2023 PROJECT MARKET: U.S. FEATURES IN DEVELOPMENT
The Gotham
DEADLINE / FEE: April 5, 2023 at 11:59 pm HT (Hawaii–Aleutian) / $60
INFO: A selection of 20+ fiction feature films at the script stage, U.S. Features in Development offers emerging and established filmmakers the opportunity to introduce new work in development to the Project Market’s attending industry professionals.
Over the course of the Project Market, selected filmmakers are invited to meet with hundreds of industry representatives from companies such as A24, Archer Gray, Kickstarter, IFC Films, MUBI, NEON, Park Pictures, Sony Pictures Classics, Sundance Institute, SFFilm, Topic Studios, WME, and more.
Years before these films made it to the big screen, they participated in the Project Market. Some notable alumni Include:
Ekwa Msangi’s Farewell Amor participated in the 2018 Project Market.
Christopher Makoto Yogi’s I Was a Simple Man participated in the 2015 Project Market.
Joe Talbot’s The Last Black Man in San Francisco participated in the 2015 Project Market.
Isabel Sandoval’s Lingua Franca participated in the 2016 Project Market.
Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight participated in the 2014 Project Market.
Lauren Hadaway’s The Novice participated in the 2018 Project Market.
Boots Riley’s Sorry to Bother You participated in the 2015 Project Market.
Carlo Mirabella-Davis’ Swallow participated in the 2018 Project Market.
Nikole Beckwith’s Together Together participated in the 2016 Project Market.
Robert Eggers’ The Witch participated in the 2013 Project Market.
HOW TO APPLY: If you are interested in submitting your film to participate in the Project Market, learn more about eligibility, application requirements, and materials below.
Please note that once you have begun your application, you will not be able to save and return to your application file. We strongly encourage filmmakers to prepare application materials before beginning the application for a seamless process.
ELIGIBILITY: Active Gotham Membership: To apply to the Project Market, you must be a member of The Gotham. If you are not currently a member, use the code GWPM23 for 15% off of your annual membership fee when you join at the Pro or Essential level. Pro members receive a submission fee waiver. Learn more and become a member.
U.S.-Based Filmmakers: To be eligible to submit your project for consideration, filmmakers must be U.S.-based, meaning U.S. citizens or living and working in the U.S.
APPLICATION MATERIALS:
To apply to the U.S. Features in Development, you must submit a completed, feature-length screenplay. Submitted screenplays do not need to be the final draft, but they must have a beginning, middle, and end. You may not submit a treatment for consideration.
In addition, submitted screenplays must be registered with the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA). The registration fee is $20 for the general public and $10 for WGA Members in good standing.
Submitted screenplays must be translated into English, however films that will be produced in a language other than English are eligible.
A complete application also includes:
Logline (25 words)
Synopsis (60 words)
Project Summary/Development Status Update (500 words)
Artistic Statement (500 words)
Personal Statement (500 words)
Biographies for the film’s core creative team (150 words)
Financial information about the project (such as total budget or financing in place)
Please note, submitted films are not required to have financing in place to be eligible.
thegotham.org/gotham-week/project-market/us-features/development/
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2023 My Time Fellowship
Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow
DEADLINE: April 10, 2023
APPLICATION FEE: $35
INFO: The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow is pleased to announce the 2023 My Time fellowship funded by the Sustainable Arts Foundation. Writers who are also parents of dependent children under the age of 18 are invited to apply. Work may be any literary genre: poetry, fiction, plays, memoir, screenplays, or nonfiction. The successful application will demonstrate literary merit and the likelihood of publication. Prior publication is not a requirement.
Two fellowship winners will receive a one-week residency to allow the recipient to focus completely on their work, at least one to be awarded to a Person of Color. A $500 stipend will be provided to cover childcare and/or travel costs. Each writer’s suite has a bedroom, private bathroom, separate writing space, and wireless internet. We provide uninterrupted writing time, a European-style gourmet dinner prepared five nights a week, and served in our community dining room, the camaraderie of other professional writers when you want it, and a community kitchen stocked with the basics for other meals.
