Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
DEADLINES / ENTRY FEES:
Regular: April 2, 2022 by 11:59pm PT / $65
Late: May 2, 2022 by 11:59pm PT / $90
INFO: Each year, the Academy Nicholl screenwriting competition awards up to five $35,000 fellowships to amateur screenwriters. To enter, submit a feature length screenplay and entry fee via the online application when the competition is open for submissions. Fellowship winners are invited to participate in awards week ceremonies and seminars, receive individualized Academy member mentorship and are expected to complete at least one original feature film screenplay during their Fellowship year.
QUALIFICATIONS: Up to five $35,000 fellowships are awarded each year to promising new screenwriters. From the program’s inception in 1986 through 2021, 186 fellowships totaling $4.78 million have been awarded.
FELLOWSHIP OBLIGATIONS:
Up to five fellows in the Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting competition will be invited to participate in awards week ceremonies and seminars in November.
Fellowship recipients will be expected to complete at least one original feature film screenplay during the fellowship year.
Fellowship payments will be made quarterly subject to satisfactory progress of the recipient’s work, as judged by the Academy Nicholl Fellowships Committee.
The Academy reserves the right to grant no awards if, in the opinion of the Academy Nicholl Fellowships Committee, no entry is of sufficient merit.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:
Original feature film screenplay (no shorter than 70 pages and no longer than 160 pages) in PDF format only
Completed online application form
Writers must create an account at the Nicholl website to enter the competition. PDF scripts must be uploaded and all other requirements met no later than 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on May 2, 2022.
JUDGING:
The first and quarterfinal rounds are judged by industry professionals who are not members of the Academy. The semifinal round is judged by Academy members drawn from across the spectrum of the motion picture industry. The finalist scripts are judged by the Academy Nicholl Committee.
To further the Academy’s commitment to encouraging and valuing diversity in the industry, the Nicholl Fellowships Program takes measures to ensure that our selection process is as fair as possible and without bias.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
All entrants will receive email notification of whether they've advanced to the Quarterfinals in early August. Semifinalist notifications are emailed in early September.
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DIVERSE VOICES SCREENWRITING LAB
WeScreenplay
DEADLINE: April 15, 2022
INFO: Diverse Voices is a dynamic screenwriting lab with a proven track record of helping move the needle for stories that are told from perspectives that are often underrepresented in Hollywood today. This includes writers of color, women writers, writers with disabilities, writers over 40, writers in the LGBTQ+ community, and any other voices that have historically been ignored by Hollywood.
All readers for this competition come from diverse backgrounds, and all entrants will receive a page of FREE written feedback on their script from their first round’s judge.
Over a dozen past winners have been signed, staffed, and optioned as a direct result of their Diverse Voices Lab meetings. Past finalists and winners have signed with companies including Heroes & Villains Entertainment, 3Arts, Zero Gravity, APA, ColorCreative, and more.
wescreenplay.com/diverse-voices/
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2022 BLACK LIST X WIF FEATURE RESIDENCY
The Black List / Women in Film
DEADLINE: April 17, 2022
INFO: The Black List and WIF will invite six promising non-professional screenwriters who are of underrepresented genders (women, NB/GNC, and/or trans, and others) to participate in a one year residency, kicking off with a long weekend intensive in the Los Angeles area on June 23-26, 2022. Over the kickoff, writers participating in the Residency will workshop one feature screenplay through one-on-one sessions with screenwriting mentors and in peer workshops.
Throughout the following 12 months, writers will be supported through additional events as well arranged meetings with representation, production companies, and fellow writers to elevate their projects and career trajectories. Participants should expect these events to be held in person in Los Angeles. Writers will also be invited to exclusive Black List and WIF events through the end of June 2023.
Writers can also submit their script directly through WIF.
The kickoff weekend of the Feature Residency is a residential program and accommodations will be provided for the kick-off. If you are accepted into the Residency, you will be required to board in the provided accommodations for the duration of the weekend. Please see below for details.
