A Note from our Head of Programming

Four years ago, I was a member of Rickshaw’s very first Writer’s Room. Today, I’m proud to serve as its Head of Programming.

So, what happened in between?

After the Writer’s Room, I walked away with a script. I figured that was the end of it.

However, my room lead shared it with a friend. That friend passed it along to another filmmaker: someone like me, trying to make things happen.

A week later, I got a message:
“I’d love to help you make this. What do we have to do?”

That moment told me everything I needed to know:
Rickshaw is here to support us.

Whether it’s a shared script, an unexpected connection, or a crew built from the people you met in the room, Rickshaw proves that a strong creative community can make all the difference.

At a time when so many of us were waiting for permission from the big leagues, Rickshaw was quietly building a league of its own.

Three months after that message, we were in production. And the majority of the crew were filmmakers I met through Rickshaw.

Since then, I’ve seen it happen again and again: scripts finished, shorts made, careers launched, and collaborators found. That’s why I’m so excited for what’s ahead in Cycle 7.

This year’s slate celebrates our organization’s key pillars of guidance and community while also posing new questions for our filmmakers to get more specific with their stories, such as:

What’s the defining moment that sparked your script?

And if you were just given a camera and a couple of hours, where would your eye go?

All in all, we can’t wait for you to join us on this journey. And soon enough, we hope to be sitting in the Rickshaw together, talking movies and sharing perspectives.

Warmly,
Rohan Palla
Head of Programming

• The Writer’s Room: Shorts (NEW)

• The Writer’s Room: Features (NEW)

• The Shorts Program

• Fast Pass (NEW)