Emerging Voices Partnership
The Hallmark Mahogany / The Black List
DEADLINE: November 8, 2022
INFO: The Hallmark Mahogany x The Black List Emerging Voices Partnership is a new collaboration that will offer a WGA-minimum open script deal to one writer who has an aptitude and passion for telling authentic stories that reflect the Black experience in the spirit of such classic movies like LOVE & BASKETBALL, JUMPING THE BROOM, and LOVE JONES.
The selected writer will develop an original Mahogany teleplay that embraces the initiative and Mahogany card brand’s core pillars of community, love, sisterhood, faith, and purpose.
In addition to the open script deal, Crown Media will provide 50 writers with coupons for one free month of hosting and two evaluations on blcklst.com.
This opportunity is open to all writers who can organically and authentically capture the Black experience. Interested writers may submit a feature or pilot script, play, or musical to blcklst.com.
blcklst.com/partnerships/opportunities/125
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THE MINORITY REPORT 2023: A SCREENWRITING FELLOWSHIP
DIVERSO
DEADLINE: Extended to November 10, 2022
ENTRY FEE: $20 (Pilot + Feature)
INFO: The Minority Report is an industry-vetted fellowship program for the top diverse screenwriters enrolled in undergraduate or graduate educational institutions (Class of 2022 Graduates are eligible). Made by students, for students, it's the first-ever initiative of its kind.
The contest is sponsored by DIVERSO, a student-run film nonprofit dedicated to changing the face of entertainment by empowering the underrepresented storytellers of the next generation.
At DIVERSO, we believe that long-term, systemic change in Hollywood starts at the student level: providing underrepresented student groups with exposure, resources, and connections in Hollywood that they may not otherwise have access to.
We offer an extensive professional platform to break into entertainment by connecting our Minority Report Fellows with top companies/executives/mentors and providing individualized guidance and stipend for career development.
BENEFITS:
Each year, the Minority Report Fellowship program changes. Below, you'll find the benefits afforded to the Fellows over the last two seasons.
PREVIOUS SEASONS' BENEFITS:
1. Distribution to Agencies: The Minority Report was sent out to over a dozen agents and managers at different companies from Anonymous Content to Paradigm to United Talent Agency.
2. Virtual Panels with Top Industry Professionals:
The Daniels, EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
Shaka King, JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
Jessica Gao, RICK & MORTY
Amy Aniobi, INSECURE
JD Dillard, STARWARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
Dennis Liu, RAISING DION
3. General Meetings: Our fellows were set up on 5+ general meetings with executives from studios and production companies such as Plan B, 3Arts, Paramount, Universal, Big Beach, JuVee, Tornante, and more.
4. Mentorship: Fellows were matched with experienced writers in the industry based on their personalized style and experience. Mentors provided both career and script guidance. Last season's mentors included:
Charles Rogers, SEARCH PARTY
Charise Castro Smith, ENCANTO
Ifuoma Ofordire, LOVECRAFT COUNTRY
Industry Jury Members last season included:
Lee Daniels - Academy Award® Nominated Director, THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLLIDAY
Kemp Powers - Academy Award® Nominated Writer, SOUL, ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI
Tze Chun - Showrunner, GREMLINS
Moisés Zamora - Showrunner, SELENA
Alexander Hodge - Actor, INSECURE
Nava Mau - Actor, GENERATION
Sadé Grandberry - Actor, IMMORTAL
Yalda Uhls - Founding Director of the Center for Scholars & Storytellers, UCLA
Jo Jo Lam - Kodak Vision Award for Excellence in Cinematography, CEREMONY
writers.coverfly.com/competitions/view/the-minority-report
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Michael Collyer Memorial Fellowship in Screenwriting
Writers Guild Initiative / The Black List
DEADLINE: November 11, 2022
INFO: The Michael Collyer Memorial Fellowship in Screenwriting is a one-year fellowship that is awarded to an emerging screenwriter who intends to pursue a career in screenwriting. The winner receives a $10,000 stipend to write an original screenplay (not the script used to opt in to the fellowship) and is mentored during the course of the fellowship year by a prominent screenwriter. This program, now in its 15th year, is a partnership between the Writers Guild Initiative and the King Family Foundation, and this is its seventh year being hosted on blcklst.com.
The purpose of the fellowship is to provide an opportunity for an emerging screenwriter to develop an original screenplay and assist in transitioning into the professional world of screenwriting. The Writers Guild Initiative (WGI) is looking for diverse and unique voices, and for projects that are character driven and personal in nature. They are exclusively seeking feature films; no shorts or TV pilots at this time.
