NYU unveils its 2025 selection for the Purple List, a top-tier showcase of screenplays ready for production, penned by graduates and recent alumni from the Tisch School of the Arts.
Four screenplays, chosen through a blind evaluation by experts in the field, are: “How I Learned to Die” penned by Manya Glassman, “Mandingo” written by Terrance Daye, “Punter” authored by Jason Adam Maselle, and “Sweetwater” crafted by Cassidy Batiz.
This version maintains the original structure while using more common phrasing that is easy to read.
Notable directors whose projects have appeared on previous versions of the Purple List, now in its 14th iteration, encompass Chloé Zhao (Nomadland, Eternals), Shaka King from Judas and the Black Messiah, Cathy Yan (Succession, Dead Pigs, Birds of Prey), Desiree Akhavan (Appropriate Behavior, The Miseducation of Cameron Post) and Laurel Parmet, director of The Starling Girl.
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Filmmakers who have been featured in past editions of the Purple List, now celebrating its 14th year, include Chloé Zhao (Nomadland, Eternals), Shaka King from Judas and the Black Messiah, Cathy Yan (Succession, Dead Pigs, Birds of Prey), Desiree Akhavan (Appropriate Behavior, The Miseducation of Cameron Post) and Laurel Parmet, known for her work on The Starling Girl.
In the past, 19 out of the 58 scripts initially showcased by founders Ashim Bhalla, Shandor Garrison, and faculty member John Tintori in 2012 have been developed into completed feature films. This year’s winners were chosen by a group consisting of producers, writers, directors (such as James Franco, Jennifer Lee, and Laura Terruso), and representatives from organizations like UTA, Brillstein, Paradigm, Gersh, Anonymous Content, Grandview, The Sundance Institute, The Gotham, Nine Stories, Cinetic Media, Sony, Roadside Attractions, Searchlight, and others.
Additional details about each of this year’s scripts, as supplied by the Purple List team, are presented below.
As a young reader, diving into “How I Learned to Die” by Manya Glassman, I found myself immersed in the life of 16-year-old Iris, who faces a daunting 60% chance of not surviving a risky operation. Instead of succumbing to despair, Iris embarks on an exhilarating quest to accomplish teenage milestones before her time might run out. This journey leads her to unexpected revelations about life and its unpredictable nature, as she navigates a world where contented endings are seldom promised.
In the year 2024, Glassman completed her Master of Fine Arts in film directing from NYU. One of her projects, a preliminary version of How I Learned to Die, was supervised by Spike Lee during this time. This short film has garnered her several awards, such as the title of Best Director in New England (2022) and the Audience Pick award at Flicker’s Rhode Island International Film Festival in 2021.
In the wake of a public scandal almost a decade ago, which shattered his family, ex-State Champion Wrestler Jafari Parks finds himself back in the tranquil Long Island suburbs of his youth, facing an unpredictable future alongside his loved ones.
Daye completed his education at Morehouse College and New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. His movie, “Ship: A Visual Poem,” received the 2020 Short Film Jury Award for U.S. Fiction at the Sundance Film Festival, and he has been recognized by NewFest, Outfest, The Wrap’s Shortlist Film festivals. Day has worked on projects for Netflix, Disney+, and BET+. “Mandingo” was one of the Top 10 selections in the 20204 AT&T Untold Stories Competition.
On Brett’s 14th birthday, he and his con artist dad, Harris, navigate a tumultuous day filled with perilous circumstances as they move through Johannesburg’s illicit betting scene. Their objective: place a last-chance bet on a horse race that could rescue their family from financial ruin. (By Jason Adam Maselle)
Maselle, a BAFTA-nominated filmmaker hailing from Johannesburg, is currently based in New York City. Following his studies at NYU’s graduate film program, his work has been showcased at various international and Oscar-eligible film festivals. His short film, titled ‘Punter’, was executive produced by Spike Lee and garnered awards at the Locarno Film Festival and the Austin Film Festival.
In a small Texas town, the last summer of Cassidy Batiz, a rural teenager, takes an unexpected turn when she believes she’s been victimized during a party at a friend’s ranch. As the child of a former rodeo star, she faces a challenging decision: should she seek justice, risking being shunned by her tightly-bound community?
Hailing from Dallas, Batiz is currently a resident of Brooklyn and an applicant for an MFA in film at NYU. As a versatile talent, she dons the hats of director, writer, and editor. Her short narrative film, Big Lot, has graced several national film festivals. Her upcoming documentary short, Metal Dad, secured the Alan Landsburg Documentary Production Award. The project Sweetwater has been chosen for the 2025 NYU Production Lab Feature Development Studio.
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2025-04-16 19:25