Fellowship applications must be accompanied by a writing sample and a non-refundable $35 application fee. There is a limit of one submission per application. The submission period opens on Monday, January 30, 2023. The deadline is midnight CST on Monday, April 10, 2023. The winner will be announced no later than May 1, 2023. Residencies may be completed at any time during 2023. This may be extended up to twelve months for extenuating circumstances including COVID-19 concerns.
www.writerscolony.org/fellowships
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2023 NEW YORK CITY Film, Video and Digital Production Grant
Jerome Foundation
DEADLINE: April 13, 2023 by 5:00pm EST
INFO: Offered every two years, Jerome Foundation’s NYC Film, Video and Digital Production (NYC FVDP) grant providesNew York City-basedearly career filmdirectors, working in short and/or long form experimental, narrative, animation or documentary genres, or in any combination of theseforms, a production grant of up to $30,000 for all stages of production.
The NYC FVDP grant supports early career film directorswhose work takes creative risks in expanding, questioning, experimenting with or re-imagining film, video and digital production. Applicants must be film directorsin their 2nd–10thyear in the field, who have completed at least two short or feature-length films1, but do not have more than two feature-length films (running time of 50+ minutes or more) released and in distribution. This grant supports artists who embrace their roles as part of a larger community of artists and citizens, and consciously work with a sense of service, whether aesthetic, social or both.
The 2023 program supports film projects that will be in production between November 9, 2023 and April 10, 2025.This program does not fund retroactively: only costs incurred after the grant is awarded and a grant contract is signed will be supported. Grantees must accept all grant funds between November 9, 2023 and April 10, 2025, but are not expected to complete the project by April 2025.
Production grants are awarded to either individual film directors or co-directing teams applying jointly. Production grants are not for organizations. Funds are issued directly to the applicant filmdirector/sor to their single-member LLCs (if applicable). Applications cannot be accepted from, nor payments made to fiscal sponsors, management companies, producers, multi-owned or Partnership LLCs, S-Corps, consultants or 501(c)3 organizations .Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements outlined in the following:
ELIGIBILITY:
Eligible Applicants:
Are residents of one of the 5 boroughs of New York Citywho have been residents for at least one year at time of application and plan to be residents during the span of the grant period, through April 2025.
Jerome does not require citizenship, but does require residency and a social security number or ITIN number for tax purposes.
Applicants must file US federal taxes as a resident of New York City in 2022, 2023 and 2024;
And must bein residence in New York City for at least 183 days in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Current New York City artists who plan to relocate to Minnesota before the application deadline should apply in the Minnesota program. Please note, the Minnesota grant requirements and objectivesare different than those of the New York City program.
Are early career film directorswith at least 2 years, but no more than 10 years, of experience directing their own films orvideos, workingin documentary, narrative, experimental or animation, or any combination of these genres.
Jerome Foundation expansively frames the early career spectrum as film directors with at least a 2-year track record of directing and presenting their own projects (i.e.,not first-time directors)and with no more than 10 years of experience. Age is not a factor in determining eligibility or career status.
Mid-career or established artists from other fields who have recently shifted to film directing will not be considered early career. For example, a composer with a 10-year career in music who is now moving into film directing will not be considered an early career film director for the purposes of this grant.
The Foundation recognizes that career-paths can be non-linear or disrupted along the way. The Foundation additionally acknowledges that the number and types of opportunities afforded to directors may differ significantly based on discipline, race/ethnicity, class, gender, physical ability and geography among other factors. We also recognize that some directors may experience significant success and move past early career status well before their 10th year of practice.
If an applicant self-defines as an early career artist but has been making work for more than 10 years or has received significant support for multiple projects and/or does not “pass” the eligibility quiz, they should contact Jerome staff no later than March 31, 2023 to discuss before submitting an application.
