Ahead” and featured B.B.G.W.M.I mentors and staff. Humanitas also partnered with Black Boy Writes for their Just Write for the Holidays event on December 11. Photos from the event can be found here.

Black Boy Writes Media was founded in 2020 by Mike Gauyo, and is a talent incubator, dedicated to amplifying marginalized voices in Hollywood and across the entertainment industry.

Canva

On November 20, 2024, Humanitas and Canva co-produced an Industry 101 event called “Visual Storytelling & Personal Branding” and featured a live demo and Q&A on creating pitch decks and brand kits.

Canva is a global online visual communications platform on a mission to empower the world to design. Read more about Canva on their website.

CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment)

Humanitas has been proud to partner with CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) since 2022, and twice for the Industry 101 series in 2024.

CAPE champions diversity by educating, connecting, and empowering Asian American and Pacific Islander artists and leaders in entertainment and media. Learn more about their programs, events, and resources on their website.

Greenberg Glusker

Humanitas has proudly partnered with Greenberg Glusker for two Industry 101 events in 2024, including a follow up to the “You Sold a Thing: Consulting with Accountants and Attorneys” panel called “Legal 101,” dedicated to legal issues specific to the film and television industry, and featured a panel of all Greenberg Glusker staff.

Greenberg Glusker is a full-service law firm in Los Angeles, California with clients that span the globe. For 65 years, the firm has delivered first-tier legal services, rooted in understanding clients' intricate business needs and personal concerns.

NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA)

Humanitas has served as a proud community sponsor of NewFilmmaker LA’s monthly InFocus film festival series since 2022. NFMLA partnered with Humanitas for the Industry 101 event called “After the “Final” Draft: Production, Re-shoots and Post” on March 20, 2024.

NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) is a non-profit 501(c) 3 organization that champions emerging and diverse filmmakers and storytellers from around the world and provides a forum where filmmakers can be recognized for their contributions, have open audience discussions about their work and connect with industry professionals for insight on distribution, production and representation.

Santa Monica College

Santa Monica College (SMC) has served as the exclusive Industry 101 Community Partner since 2022.

Santa Monica College has been considered a top transfer college for 34 years, with transfers to University of California, University of Southern California, and Loyola Marymount University, providing a world-class education with endless possibilities and offers an outstanding and unique educational experience.

Find information on courses, degrees and certificates, admissions and financial aid opportunities, and more on the SMC website.

Script Anatomy

Humanitas was proud to partner with Script Anatomy for the Indutry 101 event called “Screenplay 101: All the Basics” featuring Script Anatomy instructors Jeanie Bergen, Jackie Penn, Phillip Van, and Ross Lazar.

Learn more about available courses, additional resources, and more on the Scipt Anatomy website.

Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) Training Center

In partnership with the Upright Citizens Brigade Training Center, Humanitas proudly presented the first in-person event called “Improv for Screenwriters” and was held at UCB’s brand new training facility in Los Angeles. “Improv for Screenwriters” introduced the basics of improv through exercises framed for screenwriters specifically, and emphasized how improv concepts can help not just with writing scenes, but with pitching and taking meetings as well.

Find available online and in-person courses for writing, improv, and more on the UCB website.

UCLA Extension Writers’ Program

Humanitas has proudly partnered with the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program since 2022. Our latest co-production was for the Industry 101 event called “Adaption 101” and featured Humanitas Prize winner Soo Hugh (Pachinko) and UCLA Extension instructor Jacqueline Zambrano.

The Writers’ Program is one of the most prestigious creative writing and screenwriting continuing education programs in the nation. Their open admissions policy and supportive community ensure that all students are inspired and guided to do their best work. Curriculum includes 400 annual writing courses, offered both onsite and online, taught by a diverse corps of 200 published and produced professionals. Certificate programs are also offered, as well as specializations, literary competitions, scholarships, a writing retreat, and one-on-one mentorships and consultations.

Find available courses and other resources on the UCLA Extension website.

TheWrap

In 2024, Humanitas was a proud community sponsor of two conferences presented by TheWrap, TheGrill on October 8 and the Power Women Summit on December 3.

TheWrap is the leading, authoritative digital news organization covering the business of entertainment and media. Founded by award-winning journalist Sharon Waxman in 2009, TheWrap is the only independently owned Hollywood trade, serving as a reliable and trusted source of breaking news, investigative reporting, expert analysis, exhaustive awards season coverage and in-depth features for over a decade.

The Writers Guild Foundation

Humanitas has proudly partnered with The Writers Guild Foundation since 2022 across programs, including the Industry 101 event series and The Humanitas Prizes.

Since 1966, the Foundation has been the premier Hollywood resource for emerging writers and entertainment lovers.

Along with operating the Shavelson-Webb Library and Archives in Los Angeles (which is open to the public by appointment), the Foundation hosts public events featuring notable TV and film writers as well as community outreach programs connecting writers with underserved communities.

Additional information on The Writers Guild Foundation and their annual programs, events, and a list of resources can be found on their website.

Humanitas Presents: New Voices Fellowship & College Screenwriting Awards

Humanitas presents two annual screenwriting programs, the New Voices Fellowship and the College Screenwriting Awards.

Thank you to our partners: STARZ #TakeTheLead, The Black List, Coverfly, Final Draft, MasterClass, Michael Wiese Productions, NewFilmmakers LA, and the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program.

More information on partners and benefits can be found on our programs’s respective webpages.

Humanitas Presents: The Writers Room

The Writers Room, presented by Humanitas since 2023, is a TV writing workshop for high school students. The Writers Room offers students an introduction to TV writing and the opportunity to act as the “staff” of a TV “writers room,” working together to pitch, outline, and draft a teleplay of a pre-existing series. The Writers Room Workshop concludes with a table read in front of an audience.

Thanks to speakers representing the following organizations: Black Boy Writes Media, Echo Lake Entertainment, Film Independent, Final Draft, Nickelodeon Writing Program, The Screenwriting Life, UCLA Extension Writers' Program, Upright Citizens Brigade, and Think Tank for Inclusion and Equity.

This project is supported by The Muriel Pollia Foundation. This activity is funded in part by the California Arts Council, a state agency, and by the Snap Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization.

A list of additional partners can be found on The Writers Room webpage.

Humanitas Presents: Groceries for Writers

In response to the 2023 writers’s strike, Humanitas worked to support writers in our community as they stood for fair pay and protections in the workplace. Recognizing that this action could potentially result in financial hardship for writers and their families, Humanitas began distributing grocery store gift cards to impacted striking writers and support staff.

Many donors and partners stood with Humanitas in solidarity with writers, and the project would not be what it is without their outpouring of support.

Though the WGA strike is over, the Groceries for Writers project remains active and WGA Writers and their support staff are currently eligible.

More information can be found on the Groceries for Writers webpage.