Ben Mehlman & Filipe F. Coutinho

Ben and Filipe are screenwriters and filmmakers with an affinity for character-driven, inclusive, and commercial stories that bring neglected social issues to the fore. They are 2020 Black List Feature Lab alums, in which they were mentored 1-on-1 by Beau Willimon and Jack Thorne.

Their unique perspective is highlighted by their different backgrounds. Filipe immigrated from a small town in Portugal while Ben grew up in Connecticut. They have experience pitching and landing high-level pitches, as well as working in many genres and formats. They have projects in various stages of development, including a coming-of-age book adaptation, a Portuguese-based cerebral thriller, and an animated comedic satire. They are currently writing their newest feature, a high-concept spin on the police procedural. Over the past few years, their writing has gotten them several meetings across town. This includes Netflix, Lionsgate, Amazon, Hello Sunshine, Gunpowder & Sky, Jackal Group, FX, & Village Roadshow to name a few.

On top of film and TV experience, they also have years under their belts working as cultural forecasters and brand consultants. They analyzed everything in culture (be it pop, arts, politics, even financial markets) in order to create insights that were later sold to the company’s clients. They also have experience writing insights & long-form articles for various companies.