CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Books at Berlinale
JAFTA / JAWS
INFO: The Jamaica Film and Television Association (JAFTA) and Jamaican Writers Society (JaWS) are encouraging Jamaican novelists and rights holders to apply to the Books at Berlinale international Open Call for the chance to have the novel paired with an international film producer and adapted into a film. This is a drive to diversify, to create more awareness of great Jamaican stories and to get those stories to the screen.
DEADLINE: December 3, 2020
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qTpxooT-GIgaxQryZBa6GAPLPg30B934/view
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THE 2020 MUSLIM LIST
The Black List / Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) / Pillars Fund
INFO: The Black List has partnered with the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) and Pillars Fund to create The Muslim List, highlighting the very best unproduced scripts written by at least one Muslim writer.
Filmmakers and content creators are invited to submit a script for consideration by uploading it to The Black List website during fall 2020. Submissions will be accepted until December 4, 2020. Feature film, one-hour, and half-hour original pilot submissions will be considered for this opportunity (no webseries, please.) Scripts from any genre are eligible for this partnership.
Writers selected for the Muslim List will be notified of their placement in January-February 2021, with a public announcement to follow.
DEADLINE: December 4, 2020
https://blcklst.com/partnerships/opportunities/87
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IndigiDocs
National Screen Institute (NSI)
INFO: NSI IndigiDocs is a two-phase, part-time online program offering customized training for Indigenous filmmakers who have an idea for a 10-minute documentary film.
During phase 1 starting in mid-February 2021, up to eight students attend an online, six-week boot camp to learn about writing, directing and producing a documentary film. Up to 12 hours each week will be spent in class and working on assignments. All students will have a market-ready film proposal at the end of boot camp. You will also be given a pass for the online Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival 2021.
In phase 2, a jury of senior-level industry representatives will choose up to four students to go into production and receive a cash award of up to $16K and approximately $10K of in-kind services. Mentors will be chosen to work with students as they take their films into production. Completed films have to be delivered no later than March 1, 2022 for broadcast on APTN.
Program partners have covered the tuition costs.
When does it take place?
Phase 1 (all students) – February 23 to April 1, 2021 (dates TBC) plus online attendance at Hot Docs in April/May 2021. Note: this is part-time and requires up to 12 hours per week.
Phase 2 (up to four students) – May 2021 to February 2022 with film delivery by March 1, 2022. Note: this is part-time. You will be focused on production and post-production and your hours are flexible to allow you to continue with your other life and work commitments.
Who are the NSI IndigiDocs faculty?
Lisa Meeches, Kaya Wheeler and Shane Belcourt. Read about the faculty.
APPLICATION FEE: $100 (non-refundable)
DEADLINE: December 15, 2020
https://nsi-canada.ca/courses/nsi-indigidocs/
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MDOCS Storytellers’ Institute Visiting Fellow
MDOCS Storytellers’ Institute
INFO: This hybrid artistic-academic experience combines the freedom and space to work on independent projects with the fulfillment of mentoring the next generation of practitioners in the beautiful setting of Saratoga Springs. The institute brings together professional artists, storytellers and documentarians (Visiting Fellows) with Skidmore College students, faculty, and staff members (Skidmore Fellows) in a month-long community organized around an annual theme. More than a residency, time is dedicated to independent work and Institute activities –– seminars, critique sessions, opportunities to share work with the public, networking events, skill-building workshops, and group outings ––– all related to the theme. We are multi-disciplinary and encourage non-fiction practitioners working in all mediums –– sound, painting, photography, sculpture, film, video, word, performance, installation, etc. –– to apply.
One of the highlights of the Institute is MDOCS Forum, a weekend-long conference combining festival presentations of artistic work with symposium-style conversations around the annual theme. Visiting Fellows will have the opportunity to present their work at Forum alongside an international group of makers, scholars, activists and students.
