At the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, notable debutant screenwriters included Hailey Gates (Atropia), Rashad Frett (Ricky), and Lin Que Ayoung (co-writer of Ricky), as well as the fellows selected for the Screenwriters Lab and Screenwriters Intensive programs. 

Hailey Gates: wrote and directed “Atropia,” which won the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic. Rashad Frett: directed and wrote “Ricky,” which won the Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic, and was co-written by Lin Que Ayoung.

Sundance Screenwriters Lab and Intensive Fellows:

• The Sundance Institute announced the fellows selected for the 2025 Screenwriters Lab and Screenwriters Intensive programs. 
• These programs provide emerging artists with a space to develop their first and second independent features. 
  Fellows include:
• Andrea Ellsworth 
  Joanne Mony Park 
  Catalina Torres 
  Melina Valdez 
  Kasey Elise Walker 
  
  Other notable debut films:
• “By Design”: written and directed by Amanda Kramer. 
• “Lurker”: written and directed by Alex Russell, who previously wrote for “The Bear” and “Beef”. 
  “Sorry, Baby”: written and directed by Eva Victor. 
• “Together”: written and directed by Michael Shanks. 
  “Love, Brooklyn”: directed by Rachael Abigail Holder. 
  “Bubble & Squeak”: directed by Evan Twohy. 
  “Bunnylovr”: directed by Katarina Zhu. 
  “Kiss of the Spider Woman”: written and directed by Bill Condon.