Kari Mote

As the daughter of a Mexican immigrant who arrived in the U.S. as a child and a career wartime veteran, Kari’s lens is shaped by resilience, sacrifice, and survival. With her mom's schizophrenia and her dad's PTSD, her only inheritance was the generational trauma she weaves into her storytelling. Kari came into writing the long way around through weeding fields, working multiple jobs, and second shifts as an independent teen mom. She began writing in her forties, drawing on her lived experience of survival and silence. Breaking cycles is the beating HEART of her storytelling, and her Mexican heritage won’t allow her to rest on her laurels. Optioning her ancestor's sinister story to ITV Studios empowered Kari to craft gritty female roles while sharpening her skills under the mentorship of Randall Jahnson (The Doors). The foundation of mentorship has contributed to her success, with over 125 awards and accolades across all significant screenwriting competitions.  "Yolanda," previously titled "CRABS IN A MOTHER F*CKING BUCKET," is a Latine/Latinx, female-driven feature that has achieved significant success. It won Best Feature Screenplay at HollyShorts and was a semifinalist in the Academy Nicholl Fellowship. Kari was named an International Screenwriters Association's Top 25 Screenwriters to Watch in 2025, and she earned a coveted spot in the NHMC's 2025 Scriptwriters Program with her pilot "Crooked County."