Alumnus Iesh Thapar '17 Selected to Participate in the 2021 Film Independent Screenwriting Lab

By
Nicole Saldarriaga
May 17, 2021

Film Independent recently announced that film alumnus Iesh Thapar '17 has been chosen to participate in their 2021 Screenwriting Lab. The annual lab provides a space for participants to workshop their projects under the guidance of well-established and experienced creative advisors such as director Andrew Ahn, screenwriter Ellen Shanman, and many more. 

Associate Director of Artist Development Angela C. Lee said of this year's applicants, "While most of the world was homebound due to the pandemic, the creativity of artists flourished as showcased by the overwhelming amount of incredibly talented writers that submitted to this year's program...The six selected filmmakers exemplify our continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of storytelling through authentic characters, diverse settings, and wholly original perspectives." 

black and white portrait of the writer

During his time in the Screenwriting Lab, Thapar will be continuing work on his latest project, Alien Kulture—a feature film about a 19-year-old British Indian with punk-rock ambitions who struggles to find his place in Thatcher-era England and must stand up to his "highly politicized and insular-minded older brother." 

As a writer / director, Iesh Thapar has earned several awards for his work. He is a Film Independent Project Involve fellow and has been supported by The BFI Network, The Sundance Institute, Tribeca and the Sloan Foundation. His short film Alien Culture, was nominated best UK short at Raindance and screened at the BFI London Film Festival, Palm Springs and Aspen Shortsfest, to name a few. He is a graduate of the MFA Film program at Columbia University, and is currently developing his first feature Alien Kulture, mini-series The Marble Orchard and TV show We That Are Young with Gaumont.