Film directors who wish to discuss any aspect of their eligibility should contact Jerome program staff no later than March 31, 2023in advance of applying.
Have directed, released, screened and distributed no more than 2 feature-length films (running time of 50 minutes or more).
Are not at a point in their careers where they receive consistent development and production opportunities, commissions, awards, acclaim, commercial success, national or regional prizes for multiple projects, (are not mid-career or established film directors). In the eligibility quiz, there is a detailed listing of awards and prizes that impact eligibility for this grant.
Have directed, completed, released and screened at least two film projects, whether two short films, two feature-length filmsOR the combination of one short film and one feature film. Qualifying films are those for which the applicant is listed in the credits as the director, owns the copyright of the production and has artistic, budgetary and editorial control over the film. These works must have been publicly screened and not made while the applicant was in a degree-granting program.
Applicants are required to name 2 qualifying films as described above and provide the completion date, the public screening location or platform and links to the films. Public screening includes but is not limited to film festivals, presenting or community organizations, or in online screening platforms with a juried or curated selection process and/or through project grants. These works must be directed solely by the film director/s applying. Either of these qualifying films may be used as work samples, but applicants have the flexibility to use their other film work.
Public screening includes but is not limited to film festivals, presenting or community organizations, or in online screening platforms with a juried or curated selection process and/or through project grants.
Films that have been screened publicly only through a film director’s own platforms or through un-curated, “sign up” or “first come, first served” formats are not eligible. Film directors who are entirely self-presented and who have no additional support through grants, festivals, community or public screenings and/or competitive grants or prizes are not eligible.
The Foundation funds early career film directors who have created enough work to communicate who they areas makers, their unique style and original voice. This work must be directed solely by the film director/s applying.
Commercial, industrial work, PSAs, journalism, or music videos over which the film director does not have creative control cannot be used to confirm eligibility and cannot be the focus of a grant project or used for work samples. We understand the creative value of this work but, because of its nature, it does not provide panelists the opportunity to understand the filmdirector’s voice and vision.
Are the Director/s of the proposed film (i.e., own the copyright of the film, have artistic, budgetary, and editorial control and will be listed in the film credits as the director/s).
Only the director or a co-directing team who meet all eligibility requirements may apply.
Producers, cinematographers, screenwriters, editors, actors, or interdisciplinary artists, who are not also primarily film directors, are not eligible. For example, choreographers making a dance film or visual artists who incorporate video as part of an installation, technology-based projects, games or interactive work are not eligible for this grant.
Individual applicants must be the sole director of the proposed film. Films created with a co-director will not count towards eligibility and may not be used as work samples. Applicants will be required to affirm sole creation of all work samples
Co-directing applicants may not include individually created films or films co-directed with other artists not included in the application to establish eligibility. Co-directors submit a single application and will share the grant funds equally. To apply, all co-director applicants must meet all the eligibility requirements.
Co-directing applicants may not submit work samples directed individually or co-directed with anyone other than the co-applicant.Applicants will be required to affirm co-creation of all work samples.
Create new films that are innovative and/orthat take creative risksin expanding, questioning, experimenting with or re-imagining artistic forms.
Will have a film project in production between November 2023 and April 2025. Funds can be used to support all stages of production, but projects that are only in pre-production during the grant period should not apply in this round; projects that are primarily in post-production during the grant period are a lower funding priority.
Have completed or are compliant on all reporting requirements for any direct grant received from Jerome Foundation, including the Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship, Jerome@Camargo or a previous Film, Video or Digital Production grant.
Directors who have received a production grant through this program may not reapply for additional funding for the same film.
Directors who have received a NYC FVDP grant through this program may not apply for funding for a new film until the already-supported film is complete. A single film may not receive more than one grant from this program.
