The fundamental ethos of the labs has worked in their favor — as well as that of the artists they serve. Since the labs’ inception over four decades ago, the filmmaking industry has changed rapidly, and access to both film-focused education and technology has expanded. But having a film school education or high-tech equipment neither increases nor decreases someone’s chances of becoming a fellow — they come to the labs to explore their own story and their artistry. It’s always been about process. “The point isn’t ‘polished;’ the point is to explore,” says August of the projects developed at the labs.
“You’re not trying to prove anything, you’re trying to explore something,” he continues. That exploratory nature helps to dispel any fears that fellows may harbor at the beginning of the labs. Just as August experienced impostor syndrome as a first-time creative advisor, many fellows inevitably come in nervous at the prospect of revealing personal projects to seasoned directors and writers. But August is quick to assuage any such worries. “It’s the safest place you can possibly enter into,” he says reassuringly. “You have a bunch of people who are there to help you out. It’s been fascinating working with some filmmakers who are coming from different domains, like, you know, painters and sculptors,” he continues.
Watching those artists thrive as they develop their own cinematic ideas is a thrilling and joyful experience shared by all advisors who volunteer their time to the labs year after year. “Obviously the fellows [have] gotten a lot of notes, they’ve got a lot of new things to think about, they’ve got new, exciting places to explore. But I think from the advisor’s point of view, if we’ve gotten to dip in and sort of creatively work on five different projects over the course of a few days, that’s really invigorating,” explains August. “It’s not taxing the way you think it would be. It’s actually really stimulating, and that’s been great.”
And that stimulation extends beyond the projects each advisor might be assigned to work with during the labs. “One of the great joys about being an advisor is that maybe you have four or five projects you’re meeting with the fellows on, but you’re in the advisors meeting and you’re hearing about all the other projects,” notes August. “You’re getting a sense of who the filmmakers are and what they’re trying to do.” When asked about a project he found particularly memorable in his 25 years of advising, August points to a title that he didn’t get to work on personally, but which stood out so clearly that its very presence at the labs left an indelible impression. That project was Swiss Army Man in 2014, written and directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert — otherwise known as The Daniels of Everything Everywhere All at Once fame. “It seemed just so absurd. It’s about a farting corpse!” recalls August with a smile. But as absurd as it was, the premise was something he’d never seen before. Swiss Army Man would go on to premiere at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic.
August is back as an advisor at the 2025 Screenwriters Lab, ready to inspire and be inspired once more. “I look at my role as an advisor to be kind of like your friend with a pickup truck,” he says. “And so I am there to help you move from where you were to where you want to be.” He’ll help the fellows carry their stories through a new door, he’ll offer suggestions about where to put their thematic furniture. “But it’s not my apartment,” he explains. “So I’m just there to help you, but I take no ownership over any of this stuff. If I can be a creative pickup truck, that’s a great function for me.”
