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"Insecure" Writer Mike Gauyo Opens Mentorship Program Submissions for LGBTQ Screenwriters

Entertainment News | TV & Film

"Insecure" writer Mike Gauyo is seeking to receive more applications from aspiring LGBTQ screenwriters to join his mentorship program.


Black Boy Writes & Black Girl Writes Mentorship Initiative was launched at the beginning of 2021 and focuses on developing the talents of screenwriters of color. The groundbreaking initiative, along with the industry-leading training platform Stage 32, will reopen its admissions for the 2023 class starting November 18, 2022 and will accept applications for one month and close on December 18, 2022.


Mike is no stranger to walking into a space and claiming space for himself and his work. Having been born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and raised in Boston, Massachusetts Mike Gauyo has told us that coming from an immigrant household has had a huge impact on his career. He was taught early on to strive for what some may consider “traditional” career paths such as medicine, law or engineering.

In a previous interview with Gaye Magazine, Gauyo mentions that writing was always a hobby of his, but he didn’t see enough persons that reflected his own story being represented along that path.


Mike Gauyo’s rise to becoming a writer for the award-winning series “Insecure” and to creating his own series “Send Help”, has been a path that required consistency and persistence, as he stresses that “building a tribe" is paramount.


Mike expressed that when he first got into television, he went into it "completely blind". However, he acknowledges that persons of color typically must work harder than other groups of people in particular spaces in order to grow. He voices that this disparity in the film industry is one of the major factors behind the creation and launch of his mentorship program.


Some features that mentees of the program can look forward to include monthly Writers Roundtables. Mentees will also participate in additional writing workshops and sessions geared towards preparing the mentees for Fellowships, Generals and Staffing. They will also have the opportunity to sit in meetings with various networks and production companies. At the end of the program, the mentees will have the opportunity to meet with Mike Gauyo’s agents for representation consideration.


Past participants include Gauyo’s fellow “Insecure” alum Amy Aniobi and Kemp Powers, who was a writer for “Soul” and “One Night in Miami”. Nick Jr. and OutTV are just two of the past network participants of the Black Boy Writes & Black Girl Writes Mentorship Initiative.


Gauyo believes that his purpose has always been to help others and to help lift them up to the same level as himself or even further than where he is. He also tells us that creating purposeful content is just as important as helping others.


“With the Black Boy Writes & Black Girl Writes Mentorship Initiative I aim to create a pathway for up-and-coming Black writers to achieve success by providing them with access to education and industry professionals. I’m thankful to be partnered with such an innovative platform like Stage 32 and screenwriting software leaders Final Draft, who are both committed to serving underrepresented creatives all over the world.”

For our Gaye family that may be interested in submitting an application for the Black Boy Writes & Black Girl Writes Mentorship Initiative, the requirements are as follows:


To enter the competition, you must complete ALL of the following:

1. Upload either a 1-Hour or Half-Hour Pilot (of any genre). Only one (1) entry will be accepted per applicant.

2. Submit a Biography and answer the required Essay Question. All applicants must submit a Biography and answer the Essay Question in order to be considered.

Essay Question: How does who you are inform what you write, and if any, what impact do you see yourself making in this industry? (Please limit your response to 500 words or less in order to be considered.)


The applications are to be submitted through the Stage 32 Platform. We’re happy to recognize Mike Gauyo for the work he is doing to make inclusive spaces not just for black writers, but also for queer black writers.


Click here to submit your application.



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