ITP Alum Selected for CBS Writers Mentor Program

Tuesday, Oct 24, 2017

Group picture of the selected writers including ITP alum Krystal Banzon

Courtesy of CBS

Congratulations to ITP Alumna Krystal Banzon (seated front row left) for being selected as a CBS Writers for 2017-18 Mentoring Program!

Eight writers have been selected to participate in the initiative from CBS Entertainment Diversity and Inclusion.

CBS on Tuesday announced the eight writers selected to participate in its 2017-2018 Writers Mentoring Program. The CBS Entertainment Diversity and Inclusion initiative, now in its 14th year, provides mentorships, access and opportunity for writers.

This year’s participants, selected from a pool of 1,300 applicants, are: Ashley Charbonnet, Jovan Robinson, Naomi Iwamoto, Munis Rashid, April Shih, Krystal Banzon, Shuo Zhang and Gil Hizon.

The eight-month program pairs writers with an executive mentor who then helps them develop a new piece of material. Following the mentorship period, the writers participate in a 16-week workshop designed to teach them everything about the television business as well as provide them access to agents, managers, executives, showrunners and producers.

Krystal Banzon, drama writer

Banzon was raised in Fontana, California, by Filipino immigrant parents. She received a BA from Smith College in women’s studies, a master’s degree in new media from NYU Tisch and a Fulbright fellowship to study theater in the Philippines.