This year, the Black List will choose ten feature screenplays to send to the Writers Guild Initiative selection committee for consideration. The short list will be determined in early December, and the Fellowship recipient will be selected by WGI no later than January 30, 2023. The winner of this year’s Fellowship will be announced in Spring 2023.
Please keep in mind that, upon opting in, we will verify your age, so it does not benefit you to opt in if you are not within the age bracket of 18-25. Any writers who do not fit into the age requirements for this partnership will not be considered.
Additionally, please note that you will be writing a new script for this fellowship, not rewriting the script you submitted to this opportunity. The Michael Collyer Memorial Fellowship provides the opportunity to write an entirely new script with a mentor. The submitted script is used to show your writing skills, voice, etc. and the potential for wanting to hear more of the stories that you’d want to write.
blcklst.com/partnerships/opportunities/127
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WORKSPACE RESIDENCY FOR LGBTQ+ WRITERS
Velvet Park
DEADLINE: November 11, 2022 at 11:59pm
APPLICATION FEE: $25
INFO: Velvet Park invites writers to apply for a six-month workspace residency (January – June 2023). Please keep in mind that the studio space is 114 sq ft. – 14’ x 8’, with 12’ ceilings, large 6’ x 6’ window). The studio is located in Crown Heights in Brooklyn.
CHECKLIST:
Poets, submit up to 15 – 20 pages of poetry
Prose, 25 – 30 pages of prose
Screenplay/play script, provide 1 – 2 completed works
additional works accepted via url, to online portfolio or published works
CV/Resume
should reflect your artistic/creative accomplishments
2 references
1 professional reference, who can speak about your work and
1 personal reference, who can speak about you personally, your work ethic, values, and any other pertinent information about you.
provide names and contact; phone/email of these individuals (letters not required).
finalists’ references will be contacted by selection committee to speak about you.
velvetparkmedia.com/writers-residency-2023/
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Cassian Elwes Independent Screenwriting Fellowship
Sundance Institute / The Black List
DEADLINE: November 13, 2022
INFO: The Cassian Elwes Independent Screenwriting Fellowship is an annual program designed to encourage and identify new talent in the field of independent cinema by awarding one screenwriter each year with an all-expenses paid trip to the Sundance Film Festival and an opportunity to meet with producer Cassian Elwes (MUDBOUND, Lee Daniels' THE BUTLER, DALLAS BUYERS CLUB).
Unrepresented feature writers with an independent sensibility who have made less than $5,000 in aggregate in their film or television writing careers will be able to opt into consideration via the Black List website. At that time, the Black List will choose ten screenplays imbued with an independent spirit by unrepresented screenwriters, which will be sent on to Mr. Elwes for his consideration. Up to two fellowship recipients will be selected by Mr. Elwes by calendar year's end.
Evaluations purchased before midnight on October 13, 2022 will be guaranteed consideration. The Black List recommends—but does not require—that writers obtain at least one script evaluation for their hosted scripts, as the data from script evaluations inform the process by which the short list of writers is determined for this opportunity.
Though the Sundance 2023 Film Festival will take place both in person and online January 19-29, 2023, whether this year's Fellowship recipient(s) can travel to Park City, UT will depend on current CDC guidelines for preventing the spread of COVID-19. If COVID-19 continues to disrupt general travel and Festival schedules, then the Fellowship recipient(s) will receive a pass to the modified 2023 Sundance Film Festival and a stipend of $2,500. Additional events and meetings will be hosted with Mr. Elwes via Zoom. Fellowship finalists will be informed about the viability of traveling to Park City once they are selected.
blcklst.com/partnerships/opportunities/122
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Screening Internship (Winter-Spring 2023)
BlackStar Fest
DEADLINE: November 17, 2022
INFO: BlackStar is a filmmaker centric and POC-led organization that brings an intersectional analysis of race, gender and power into the work while providing high quality opportunities for artists and critics, and a thoughtfully curated experience for audiences. Founded to focus on the work of Black filmmakers (of the African diaspora), we are now dedicated to solidarity across artists and communities of color, including Black, Asian, Latinx, Arab, Native, and Indigenous while still centering anti-Black racism as core to our racial justice analysis.
POSITION DESCRIPTION:
These internships are designed to give students and emerging professionals insight into programming for an international film festival. Interns will assist programmers overseeing our six submission categories (Experimental, Music Video, Short Documentary, Feature Documentary, Short Narrative, and Feature Narrative) with all aspects of the programming process. Major responsibilities include screening submissions and detailed film evaluation via our online submission platform FilmFreeway. Interns will have access to private filmworks and must keep everything confidential. Flexible hours, at least 20 hours per week. Interns will be assigned one or two specific film categories. The dates of this internship are from January 9, 2023 to April 28, 2023. Upon successful completion of the internship, BlackStar offers college credit or a small stipend of $600 and a BlackStar 2023 festival pass.