This year our theme is Co-Creation: Delights, Discontents & Dislocations –– This is a call to all collaborators, collectives and co-creators of knowledge! To those coming from activism, community organizing, and collective power building. To those willing to transgress artistic boundaries and academic disciplines in the urgent name of shared agency and more inclusive institutions!
The Institute runs from June 1 – July 2, 2021 on the Skidmore College campus in Saratoga Springs, NY. Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the 2021 Storytellers’ Institute may happen virtually. If you choose to apply, please be prepared for either a virtual or in-person Institute experience.
Requirements:
Applicants must have a non-fiction-based practice and propose a non-fiction-based project.
Because of this year’s theme, applicants must be members of collaborative teams that span artistic or academic mediums/disciplines, or single applicants who propose projects that are collaborations with other artists, communities or institutions.
Applicants must have an interest in teaching and learning.
Accepted Fellows are expected to fully engage with Institute events and be in residence for its duration (except for non-Forum weekends). If a Fellow is not in residence for the full Institute, their stipend will be reduced. Please take a look at the schedule from a past Storytellers’ Institute here and expect that the 2021 Institute will follow a similar schedule.
What you need to apply:
A completed application, which includes a work sample that demonstrates your experience in non-fiction creative work. This can be written word, video, photography, audio, performance, etc.
One letter of recommendation sent to storytellersinstitute@skidmore.edu before the deadline or your application will not be considered.
Fellowship includes:
Community and feedback from a renowned group of multidisciplinary artists/storytellers/documentarians
$2500 honorarium
Travel stipend of up to $500 (only if in person)
Public presentation/exhibition opportunities
Access to production equipment
Room and board for the duration of the Institute (only if in person)
Workspace access to Skidmore facilities (only if in person)
DEADLINE: December 15, 2020
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Impact x Netflix
INFO: Over the course of the next year, Impact will source projects globally across four film genres and then develop select projects chosen by Netflix using our accelerated development system. The next film genre will be Action-Comedies (application opening on December 15th).
Impact will host online open submissions through which writers of all levels from around the world can apply with a well-thought out idea and writing sample. Applications will be vetted via Impact’s review process before a subset of applicants are interviewed by Impact. From there, a group of finalists selected by Impact will have their proposed project presented to Netflix by the Impact team. If Netflix chooses to develop one or more projects, the writer of selected projects (“Creators”) will then sign a writing services agreement with Netflix and be paid the then-current minimum scale set forth in the Writers Guild of America Basic Agreement. Once signed, the writer will be paired by Impact with a Shaper (an experienced industry professional ) who will plan to meet with the writer twice weekly to offer non-writing consulting services, and the writer shall write and deliver a first draft to Netflix in 10 weeks or less in accordance with the signed writing agreement.
REQUIREMENTS: We encourage writers from all backgrounds and experiences to apply: from beginner writer to seasoned professional. You must be 18 years or older and legally capable of entering into the agreements required by the program.
The project you submit must meet the following requirements:
the project is an English language live action feature film with an intended length of 90-120 minutes
the project is entirely owned by you without encumbrances and there are no attachments to the project, including yourself in any non-writing capacity (e.g. as a director, star, etc.)
the project has not been previously owned or optioned by another party
APPLICATION OPENS: December 15, 2020
https://impactcreativesystems.com/netflix-faq
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2020 FICTION PODCAST CONTEST
Shore Scripts
INFO: Podcasts are kind of a big deal! Over 100 million people in USA listen to at least one Podcast a month and that rate is increasing by 20 million year on year. Fiction podcasts are taking a century’s worth of entertainment in radio plays and pushing the boundaries to tell stories in fresh and innovative ways, quickly becoming the fastest-growing sub-section of this booming industry. Many writers, including our Judges, have forged successful careers for themselves through Podcasts. Hollywood’s taking notice too! More and more of these shows are being adapted for Televsion: Homecoming, Limetown, Carrier, Left Right Game & LORE to name but a few.