Jerome Hill Artist Fellows may not use this grant to support the same costs covered by the Fellowship fund
jeromefdn.org/new-york-city-film-video-and-digital-production-grant
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DIVERSE VOICES SCREENWRITING LAB
WeScreenplay
DEADLINE: April 15, 2023
INFO: Diverse Voices is a dynamic virtual screenwriting lab with a proven track record of helping elevate stories that are told from perspectives that are often underrepresented in film and TV 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.
A minimum of 4 winners will be selected to participate in this career-changing lab!
All readers for this lab 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. See some of our past WeScreenplay success stories.
wescreenplay.com/diverse-voices/
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Rhinebeck Residency
The Seventh Wave
DEADLINE: April 15, 2023
APPLICATION FEE: $0
INFO: Applications for The Seventh Wave’s 2023 Rhinebeck Residency are now open.
The residency, which is located in Rhinebeck, NY, is now a two-week artist residency open to four writers or artists. This is specifically for the artist or writer who is looking to work on a longer-length work, such as a chapbook, manuscript, film, or play. This is our longest-standing residency, and the property sits on 27 acres of wildness, providing an oasis of lush silence and creative space amid canopies of green and disappearing paths perfect for some natural inspiration. Known for, and as, The Crystal Cottage, our residents tend to congregate in the glass octagon attached to the side of the house, which offers incredible acoustics during rainstorms.
Held in the summer, the Rhinebeck Residency offers residents the opportunity to get a little lost. With 27 acres of disappearing paths, a wrap-around deck that faces west (think: sunsets), and a little glass greenhouse that provides for an acoustic environment that beckons the creative spirit, especially during rainfall. What used to be a three-day program designed to provide writers, artists, and creatives a physical interlude, is now a two-week artist residency catered toward the artist or writer working on a longer-length project, manuscript, or work.
2023 RESIDENCY: This residency will take place July 9-23 in the blues and greens of upstate NY. There is no cost to apply and no cost to attend; you just have to get yourself there + pitch in on a meal or two.
If shared meals, summer storms, and late-night chats on a wooden deck overlooking rolling hills call to your sensibilities as an artist, we want to hear from you. Those with larger projects and manuscripts are especially encouraged to apply.
Any questions, please feel free to reach out to us at residency@seventhwavemag.com anytime.
theseventhwave.co/rhinebeck-residency/
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RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT GRANT
Chicken & Egg Pictures
DEADLINE: April 24, 2023
INFO: The Chicken & Egg Pictures Research & Development Grant supports filmmakers from around the world who have directed at least two feature-length documentaries and are in the research & development stage of their next feature-length film. Each year, The Chicken & Egg Pictures Research & Development Grant will offer up to thirty (30) filmmaking teams a $10,000 USD grant for research or a $20,000 USD grant for development.
The Chicken & Egg Pictures Research & Development Grant is Chicken & Egg Pictures’ newest initiative born during our 2023-2025 Strategic Planning process. This new initiative supports directors with a track record while they ideate, think, plan, and write their next feature-length film. Unfortunately, it is well known that many filmmakers invest their personal resources into their first and second films, and continue to face challenges with funding when entering into the research & development stages of new projects. It is very hard to secure funding for a new project without significant sample material and yet it can be impossible to produce material without external funding. Responding to this particular challenge, The Chicken & Egg Pictures Research & Development Grant provides financial support to experienced directors during a filmmaking stage that has too often gone unpaid and unsupported.
Through The 2023 Chicken & Egg Pictures Research & Development Grant, up to 30 filmmaking teams will:
Receive a $10,000 USD grant for research or a $20,000 USD grant for development
Join our AlumNest community of supported filmmakers for further peer support, mentorship opportunities and deeper connections in the documentary film industry.
The 2023 Chicken & Egg Pictures Research & Development Grant is generously supported by Netflix.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Trust: This grant initiative is driven by our trust in filmmakers with an established track record. We look forward to working with them on new projects at a stage that is especially hard to fundraise for. We trust that applicants will make the best determination about which stage to apply to based on the information presented below.
