STOWE STORY LABS
DEADLINE: February 10, 2021
INFO: Stowe Story Labs is a nonprofit dedicated to helping emerging screenwriters, filmmakers, and creative producers get work made and seen. We look for people demonstrating talent and a good story worth developing, whether or not they have experience in film or TV. This application is for all of our 2021 programs. Details about our programs, schedule of programs, and template agendas can be found here under the tabs for "labs" and "retreats." Although we do charge for our programming, we work to keep the cost of programming as low as possible.
Application process
We have one application for all of our programs. On the application, you may rank the programs you are most interested in, but we will review your application for all slots and, if you are admitted, we will discuss with you which program might be best. You can choose "no preference" when applying. As we review material, we may reach out to ask follow up questions.
Fellowships and Scholarships
Although we rely on fees to operate, we do offer as much support to our participants as possible. We offer several fellowships to the Stowe Narrative Lab. Each fellowship has its own criteria and goals. At a minimum, the fellowships cover the fees for one participant to attend the Lab, as well as other benefits. Please check the website for information about each fellowship. We also offer dozens of partial scholarships to help ensure deserving applicants can attend our programs. There is not a separate application process for these opportunities. If interested in financial support, you will be steered to questions about these programs.
Fees and Other Notes
The fee to attend an in-person four-day Narrative Lab in 2021 will be $2,450. The fee to attend an in-person five-day writers' retreat will be $2,700. Fees include all content and most meals. Travel and lodging are separate, and lodging is offered through our lodging partners, who offer deep and meaningful discounts to participants (and most include breakfast ....).
We would prefer not to need to charge an application fee at all, but as a non-profit with limited funding, we need to cover the cost of reviewing and responding to applications. We have set the application fee as low as practicable to allow us to meaningfully process the applications without discouraging serious applicants.
Your application will not be complete until you pay the entry fee. After payment is processed you will receive a confirming email, which will also serve as your receipt. The Application fee is wholly non-refundable.
Given the uncertainty about the novel coronavirus, all programs could end up running remotely. Online program fees are not set for 2021.
Please note we do not provide feedback on projects through our submission process.
Please familiarize yourself with our programs and fellowships before applying.
As noted above, we look for talented people - regardless of experience or background - bringing us interesting stories, and we look especially for underrepresented voices.
SUBMISSION FEE: $42
https://writers.coverfly.com/competitions/view/stowelabsandretreats#about
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DIVERSE VOICES SCREENWRITING LAB
WeScreenplay
DEADLINES:
Early: Feb 15, 2021
Regular: Mar 15, 2021
Final: Apr 15, 2021
INFO: Diverse Voices is a screenplay competition and lab that strives to encourage stories that are told from perspectives that are often underrepresented in Hollywood today. This includes writers of color, womxn writers, writers with disabilities, writers over 40, writers in the LGBTQ+ community, and any other voices that have historically been ignored by Hollywood.
A couple of cool things about this program: since it started in 2015, Diverse Voices has raised over $35,000 for various nonprofit organizations and over a dozen past winners have been signed, staffed, and optioned. All readers for this competition come from diverse backgrounds, and all entrants will receive a page of written feedback on their script from their first round’s judge.
PRIZES: The Diverse Voices Lab is a one-of-a-kind lab experience. Those chosen for the lab will have a long weekend PACKED with workshops to hone their craft, mentorship calls with working writers, and general meetings with studio execs, literary reps, and more. It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for any emerging screenwriter.
Additionally, the winners get access to ongoing mentorship from WeScreenplay including an initial phone call, guidance for drafting query letters, research methods for finding the right representation, prep before big meetings, and strategic planning for next steps in their careers — all based on the writer’s specific goals.
JURY:
Talitha Watkins - Head of the Management for Issa Rae's company, ColorCreative
Charlie Swinbourne - Screenwriter focused on Deaf Culture
Jen Ray - Literary Manager at Heroes and Villains Entertainment
https://www.wescreenplay.com/diverse-voices/
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2021 Jerome Emerging Artist Residency - For MN & NYC Artists
The Anderson Center
DEADLINE: February 15, 2021, by 11:59pm CST.
INFO: The Anderson Center’s Jerome Emerging Artist Residency Program offers month-long residency-fellowships at Tower View to a cohort of early-career artists from Minnesota or one of the five boroughs of New York City for concentrated, uninterrupted creative time to advance their personal artistic goals and projects.
The program aims to meet the specific needs of emerging artists while welcoming them into a supportive and inspiring residency environment that empowers them to take risks, embrace challenges, and utilize unconventional approaches to problem-solving.
Thanks to support from the Jerome Foundation, selected emerging artists receive a $625/week artist stipend, documentation support, art-making resources, facilitation of community connections, lodging & studio space, a travel honorarium, groceries, and chef-prepared communal dinners.
Located at the historic Tower View estate, a venerable research-and-development lab for the arts rooted in an expansive natural setting, the program is an ideal fit for early-career artists whose work reveals a significant potential for cultural and community impact, is technically accomplished, engages diverse communities.
The Anderson Center’s goal is for connections participating artists make with one another, as well as connections made with other creatives and community members, to outlast the duration of their residency visit. The organization believes that the environment and resources of Tower View, along with an exchange of ideas across disciplines, can serve as a catalyst for new inspiration and innovative directions for the work emerging artists create while in residence.
