Starting a company out of activism for creative people, writers and storytellers is not a very common theme. However, Evette Vargas embodies this and seems to be doing a good job across the board as a successful storyteller and an advocate for underrepresented storytellers. Evette Vargas, an award-winning writer, producer, director, and mentor that The New York Times once tagged “Artist to Watch,” has undoubtedly made her mark in the entertainment industry.
From film to television, Evette Vargas has acquired a wide range of experience, knowledge, and expertise. With her achievements in the industry, she is paving the way for up-and-coming storytellers through her company, The Writers Room 5050 Foundation Inc. According to her, she never set out to own a company or anything remotely close. She just wanted to do her activism, fight for writers that aren’t getting their due credit, and change things for everyone positively. Life had other plans for her, and the Puerto Rican writer is making a significant impact.
Born in Bronx, New York, Evette Vargas understands what it means to rise from a background filled with struggle stories and a challenge to fit in. All of these shaped her into the woman she is today—taking giant strides with her creative gifts and helping others gain a strong footing in the industry. She never found it easy to fit in as a Latina growing up in the United States, and she went on different paths in a bid to find where her true calling was. She went to college and tried her hand at fashion and graphic design, but she was committed to storytelling, which influenced her decision to study film.
Since she took on filmmaking as a chosen career, she has excelled by leaps and bounds and has gotten her name into the credits of many notable productions, such as Lord of the Rings Trilogy and Fast and Furious. She has also created content for Madonna and Wu-Tang Clan and produced series for MTV, Amazon, DirectTV, and Bravo. Her first digital series, Dark Prophet, was written, produced, and directed by her; and it was nominated in two Emmy Awards categories. Evette has her creative hands in numerous productions with no signs of stopping anytime soon. She has also worked closely with some of the most gifted actors, such as Benedict Cumberbatch and many others, all of which have cemented her place as a top-tier filmmaker.
She founded The Writers Room 5050 to help upcoming writers become better. She also has the vision of fostering inclusion in the industry to allow writers from all walks of life to thrive regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, and skin color. “For over a decade, what started as a dream has morphed into a reality, and my activism led me to start my company by accident. I have fought for underrepresented storytellers, which include LGBTQAI+, BIPOC, Latinx, and women and fresh voices to have a strong place in the business,” she says. Evette has worked over the years to break barriers for underrepresented storytellers and filmmakers and is actively helping them secure a spot in the highly competitive world of filmmaking.
Learn more about Evette Vargas on her official Instagram page. Also, check out The Writers Room 5050 on the official website.
