BIFF is honored to welcome Neil LaBute as Chair of the 2026 Screenwriters Residency Program. Since his Sundance winning debut in “The company of Men” (1997, Aaron Eckhart, Matt Malloy), LaBute has built one of contemporary cinema and theater’s most fearless bodies of work including “Your friends & neighbors” (1998, Ben Stiller, Aaron Eckhart), “Possession” (2002, Gwyneth Paltrow, Aaron Eckhart), “The shape of things” (2003, Paul Rudd, Rachel Weisz), and the Tony nominated play “Reason to be pretty” (2009, Thomas Sadoski, Marin Ireland). His work is headed back to the big screen with an adaptation of his play “This is how it goes”, an upcoming Apple Original Film starring and directed by Idris Elba. This year, LaBute brings that same unflinching eye for character and dialogue to Harbour Island, where he will conduct an exciting case study for selected residency screenwriters.
Actors Who Have Brought LaBute’s Work to Life: Aaron Eckhart, Chris Rock, Danny Glover, Ellen Burstyn, Gwyneth Paltrow, Idris Elba, Kerry Washington, Kevin Hart, Morgan Freeman, Nicolas Cage, Paul Rudd, Peter Dinklage, Rachel Weisz, Renée Zellweger, Samuel L. Jackson, Stanley Tucci, Zoë Saldaña, Matthew Broderick, Alice Eve, Diane Kruger, Kate Bosworth, Justin Long and Maggie Q.
Notably, Danny Glover, Morgan Freeman, Nicolas Cage, and Zoë Saldaña have attended BIFF in years past. (BIFF)