The beauty of the fiction Podcast format is that it allows you as a writer to be completely free to tell the story you wish to tell, without having to factor in the budgetary constraints of filmmaking. Our Podcast Contest offers more in funding and prize money than any other.
In collaboration with our winning writers, Shore Scripts will produce both episodes, making use of our industry connections to find talented cast and crew. We will look to attach a named actor/actress to each episode to further elevate the show and draw in a larger audience. Once both episodes are live, we will contact commissioners in an attempt to greenlight the series. The writers have final say on all potential commissioning offers.
This is a great opportunity to get your work commissioned and voice heard in this ever-growing industry. You don’t even need to write an episode from scratch. Perhaps you have a screenplay, novel or stageplay that could be adapted to fit this medium. Read our How to Adapt my Screenplay into a Podcast for some pointers.
We accept screenplay, radio and stageplay format. Check out our Rules and FAQ’s for all the info.
AWARD:
Two winners will be chosen to have their pilot scripts produce, each with a budget of $5,000
Plus, each winner will also receive $1000 Cash!
DEADLINES:
Regular - December 18, 2020
Final - January 21, 2021
https://filmfreeway.com/ShoreScriptsFictionPodcastContest
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BIPOC Writers Fellowship: Adapting Books for the Screen
The Writers Room 5050
INFO: The Writers Room 5050 and Level 4 Press Present: The BIPOC Writers Fellowship, "Adapting Books for the Screen," beginning March 2021. In this 12-week fellowship, fellows will adapt a book into a feature film screenplay, receive mentorship from industry leaders, a stipend for participating, and more.
The fellowship will focus on adapting a book into a screenplay, the release of fictional feature films for theatrical, streaming, and television movies-of-the-week (MOWs). In the process, BIPOC writers will learn the highest industry standards for developing, writing, financing and producing an adapted feature film project. Each fellow will adapt one Level 4 Press book into a feature film screenplay.
The Writers Room 5050 and Level 4 Press are currently working with top executives, writers, representatives and guest speakers to provide mentorship, feedback, and firsthand industry knowledge.
The BIPOC Writers Fellowship includes but is not limited to:
A 12-week lab taking you from book-to-screenplay
Mentorship on creating and crafting your script
A $750 Writer Stipend to all participants and accepted writers
Expert development notes and assessments by industry professionals
A 'table read' with professional actors
Script Sales and Career Strategy instruction
Pitch deck and high-end marketing collateral created for the project
Live Industry Event to pitch your new script and meet high-end industry decision-makers
For those scripts optioned, setup or sold, there will be financial participation
REQUIREMENTS:
BIPOC Writer: Applicants must be of BIPOC heritage/ethnicity (Black, Indigenous, Person of Color)
Script Submission: Writers must submit a completed screenplay (90 to 120 pages) for consideration
Application Fee: An Early, Regular or Late application processing fee will apply.
Announcements:
Semi-Finalists: January 22, 2021
Finalists: February 5, 2021
Fellows Announced: February 19, 2021
Fellows Begins: Week of March 8, 2021
Fellowship Schedule:
Dates: Wednesdays, March 10th to May 26th, 2021
Time: 6pm to 9pm PST - (1 class per week, 3 hours per class)
Venue: Zoom
DEADLINES / SUBMISSION FEES:
Regular: December 18, 2020 / $50
Late: January 8, 2021 / $60
Payment Methods: PayPal, Venmo, Zelle
PayPal: send fee to username: Evette Vargas | email: evette@digital-reign.net | send as “Trusted”
Venmo: send fee to username: @Evette-Vargas | email: evette@digital-reign.net
Zelle: send fee to email: evette@writersroom5050.com
https://www.writersroom5050.com/fellowship-details
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Black Joy Film Festival 2021
INFO: The Black Joy Film Festival highlights diverse Black stories outside of the context of policing that are made for us by us. Our stories are the one forum where Black creators can aim to have control, so we are taking it.
