Where the Story Begins

​Erik Jendresen (Band of Brothers) & Dana Stevens (The Woman King) on process, the craft of writing a compelling screenplay, and how new technologies can widen the horizons of storytelling.

​From Band of Brothers and Mission: Impossible to The Woman King, Erik Jendresen and Dana Stevens have written and produced stories for film and television, witnessing first-hand the profound changes in how those stories reach audiences.

​About the speakers

​Erik Jendresen is an author, playwright, screenwriter and producer. As lead writer and supervising producer of HBO's Band of Brothers, he received a Primetime Emmy Award. His credits also include National Geographic's Killing Lincoln and the last two Mission: Impossible films. Jendresen is also an advisor for the Sundance Screenwriters Lab.

​Dana Stevens has written several feature films, including The Woman King, working with directors such as Gina Prince-Bythewood, Sam Raimi and Michael Apted. She created and produced two seasons of ABC's What About Brian? and a season of Reckless for CBS. Stevens has long advised the Sundance Labs and has served on the Academy's Board of Governors. Her feature The Pink House is part of this year's Open Cities cohort.

​Part of the Open Cities Accelerator Residency in Cascais

​Free admission, subject to prior registration

​Language: English

​Duration: 2 hours

​About Open Cities

​Open Cities is an international film accelerator and production company developing a new model for ambitious independent filmmaking.

​Learn more at www.open-cities.com