Participants must be able to provide proof of vaccination (including boosters per current CDC guidelines) and willing to test for COVID-19 infection prior to arriving at the in-person portion of the program.
BLACK LIST DEADLINES:
Submission Period Opens January 5, 2022
Evaluations Deadline (optional)* March 3, 2022
Submission Period Closes April 17, 2022
Short List Writers Notified April 18, 2022
Personal Statements Due April 25, 2022
Zoom Interviews May 16-17, 2022
Final Participants Notified May 18, 2022
Residency Begins (Virtually) June 14, 2022
Kick-off Session (Los Angeles) June 23-26, 2022
* In order for new script evaluations to qualify for consideration for the Residency, they must be purchased by midnight on the Evaluations Deadline. Please note, purchase of an evaluation is not required for consideration to participate in the Residency although we do strongly encourage that you have your script evaluated.
Applicants can apply through the Black List and/or WIF, however instructions are different for each platform.
THE SELECTION PROCESS: From the Black List submissions, up to 15 writers will be invited, based on the strength of their scripts, to submit a one-page personal statement and professional resume. These writers will also be potentially invited to interview. In addition, WIF will generate their own short list of 15 writers who submitted directly to WIF. From the total of those submissions, up to 6 writers will be selected by the Black List and WIF to participate in the Residency.
KICK-OFF ACCOMMODATIONS: For the kickoff weekend, ground transport to and from all Residency events, and accommodations (room and tax only)* will be provided by the Black List and WIF. Meals will also be provided. The kickoff weekend of the Residency is a residential program.
* If you are accepted into the Residency, you will be required to board in the provided accommodations for the duration of the kickoff weekend.
Accommodations will not be provided for Residency events outside of the kickoff weekend. If you are applying to the Residency and do not live in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, you will need to cover your own travel for the kick-off weekend and travel and accommodation expenses for any additional events.
blcklst.com/partnerships/opportunities/110
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ROUGH CUT RETREAT
Catapult Film Fund + True/False Film Fest
DEADLINE: April 29, 2022
INFO: At the height of summer, when filmmakers are neck-deep in the editing process, Rough Cut Retreat offers a one-of-a-kind mentorship experience. Launched in 2016, RCR unites nonfiction filmmakers and mentors in a creative, supportive, and engaged atmosphere. After months in an edit suite, filmmakers often lose perspective; this is a key moment for fresh eyes in a safe space – a focus group for filmmakers to diagnose what is and isn’t working with their film. When selecting projects, True/False and Catapult prioritize work that displays an ambitious, idiosyncratic approach to nonfiction storytelling. We especially encourage filmmakers and those who do not have established feedback networks to apply. Additionally, preference will be given to projects that have not already received significant institutional support. Chosen mentors are professionals who embody creativity and generosity of spirit.
TIMELINE + SPECIFICS:
Rough Cut Retreat will take place during the summer of July 23-28, 2022 at the Carey Institute for Global Good in Rensselaerville, New York.
5 nonfiction feature films will be chosen to participate, and 2 members from each filmmaking team may attend.
5 mentors, in addition to T/F and Catapult hosts, will be present at the event.
Domestic travel, lodging and food will be booked and covered for filmmaking teams; a modest travel stipend will be made available to teams traveling internationally.
SUBMISSION INFORMATION:
For consideration, fill out the application form below in full. Submissions should include two paragraphs describing your film and an online screener link of 5-10 minutes that best represents the project. Longer work samples will be considered at the jurors’ discretion. Note that the first 10 minutes of all entries will always be watched.
Only projects with a realistic projection of a sub two and a half hour cut by the retreat will be considered.
Projects will be notified of decision on or by June 3rd, 2022
If selected, a screener link of the film’s rough cut must be submitted by July 16th and a digital file (quicktime .mov, .mp4. or equivalent suitable for projection) must be provided by July 19th.
ACCESSIBILITY: Given the historic campus, some buildings require advanced notice to modify for accessibility. For more information and to request accommodations, please contact lindsey@truefalse.org