Come join us for one week of Continuing Education classes on writing. The series includes practical courses exploring “the Art of Storytelling,” screenwriting, and TV writing. You’ll learn all about screenwriting basics, story development, and what a writer’s room is like through creative exercises taught by professionals. A guest writer will answer questions about their work and share insights into how you can enhance your storytelling skills.
Below you can briefly meet each of our instructors for the writing sessions. You can register to attend the series here.
INSTRUCTOR BIOs
Writing: Guest Speaker (July 15)
Instructor: April Sánchez
Screenwriter April M. Sánchez was born and raised on the US/Mexico border in El Paso, TX. Growing up in a bicultural city has inspired her stories, which often reflect the beauty, wonder, and traditional elements of border-town culture. April was recently in development with a company who has an overall deal at Netflix on a whimsical TV series inspired by her childhood as an American-born Latina growing up on the border.
Most recently, April was a course advisor for three Sundance Collab courses, assisting Trey Ellis and Owen Egerton. April holds a bachelor’s degree in screenwriting and a Latino Media Studies certification from UT Austin. Her scripts have made their way to the finalist round in the Sundance Screenwriters and Episodic Labs, and she has placed as a semi-finalist in The Academy Nicholl Fellowship and the Universal Writers Lab, amongst others. She was a 2021 fellow for the NHMC TV Series Writers Lab. April currently has a feature film in development through Stowe Story Launch.
The Art of Storytelling (July 15)
Instructor: Katya Lidsky
Katya Lidsky is a writer, an animal advocate, and a recovering actress. She writes screenplays and books, has written for television, and has sold TV pilots. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Parents, Texas Monthly, and many other publications. Her one-woman play, I’m Sorry — which she wrote and performed to sold-out audiences across Los Angeles and New York City — was part of the New York Fringe Festival. After graduating from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Katya obtained a master’s degree from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education. She is obsessed with stories, spirituality, and rescue dogs.
Screenwriting 101 (July 16 & 17)
Instructor: Stephen Ohl
Stephen Ohl is an award-winning writer/director with over 10 years of professional experience. He received an MFA in directing from the AFI Conservatory. He made his feature debut with the hilarious Useless Humans, which was released on Showtime in 2020. His newest show is a comedy titled Sales Are Dope, which was released on YouTube last year.
Demystifying the Writers’ Room (July 18 & 19)
Instructor: Lindsey Villareal
Lindsey Villarreal is a Los Angeles based television writer and independent feature writer and director. Lindsey is a 2024 Sundance Screenwriters Intensive Fellow and recipient of the 2024 Sundance Horror Fellowship. Her work has previously been featured at IFP’s Screen Forward Labs, the Austin Film Festival, and The Tracking Board’s Hit List. She is an alumnus of both the University of Southern California and The University of Texas at Austin. She is originally from San Antonio, TX, and spent her time before film as a professional caricature artist working in theme parks across the country. Most recently, she was a co-executive producer on the upcoming series La Máquina (Hulu) starring Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna. Lindsey is currently developing television series with Macro TV and Range Media Partners as well as writing an unannounced indie feature starring Noomi Rapace.
