Netflix and The Queer Muslim Project have rolled out the third edition of the QueerFrames Screenwriting Lab, South Asia’s only incubator devoted to early‑career LGBTQIA+ writer‑directors. Housed at the intersection of creativity and advocacy, the Lab has become a safe, rigorously mentored space where queer storytellers craft bold, identity‑affirming scripts rooted in the region’s complex realities.

According to a Netflix press release, this year’s program will assemble eight writer‑directors from India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives and the wider South Asian diaspora. Over the next several months they will work with an impressive network of mentors—film‑makers such as Alankrita Shrivastava, Neeraj Ghaywan and Onir—who are celebrated for championing fearless, inclusive cinema.

Launched in 2023, QueerFrames began by nurturing ten Indian filmmakers through an intensive short‑film writing curriculum. In 2024 it evolved into a region‑wide script‑development lab for six projects. Across its first two editions the program supported 14 emerging voices and opened doors to global platforms: alumni have pitched at the 2025 European Film Market in Berlin, joined elite initiatives like TakeTen and Writers’ Ink, and stepped into professional writers’ rooms on shows such as ‘Black Warrant’.

Rafiul Alom Rahman, founder of The Queer Muslim Project, believes the Lab is slowly redrawing the contours of representation. “We’ve always wanted queer artists from under‑represented communities to lead their own narratives,” he said. “Partnering with Netflix for a third consecutive year allows us to deepen that commitment.”

For graduates such as Arvind Caulagi, the impact is personal and professional. “Regardless of our previous experience, no one felt left behind,” he recalled. “The Lab strengthened my writing muscles and gave me practical tools to break through creative roadblocks.” Fellow alumna Hina Siddiqui echoed that sentiment, praising the intersectional, inter‑generational cohort for its generosity and breadth of perspective: “Each week felt like an open masterclass in storytelling, equally useful in film, television or even gaming.”

Applications for the 2025 cohort opened on 10 June and close on 13 July. Selected fellows will receive tailored mentorship, peer‑to‑peer feedback, and industry introductions designed to accelerate their projects from script to screen. Netflix and The Queer Muslim Project hope this edition will not only widen the pipeline of queer talent but also seed a new canon of stories that reflect the full spectrum of South Asian life.