SKILLS + QUALIFICATIONS:
Strong knowledge of and interest in film and media
Strong analytical skills
Good writing and communication skills
Excellent organizational skills
Ability to work independently viewing about 20 hours of film weekly
Ability to use Microsoft Word and Excel
Access to a laptop or desktop computer
Foreign language ability desirable
blackstarfest.org/opportunities/screening-internship-2023/
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Spring 2023 Mesa Refuge Residency
Mesa Refuge
DEADLINE: December 1, 2022
APPLICATION FEE: $50 (with possibility for fee waiver)
INFO: Mesa Refuge welcomes a diverse group of writers—both emerging and established—who define and/or offer solutions to the pressing issues of our time. Particularly, it is our priority to support writers, activists and artists “working at the edge,” in the areas of the environment, economic equity and social justice.
We welcome writers in all genres, including nonfiction, journalism, fiction, radio, film and others. Applicants will be contacted approximately 8-10 weeks after the application deadline, which is December 1, 2022.
We are a small nonprofit and our application fee of $50 helps underwrite the cost of application review. As an organization committed to equity, however, we do not want the application fee to be a barrier to apply. To request a fee waiver, please email us directly here.
mesarefuge.org/residencies/application/
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ELEVATE COLLECTIVE
Inevitable Foundation
DEADLINE: Rolling
APPLICATION FEE: $0
INFO: The Elevate Collective empowers mid- and upper-level disabled screenwriters with the mentorship, coaching and connections they need to level-up their careers.
FAQS:
Why did you create Elevate Collective?
Mid- and upper-level disabled screenwriters need targeted support, education, connections and financial resources—small to medium-sized actions that can have an outsized impact, especially in an industry that is mostly focused on supporting emerging talent. Based on the learnings from our Fellowship program, we wanted to support more disabled screenwriters and help them accelerate their careers, with an important emphasis on building community. For mid- and upper-level disabled writers, there are very few places to turn for this industry-specific support, which is why we created Elevate Collective.
What is the difference between the Elevate Collective and an Elevate Collective Award?
Elevate Collective is an ongoing community of disabled writers who can turn to each other for ongoing support, networking and camaraderie. The Collective is made up of Elevate Collective Award recipients, who have received one-time $5,000 grants that can be used for coaching, education, mentorship, work-from-home equipment and/or IP acquisition.
What does an Elevate Collective Award include?
Elevate Collective Members receive a $5,000 professional development grant, which can be used for career coaching, professional development script consultations, equipment and IP acquisition. Elevate Collective Members also have quarterly check-ins with the Inevitable Foundation team and regular events for members to meet their peers and build community with other disabled screenwriters.
Does Inevitable Foundation own the Intellectual Property (IP) that Elevate Collective Members acquire?
No. When Elevate Collective Members use Elevate Collective Awards to purchase IP, the Member is the right’s holder.
How long does an Elevate Collective Award last?
The financial benefits of an Elevate Collective Award must be used within six (6) months. However, Elevate Collective Members will continue to have access to events and community building opportunities indefinitely.
Can I apply for an Elevate Collective Award more than once?
Yes. If you receive an Elevate Collective Award, you are not permitted to apply again for one (1) calendar year, after which you may re-apply. Receiving an Elevate Collective Award once does not guarantee that you will selected in the future.
ELIGIBILITY:
What are your eligibility requirements?
General eligibility requirements:
Self-identifies as disabled.
18 years of age or older.
Currently pursuing a career in screenwriting.
Not enrolled in an accredited degree program.
Currently or previously has worked in the entertainment industry.
Applicants must also meet at least two (2) of the following criteria:
Has an agent or a manager
Member of the WGA, Animation Guild or equivalent union
Has sold a script, TV show, or pitch before
Has staffed on a tv show or received a writing credit on a movie
Has been or currently are in development with a major production company, studio, or network
APPLICATION PROCESS:
What information does the Application ask for?
The Application requires the following information:
Standard Demographic Information including race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.
Writer Questions (max 250 words each)
What have you accomplished in your career over the last two years?
What is the next level you want to achieve in your career
What are the biggest things in the way of you reaching that next level?
Why is disability representation important to you?
What projects are you currently working on?
List title, format, genre(s) and loglines.
Resume or CV