The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment has announced the emerging screenwriters selected for its 2026 News Writers Fellowship class. Now in its 14th year, the premiere professional development program is aimed at training emerging writers to succeed in Hollywood.
The 2026 class includes Haley Chung (mentored by “St. Denis Medical” executive producer Vicky Luu), Kalos Chu (mentored by “We Were Liars” co-executive producer Gursimran Sandhu), Monisha Dadlani (mentored by “Alien: Earth” executive producer and co-showrunner Monica Macer) and Val Tan (mentored by Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” live-action writer and Tony Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang).
“We’ve been blown away by the quality of our applicants and their passion for becoming working writers. Their stories are more relevant than ever and their talent is undeniable,” said Co-Founders and Co-Chairs Leo Chu and Steve Tao. “While we’re all assessing the challenges to traditional media, we are determined to find a platform for this new generation to be heard.”
The fellowship has one of the highest track records of success in the industry, and boasts graduates who have been staffed on over 70 shows across all major network, cable, and streaming platforms in addition to those who have signed overall deals, per the company. The curriculum features in-person and virtual panels and masterclasses that explore pathways into everything from animation to verticals.
“According to the most recent WGA Inclusion Report, the percentage of API writers working on series increased 2 percentage points between the 2020-21 and 2023-24 seasons – but with broader contraction across the industry, significantly fewer writers have been employed overall,” said Rhian Moore, CAPE’s head of programs. “CAPE prioritizes our writers’ needs every year by building programming that reflects the industry. As we go into our 35th anniversary as an organization and 14th year of the Fellowship, the 2026 program highlights a wider range of pathways into and across entertainment, and prioritizes writer support and career sustainability.”
The fellowship is made possible with support from Netflix, Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company, TAAF and Los Angeles County Department of Arts & Culture. It’s one of CAPE’s many talent development programs, which also include the CAPE Leaders Fellowship, the CAPE Animation Directors Accelerator, the CAPE Emerging Executives Committee, the CAPE Showrunners Incubator, and the Julia S. Gouw Short Film Challenge (co-presented with Janet Yang Productions) and the Beyond Japan Filmmaker program (in collaboration with Jetro).
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