Pamela's Screenwriting Adventure at AFI!

Hello! I'm Pamela. I was accepted into the American Film Institute (AFI) Screenwriting program for Fall 2025!

I'm raising funds to attend the American Film Institute for the next two years.

Whilst at the Conservatory, I will not have enough time to sustain work, including a part-time job. I know what you're thinking - ‘major bummer, work is cool. Long live capitalism.' I'm with you. However, per the program requirements and alumni recommendations, my arms are tied.

Studies at AFI are rigorous. I’m told to be prepared to write 6-12 hours a day, attend classes, and/or be on set 5-7 days a week! Therefore, I’ll need to focus all my time on my life’s work and less on Big Brother. Womp womp.

For complete transparency, here’s what your donations will be going towards:

Groceries (~$250/mo)

Gas (~$210/mo)

Rent (~$1500/mo)

Utilities (~$150/mo)

Toiletries (~$150/mo)

Health Insurance (~$500/mo)

School supplies (~$1000)

Cup of Tea (~$5)

*These are estimates based on living in LA for the last three years. For my out of staters, yes, I know it is stupidly expensive.

Here are some facts about the Institute:

1. AFI is an international conservatory, accepting only 24 fellows in the world for each discipline every year.

2. In 2024, the acceptance rate for AFI was below 1%.

3. Ranked the top film school in America.

WHY SCREENWRITING:

In the summer of 2024, I was fortunate enough to spend 2.5 months in Europe and the UK. During my time away from loved ones and finally fulfilling 16-year-old Pamela’s dreams of going to Spain, I discovered my main purpose in my work is to garner connections and create stories that move people to empathize with others. I also wish to encourage others to view this life with eyes of compassion and a heart full of grace.

I want to tell stories about humanistic themes: grief, the performance of adulthood, long suffering, choice and free will, redemption, and culture, to name a few.

As a comedian, I love tricking an audience into believing they know what’s coming next, only to smack them with a line or scene that brings them to laughter or tears (bonus points for both). I seek to explore what makes us human, why, and how to further our experiences of life. Hayao Miyazaki said, “To love is to act in ways that inspire life.” I love telling stories and I’d like to use that passion to inspire life in others through screenwriting.

Modern writers, stories, and art that inspire me are Toni Morrison, Hayao Miyazaki, Andy Kaufman, Mosaics, and Kintsugi; The OA (2016), Coraline (2009), and The Lorax (2012). I love when several small pieces come together to create a complex message. My inspirations encourage conversation and beg the question, ‘How do I live a fulfilled life? How do I connect with others?’ The latter is a question of great importance at this time of my life in this particular state of the world.

WHY AFI:

At one point in my life I thought I was only a performer, part of the art itself. Now I find fulfillment in creating the art – welcome to the stage AFI. Not only is AFI a good film school, it’s considered THE film school. I was nearly an Olympian because I believe in the process that comes in reaching for the top, regardless of obtaining it. Which is why I’m reaching for the top now. AFI offers no guarantee for success as a screenwriter, but it does offer the refinement of skill required to tell the type of stories I’d like to share. AFI is my new gym. Hopefully there’ll be less blood and sweat.

Your help allows me to continue on this journey and make a huge step in my career. I appreciate you even glancing at this page. Every dollar helps!

This platform is outstanding for changing lives, although it is taxable.

If you wish to help out I encourage using other methods listed in my IG bio or, if you know me personally, please shoot me a text or call!

-P