Simplicity: We aim to keep The Chicken & Egg Pictures Research & Development Grant application as simple and straightforward as possible so that filmmakers are not burdened by the process. Some important things to note about the application:
The applications for the Research Grant vs. the Development Grant are not the same. Most of the questions are shared across both applications, but some questions are specific to each application.
Most questions are based on the Nonfiction Core Application 2.0. Some questions from the Core App have been simplified for inclusion in the Research Grant Application, in recognition of the very early stage of the project idea.
The application also includes some supplemental questions to help us gather the necessary information in this pilot year.
Deep listening: This new grant initiative was born through deeply listening to a wide range of stakeholders including filmmakers and field representatives who were interviewed during our 2023-2025 Strategic Planning process. We heard the need for being fully trusted with funding early on. We heard the need for more funding and less mentorship for experienced filmmakers and we also heard the need to be financially supported for time and space to think, research, and develop new ideas. In its pilot year, we are excited to continue practicing deep listening, and learning and adapting this new initiative as needed.
ELIGIBILITY:
In this pilot year, Chicken & Egg Pictures is accepting applications from filmmakers globally.
To be eligible for The 2023 Chicken & Egg Pictures Research & Development Grant,
your project must be directed or co-directed by a self-identified woman or non-binary filmmaker;
the eligible director (see above) must have directed at least two (2) completed feature-length documentary films (48 minutes or more). Note that short, series, new media works, branded content, or other cultural expressions are not eligible;
you must have the intention to develop and direct a feature-length (48 minutes or more) documentary/nonfiction film;
you do not need a fiscal sponsor in order to apply for the Research & Development Grant. However, if you are awarded, you must have a US fiscal sponsor, or be a 501(c)(3), in order to receive the funds.
Note for AlumNest filmmakers:
Chicken & Egg Pictures-supported filmmakers are eligible if they are working on new projects and meet all other eligibility criteria.
AlumNest filmmakers can seek research & development support for new projects which have not received prior research & development support from C&E through other grants/programs. (e.g. Chicken & Egg Award, Critical Issues Fund, etc).
you may only submit one application. You may not apply for more than one project, and the application must be for either the Research Grant OR Development Grant, not both categories.
You are NOT eligible if:
you haven’t directed at least two (2) completed feature-length nonfiction films (48 minutes or more);
your project for which you are applying for is a short or medium-length film;
your project has already received support by Chicken & Egg Pictures;
your project is a student film being produced in a graduate or undergraduate program;
your project is a series;
your project is a VR or interactive project;
your project is a fiction film.
For further details, please review the full list of FAQs at the end of this page. In the event of questions regarding our open call that are not addressed in the FAQs, you can reach out to us at research-development@chickeneggpics.org.
GRANT AMOUNT:
Each year, up to 30 filmmaking teams at advanced stages of their careers with feature-length projects in early stages of research & development will be awarded a total of $450,000 in grants. The 2023 Chicken & Egg Pictures Research & Development Grant will offer grants of $10,000 for projects in the research stage or grants of $20,000 for projects in the development stage.
Each grant will be disbursed in full at the beginning of the grant cycle (July 2023).
Note: The selection committee reserves the right to consider an application for another stage than the one applied to. In that case, the applicant will be contacted by the Chicken & Egg Pictures team and informed of the selection committee’s recommendation to be considered for the Research grant (if applied to Development grant) or for the Development grant (if applied to the Research grant) based on the content of the application.
EVALUATION CRITERIA:
The project idea and planned activities are feasible in terms of scope and timeline, and the grant will have an impact on advancing the project.
The director has access and connection to the story and articulates it clearly in the proposal.
The director has a body of prior work that exhibits artistry and compelling storytelling.
