Issa Rae and Columbia Sign Production Deal Promoting Diverse Screenwriters

Columbia Pictures has signed a multi-picture production deal with Issa Rae's production company, ColorCreative, according to Variety. Under the agreement, ColorCreative will work with and back projects from emerging, diverse screenwriters.

Selected participants, to be announced in the spring of 2019, will work with Rae and the studio to develop and write features based on their original ideas.

Rae is best known for creating, co-writing, and starring in the HBO series "Insecure." She was discovered via her self-produced web series "Awkward Black Girl," which inspired the HBO series.

In a statement, Sanford Panitch, president of Columbia Pictures said, "Issa is a force of nature, and a magnet for talented people. We couldn't be more excited to join her in her mission to pave the way for fresh and authentic voices."

Bryan Smiley, Vice President of Production at Columbia Pictures shepherded the deal and will oversee production and development with ColorCreative for the motion picture group. Recently appointed Vice President of Production at ColorCreative, Sara Rastogi, will also help guide the deal with Deniese Davis, COO of ColorCreative.

Rae said in a statement, "Working with Bryan Smiley and Columbia Pictures to further the mission ColorCreative set out to achieve four years ago in creating access for underrepresented writers, has been a dream come true. All of the projects we are working on are fresh and promising and we can't wait to continue the work. We hope to set a precedent and inspire the industry at large to invest in undiscovered talent, original IP, and fresh stories and perspectives."

"Sara's commitment to discovering and elevating budding voices along with her out-of-the-box thinking has made her a perfect and insightful addition to our team," said Rae.

Read the original article on Variety.

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