Meryl Streep Funds NYWIFT's Screenwriters Lab for Women Writers

Variety reports that Oscar winner Meryl Streep has funded a screenwriters lab for women writers over the age of 40, which will be conducted by New York Women in Film and Television and IRIS, a collective of women filmmakers.

The news was announced yesterday at a panel discussion which was presented during New York's annual Tribeca Film Festival.

Titled 'Writers Lab', the site reports that the program "aims to increase opportunities for female screenwriters over the age of 40. Dates to submit to the program are May 1 through June 1. The eight winners will be announced on Aug. 1.

Writer-director Gina Prince-Bythewood ("Beyond the Lights"), producer Caroline Kaplan ("Boyhood"), and writers Kirsten Smith ("Legally Blonde") and Jessica Bendinger ("Bring It On") aer among the mentors who will give their time to the project.

According to NYWIFT, Streep has generously donated a "significant" contribution to fully fund the Lab. The actress has been a longtime supporter of NYWIFT. The Writers Lab will be held at a retreat in upstate New York.

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Streep has appeared on Broadway in Happy End, The Cherry Orchard, Secret Service, and Trelawny of the Wells, as well as off-Broadway's Wonderland in Concert and Alice in Concert.

The actress' upcoming film projects include The Homesman, and The Good House. Her past movie credits include Hope Springs, The Iron Lady, It's Complicated, Julie & Julia, Doubt, Mamma Mia!, The Devil Wears Prada, The Hours and many more. She was recently seen in Rob Marshall's big screen adaptation of INTO THE WOODS.

Photo credit: Paul Drinkwater/NBC