February of 2021 will mark our debut year. We want you and your project to be involved! You are making our debut year possible and we are so excited to see the projects that you have been working on.
We understand change does not happen by staying comfortable or committing to the same tired images of Black life that play into our trauma. We are interested in film projects by Black creators for Black audiences. We are tired of the stereotypes and having to over explain ourselves, even in our storytelling. We are interested in your joys. Show us free.
ENTRY FEE: Submission fee is on a sliding scale of $5-$10
DEADLINE: December 24, 2020
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeUaWJk_cvOi9rE6NC-TV2GVdZXtUsPR--K_BQLnwE_YIdeAA/viewform
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Short Form Screenwriting Competition
TIGHT5
INFO: TIGHT5’s Short Form Screenwriting Competition is seeking a culturally diverse group of scribes to submit screenplays for short films under the length of 15 minutes.
The TIGHT5 concept is derived from the comedy realm. In order to expedite the submission process, a competitor’s initial submission can consist of a TIGHT5, only submitting the first 5 pages of their script (optional) in order to see if they advance to the 2nd round. Not only does this make the writer focus on making the story concise but operationally it will limit our first round judging team to reading only 5 pages to verify qualifying submissions.
The first competition will be available to writers of diverse backgrounds from the communities listed in the competition rules and will be centered around Short Films with a maximum length of 15 mins. We will use the one (1) minute per page as a general guide. There will be a max amount of credits a writer can have to participate in this first competition.
The 4 genres or categories accepted will be:
Sci-Fi
Thriller/Horror
Drama
Comedy
DEADLINES & FEES:
Regular - December 31, 2020 ($35.00)
Extended - January 15, 2021 ($45.00)
https://tight5.org/competition/short-form-screenwriting-competition-2020/
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SCRIPT SEARCH
Witchcraft Motion Picture Co.
INFO: Witchcraft is a development and production company birthed out of the collaboration between filmmaker Rod Blackhurst and producer Noah Lang.
We want to annually option (and produce) 1-3 genre films from under represented writers and communities.
Because we’ve had such a hard time getting to a point in our careers where we can actually make films we know are good, and worth making - we want to start figuring out how to the elevator back down. We want to help people who are marginalized and disenfranchised by a system that doesn’t glance their way.
Because of our experiences, and because we know that others have an even harder and more frustrating time, we want to find and option scripts from writers who traditional Hollywood gatekeepers and institutions don’t even know exist.
Because most importantly, we know that the best ideas traditionally come from the places where nobody is looking.
Side note. You should know that we LOVE films where genre is a tool used to trojan horse bigger ideas and commentary to audiences. Those are our favorite. Films that aren’t just genre films for the sake of being “genre”.
ELIGIBILITY
Applicants must be unknown or emerging writers from under represented communities. Under represented includes economically disadvantaged.
Applicants WITHOUT representation (agents or managers) or WITHOUT prior feature credits will be given preference.
Your script must be a finished and fully realized screenplay. We want to support writers with a clear voice and style - and a vision on the page that’s undeniable.
We plan/hope (submissions dependent) to option 1-3 new finished genre scripts (horror, science fiction, thriller, mystery, crime) per year. There are no submission deadlines. When you have something that’s ready, reach out. We’ll be here.
We’re also looking for screenwriters to hire for projects we’re developing so even if we don’t option your work, we may hire you anyway.
We recommend registering your script with the WGA before submitting so that you protect you intellectual property. This will cost you $25.
DEADLINE: N/A
https://www.witchcraftmotionpicturecompany.com/script-search
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WRITERS DISCOVERY FELLOWSHIP
Circle of Confusion
INFO: Circle of Confusion — a premiere management and production destination for exceptional actors, writers, directors, content creators, publishers and journalists — will establish an ongoing fellowship program to nurture and assist in accelerating the diversity of voices in our industry. Circle of Confusion’s core mission has always been discovery, and we have been fortunate enough to have identified and promoted many talented writers, directors, actors and creators from all walks of life. It is based on this tradition and fundamental strength of the company that Circle of Confusion is launching the program. The excitement of film and television has always been the joy that great storytelling brings to audiences around the globe. By promoting voices that have been historically excluded, the Fellowship will enrich both the professional lives of the Fellows and the dynamic quality of the entertainment industry.