In alignment with our vision of an equitable and just world shaped by the power of documentary films, priority will be given to films that address equity and social justice, defined broadly by issues ranging from the global to the personal, and exploring a variety of artistic approaches (e.g. personal story, experimental, animated, essayistic, etc).
chickeneggpics.org/programs/#research-development-grant
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CALL FOR FILM SUBMISSIONS
Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival & Lecture Series
DEADLINES:
Regular Deadline: April 24, 2023
Final Deadline: May 22, 2023
INFO: Reel Sisters, the first Oscar Qualifying Film Festival for narrative shorts devoted to women filmmakers, is seeking films and web series directed, written or produced by women of color. Shorts, features, animation, works-in-progress, narratives, documentaries and experimental works are eligible. Filmmakers will have their original works viewed at the 24th Annual Reel Sisters Film Festival from October 21-23, 2021 in Brooklyn! Venues will be announced. Early bird Deadline: March 24, 2023.
AWARDS: Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival & Lecture Series will present cash awards to several category winners in our 2023 season! Winners of our Best Short ($1,000), Best Director ($500), Reel Sisters Best Spirit Award ($300) and Best Animation ($150) will be the recipients of the awards.
filmfreeway.com/ReelSistersoftheDiasporaFilmFestival
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Call for Applications: 2023 Works-in-Progress Lab
Cucalorus
DEADLINE: April 28, 2023
INFO: The Cucalorus Works-in-Progress (WiP) Lab supports social justice documentaries with a focus on expanding support for projects being directed by Black filmmakers. Co-designed and coordinated by Working Films, participating artists will receive feedback on their work-in-progress and explore audience engagement strategies through workshops, consultations, and community screenings during a residency at Cucalorus’ campus September 24th through Oct 1st, 2023.
Now in its fifteenth year, the Works-in-Progress Lab was launched in 2008 through a partnership between Working Films and Cucalorus. We will be accepting applications through April 28th, 2023!
PROGRAM, APPLICATION + RESIDENCY DETAILS:
Working Films and Cucalorus are teaming up again for the 2023 Works-in-Progress Lab. Selected filmmakers will come to Wilmington, NC – where Cucalorus and Working Films are based – for a weeklong residency which includes trainings, workshops and community engagement screenings. Participants should plan for arrival on Sunday, September 24th and departure Oct 1st, 2023. The lab begins on Monday, September 25th and runs through Saturday, Sept. 30th.
Filmmakers will spend time participating in workshops with the Working Films and Cucalorus teams. They will be joined by experienced documentary filmmaker mentors. Previous mentors include Byron Hurt, Natalie Bullock Brown, Jacqueline Olive, and Lana Garland. We create a tight knit atmosphere of peer support where the facilitators and mentors lead the cohort in giving one another feedback on their work in progress. Using Working Films’ 24 years of experience in creating impact campaigns for documentary films, we also spend time workshopping the distribution and impact strategies for participating films.
And finally, during residency week, filmmakers will have an opportunity to screen their work-in-progress footage with organizations and individuals who are working on the issues which their film addresses. These are intimate, closed door screenings. The audiences are change leaders, whose lived experiences and work align with the film content, who can provide valuable feedback for filmmakers as they continue to edit and plan for how their film can make an impact once it’s completed.
Filmmakers will also have down time to work on their edit, write, and relax or sight-see in downtown Wilmington and surrounding beaches. Previous cohorts have found the downtime creates the perfect opportunity to build lasting relationships and share experiences & learnings with their peers.
ELIGIBILITY:
The Cucalorus WiP lab serves diverse filmmakers with a focus on expanding support for Black directors making social issue documentaries. Films may be shorts, features, or episodic, but must be nonfiction. Films can be at any stage of development, but we find that filmmakers benefit most when they are in the production or post production phase of their project. We will need some sample footage to show at feedback screenings. This could be an assembly, sizzle reel, rough cut, or fine cut. It’s up to the filmmaker to decide what to show. The goal is to have these opportunities for feedback be of benefit to the director wherever they are in their process.
