Help María Fernanda Develop Her Screenplay (at a Residency)!

"Poetry is film's first cousin." — Nikky Finney

Hi Friends, Fellow Creatives, Lovers of Art, and Curious Public!

My screenplay and poetry were selected to be further developed in Greece! This step will help me learn from a specialized mentor whose work overlaps in the worlds of both poetry and feature film. The deadline is Saturday, August 30, 2025 to raise the money to attend the residency.

Why Now?

Up to this point, I have researched potential microgrant opportunities, however many required that the screenplay have a debut date attached to it. I started arranging table reads, however this creates additional costs or lands after the residency. Unfortunately, I have missed 2 residencies and 1 international speaking engagement due to costs alone. This time I am trying something different.

No r*ffles, sw*epstakes, give*ways, or pr*motions are offered in exchange for any donations made to this GoFundMe.

About the Artist

I am a full time artist who has managed to support herself and continues to create other paid opportunities for fellow artists and creative thinkers who contribute to local events and conversations in Washington, DC, Phoenix, AZ, and New York City, NY. I am writing this screenplay for a community impact.

Ways to Support

Donate

Please consider contributing to this campaign to be part of the journey of bringing this screenplay to life.

Share

I understand not being able to donate. If you can share this with a friend or otherwise widely, it would mean so much!

History of The Screenplay

2018

Started writing postcards to my friends, who only lived a neighborhood or two away because our schedules were so busy. I had collected postcards down the street at The Studio Museum in Harlem, NY where I lived.

2020

Inspired by the letters, I started brainstorming a concept for a literary project as either a collection of poems or a film.

2021

Wrote and presented this collection of poems at the Denton Black Film Festival in Texas. Dreaming of a potentially collaborative project, I began organizing a small group of local writers, including myself, to submit to the Creative Capital Awards. Unfortunately, our schedules did not line up and we, ultimately, did not submit.

2022

Received the opportunity to present this collection (see 2021) of poems in Nice, France for a conference honoring James Baldwin. While schedules did align, I did not have the funds to attend and missed this opportunity.

2024

Started to write a screenplay, inspired by my collection of poems, for fun with no expectations.

2025

A friend encouraged me to submit to a residency. After the France opportunity fell through, I was hesitant. When I learned the residency only offered opportunities to multidisciplinary artists, I submitted my raw screenplay. Nervously and curiously. I was incredibly surprised to learn that the screenplay was selected (for a Fall Residency)!