THE FELLOWSHIP: Circle of Confusion will provide an immersive introductory experience to the world of professional screen and television writing to a diverse group of aspiring writers who have not yet been employed or represented by the industry. The Fellows will each be given a $10,000 stipend by way of a first look deal with Circle of Confusion Television Studios. Twice per year, the program will select six to eight writers for a six-month fellowship which closely replicates the writer-manager dynamic. Each Fellow will be assigned a mentor who will educate and guide them by way of script development, career advice, and support. While the Fellowship cannot guarantee the sale of the pilot or specific employment, by the end of each Fellowship session, each Fellow will have developed a submission-ready television pilot, been afforded multiple opportunities for industry networking, and generally equipped with the essential tools for their success as writers in the entertainment industry.
The Fellowship is open to applicants of all ethnicities, races, cultural backgrounds, gender identities, sexual orientations, and ages.
MENTORSHIP: Our mentors will include Circle of Confusion literary managers and other senior industry professionals, offering general business advice and script development within the duration of the Fellowship. In the first four months, each Fellow will develop an original pilot script with their dedicated mentor. The pilot scripts will be reviewed by the Fellowship’s Advisory Board (composed of established members of the film and television community with an expertise in content evaluation) and then submitted to relevant industry professionals, with the explicit goal of using the last two months of the Fellowship to arrange general one-on-one Zoom meetings with producers and executives. Throughout the entire Fellowship session, the mentor will be available to guide the Fellow through each step, assisting the Fellow in their development of writing and storytelling skills, pitching skills and navigating the meeting process.
PROGRAMMING: The Fellowship program will begin in March of 2021 and include informational panels, speakers and workshops with industry professionals. Additionally, Fellows will have the opportunity to participate in several practice/mock-general meetings in preparation for their final professional meetings.
Applicant Qualifications:
Have never worked or held representation in the entertainment industry as a writer
Must have two storytelling samples, with at least one being a pilot script draft to further develop alongside a mentor during the Fellowship
Application Materials:
Fellowship application
Personal statement
Brief questionnaire
Two samples of narrative storytelling (The development sample must be a pilot script. Other writing samples may include but are not limited to pilot scripts, feature screenplays, short stories, personal essays, produced short form content, slam poetry, plays, audio-drama scripts, etc.)
DEADLINE: January 5, 2020
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2020-2021 BLACK LIST & GOOGLE ASSISTANT STORYTELLING FELLOWSHIP
The Black List / Google Assistant
INFO: Up to five writers will receive $20,000 each for the purpose of supporting those writers for six months as they work to draft their new feature screenplays and/or teleplays. During the course of those six months, the Black List and Google Assistant will also pair each fellowship recipient with a screenwriting mentor.
Pitches should be contemporary in nature and avoid violence and/or illegal activity as the premise of the story. Completed scripts can include the natural helpfulness of technology in everyday life, but shouldn’t be focused around technology or from a dystopian view. At the end of the Fellowship, each recipient would provide Google with a copy of their new draft along with a report addressing how the grant has been used to advance their work.
THE SELECTION PROCESS
Opt-ins will be open until midnight on Friday, January 15, 2021. On Monday, January 18, 2021, up to 15 writers will be invited, based on the strength of their scripts as determined by the Black List, to submit a one-page personal statement and professional resume. Those materials will be due on Friday, January 22, 2020. From those submissions, up to five (5) writers will be selected by the Black List and Google Assistant to receive the 2020-2021 Storytelling Fellowship. Fellowship recipients will be notified in February 2021.
DEADLINE: January 15, 2021