What’s Included:
Working Films and Cucalorus cover the following expenses for each selected director:
Round trip transportation to Wilmington, NC for the residency
Housing during the residency
Most meals during the residency
Airport transfer and most local transportation during the residency
Three years of all-access passes to Cucalorus Film Festival in November
Note: At this time we remain hopeful that we will be able to continue the WiP Lab in person as the schedule is presented above. We will certainly keep applicants updated if there are any adjustments to the current program details.
cucalorus.org/programs/works-in-progress-lab/
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REST RESIDENCY FOR SINGLE MOTHERS
The Old Knitting Factory
DEADLINE: April 30, 2023
INFO: The Old Knitting Factory exists to support single mothers and other twice-marginalized single parents. Here’s how you can apply for a retreat and support our work.
Applications are now open for a free one-week stay in the Old Knitting Factory’s residency space, including a cash stipend to apply to childcare costs. The residency is open to single mothers and other twice-marginalized single parents from anywhere in the world. Come enjoy the beauty and peace of Connemara, and take some time to rest and honor yourself and your children.
Inspired by the work of The Nap Ministry, adrienne maree brown’s Pleasure Activism, and The Mae House, I am offering it as a rest residency, meaning that you don’t have to be an artist to apply; you just have to be a single mom (or other twice-marginalized single parent) who could use some rest. And couldn’t we all?
RESIDENCY / STIPEND: You’ll have use of our residency space for any week of your choosing, and you are welcome to bring your children or not, as best suits your needs. The space features a double bed, fold-out single bed, futon, and pack-and-play crib. The resident will receive a €250 cash stipend toward childcare costs, to use at your discretion.
Please note: Travel costs are not included.
GUIDELINES: To apply, email us with a brief statement (up to 500 words, shorter is fine!) on why this residency would be useful to you and your children (whether they will come with you or stay with someone else while you rest).
oldknittingfactory.com/single-mother-retreats
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Academy Nicholl screenwriting competition
Academy of Motion Picture and Sciences
DEADLINE / FEE: May 1, 2023 by 11:59 pm / $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 2022, 192 fellowships totaling $4.81 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
Early entry fee of US$50 (by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on March 1) or regular deadline entry fee of US$65 (by 11:59 p.m. PT on April 3) or late deadline entry fee of US$90 (by 11:59 p.m. PT on May 1).
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 1, 2023.
REGISTER AND APPLY: Writers may create an online account at the Nicholl website at any time. When the competition opens each year, they should use that account to enter, following the links to the Log In page. The Nicholl website allows entrants to fill out the required online application form, submit a PDF version of their script and pay the entry fee with a credit or debit card. It also allows entrants to confirm receipt of their entry and to update their contact information at any time during the competition.
Only online applications will be accepted.
SCRIPT SUBMISSIONS: A single entrant or writing team may submit a maximum of ONE script in the 2023 year competition.
The script should be no shorter than 70 pages and no longer than 160 pages. The recommended length is 80 to 125 pages.
Writers must create an account at the Nicholl website to enter the competition. Script PDF must be uploaded and all other requirements met no later than 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on May 1, 2023.
HOW TO APPLY:
Register an online account (returning entrants should sign in to their existing one) to be able to:
Enter the competition (when open for submissions)
Verify that your entry has been processed into the competition
Update your contact information at any time
PAYMENT: The entry fee must be paid online via credit card or debit card.
THE COMPETITION: 5,526 entries were received in 2022. All scripts are read at least twice in the competition. About 10 percent are read a third time. About 5 percent of entries advance to the competition quarterfinals, about 2 percent advance to the semifinals and about 10-15 entries reach the finals.
READER COMMENTS: Brief reader comments for each entered script are available for purchase but are not required for entry.
Every screenplay entry will receive at least two comments and may receive as many as six, up to and including the Quarterfinal round. These comments are released on the date specified in the online application.
Not intended as comprehensive notes, these comments offer a peek at readers’ reactions to the entry.
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.