Pivoting from a stint in investment banking, BAFTA US Newcomer, Sarah Juma is fast cementing her place in the Los Angeles screenwriting scene.
Within three months of arriving in Los Angeles, the Nigerian-born New York-transplant she secured representation by landing award-winning producer and president of Bellevue Productions, producers of the Netflix film Eli, and Infinite on Paramount+, as her manager.
Landing a manager can be notoriously tough, it’s easy to see thread after thread on social media platforms of screenwriters asking and books dedicated to advising them how to cross this crucial bridge in their professional pathway. Sarah has some advice: “the biggest key to getting a manager is having a strong, unique voice which shows through a script that’s either a personal story of yours or imbued with values that resonate deeply with you; I wrote a TV pilot based on my time on Wall Street and the corporate politics which led to betrayal from a close work friend. When I pitch that project to people, I have a fluency that comes from it being my personal truth; I was a square peg in a round hole in banking and so that comes across in my protagonist’s awkward ambitiousness on the page. You also want to write something that people remember, so what’s a story that hasn’t been told or one you can bring a fresh perspective to? When I met my manager for the first time, it was an instant connection because my script stuck out among thousands he’d usually get sent; it was a matter of if I wanted to sign with him on the spot or not.” Months after this signing, she signed on with the prestigious boutique Kaplan Stahler Agency for representation in television projects.
“I also encourage screenwriters to also submit their work to contests if they’re confident in their storytelling. You never know what will sing to the judges, some of whom end up reaching out to talent they discover on the page.” Sarah can count a number of these successes which eventually led to a Coverfly endorsement and some life-changing industry meetings; she was Top 5 in the Shore Scripts Short Film Fund in 2020 which led to her short film Trinket, which she directed on her own, getting produced. She was subsequently selected by the British Academy of Film and Television (BAFTA) US committee for their highly selective Newcomers program as a member of the Screenwriting cohort. Other recent accolades include semi-finalist placements in the Disney DET Writing Program 2024, Shore Scripts Feature and quarterfinalist in the coveted Page International Screenwriting Award for TV Pilots. She is currently a linear TV programming coordinator at Warner Bros. Discovery.
Published by: Aly Cinco