APPLICATION FEE: $0
TO APPLY: Applications must be submitted on or before the deadline in order to be considered in the jury review period.
Jury review will take place in late February and early March. Applicants will be notified by March 4 at the latest as to the status of their application. A phone interview process with finalists will take place in late March following a second round of jury review. Selected artist residents, wait-list and runners-up will be notified by April 5, 2021.
Artists must be legal residents of Minnesota or one of the five boroughs of New York City to be eligible to apply. To be considered, eligible artists must submit an application through the Anderson Center’s online form via Submittable. Each artist in a collaborative / partnership / collective should submit their own application and then note in the materials they are applying as a group. Complete program details are below. Please contact Adam Wiltgen at 651-388-2009 x4 or adam@andersoncenter.org for any questions.
LOCATION: The Anderson Center campus is located on the 350-acre historic Tower View Estate, built by scientist & farmer Dr. Alexander Pierce Anderson between 1915 and 1921, on the western edge of Red Wing, Minnesota, and its buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Center features a large sculpture garden, and is adjacent to the Cannon Valley Trail, a 20-mile biking and walking trail that runs from Cannon Falls to Red Wing.
The Center is approximately 45 minutes southeast of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Transportation is provided between the Center and the Twin Cities airport on the first and last day of residencies only. Artist Residents that choose to drive will have access to private parking on the property.
The community of Red Wing, Minn., (pop. 16,000) is nestled amidst the scenic bluffs of the upper Mississippi River. The town is settled on the ancestral homelands of the Mdewakanton & Wapakute bands of the Dakota people. The City of Red Wing is named after Tatanka Mani (Walking Buffalo), a leader of the Mdewakanton Dakota in the upper Mississippi Valley who wore a ceremonial swan’s wing dyed in brilliant red. In 1815, Tatanka Mani and his people moved their village south to a place they called Khemnichan (Hill, Wood, & Water) in present-day downtown Red Wing. Euro-American immigrants who met him as they advanced into the region in the early nineteenth century came to know him and his village as “Red Wing.”
Since its settlement and eventual incorporation in 1857, Red Wing established itself as a center for agriculture, industry, tourism, medical care, technology, and the arts. The Red Wing Shoe Company and its iconic brands, in particular, continue to have a significant impact on the community’s economic, business, and community development climates. Natural resources abound with Red Wing's riverfront, winding paths through the majestic bluffs, bike trails, and 35 city parks. The Prairie Island Indian Community is located northwest of the city. Frontenac State Park is to the southeast on Lake Pepin. Minnesota State College Southeast Technical’s Red Wing campus is known for its string and brass instrument repair programs. The MN Dept. of Corrections also operates a large juvenile residential facility in Red Wing.
Other amenities include a destination bakery, a chocolate shop, coffee shops, restaurants, the flagship Red Wing Shoe Company store, Goodhue County Historical Society Museum, the Red Wing Stoneware & Pottery store, the Pottery Museum of Red Wing, a Duluth Trading store, the Red Wing Marine Museum, a Target, several pharmacies, a plant nursery & garden center, a Mayo Health System Hospital, a small independent bookstore, and a public library (the Center has arranged for residents to have access to a library card for their month at the Center)
Other key community stakeholders include the historic Sheldon Theatre, the Red Wing Arts Association, Red Wing YMCA, Red Wing Youth Outreach, Hispanic Outreach of Goodhue County, Red Wing Area Friends of Immigrants, Red Wing Area Women’s Art History Club, Live Healthy Red Wing, Artreach, Red Wing Artisan Collective, the Artist Sanctuary, Pier 55 Red Wing Area Seniors, Big Turn Music Festival, Red Wing AAUW, Red Wing Environmental Learning Center, Red Wing Girl Scouts, Red Wing Public Schools, Tower View Alternative School, and Universal Music Center, as well as several City boards, commissions, and departments.
ELIGIBILITY AND DEFINITION OF “EMERGING ARTIST”: While the Anderson Center’s general Artist Residency Program hosts artists with a wide range of talent and experience, the Jerome Emerging Artist Residency Program exclusively focuses on meeting the specific needs of artists who are in the early stages of their artistic development and career.
The Anderson Center defines an emerging artist as someone who has some evidence of professional achievement but has not yet a substantial record of accomplishment. These are the applicants who are practicing vocational artists but are not yet recognized as "established" by the artistic community (other artists, curators, producers, critics, and arts administrators).
The organization looks for artists whose work reveals a significant potential for cultural and community impact. These are artists who are uncompromising in their approach to creation and production, people who are not afraid to take risks, embrace challenges, and utilize unconventional approaches to problem-solving.
Degree-seeking students at the time of application, or during the grant period, are not eligible for a residency (including K-12, college, graduate or post graduate studies). Age is not a factor in determining emerging artist status.
Artists that are part of an artistic collective, partnership, or collaborative are welcome to apply! However, each artist should complete their own application form. Please note in the materials you submit that you are applying as group and wish to be reviewed by the jury as a collaborative.
Artists of all disciplines are eligible and are encouraged to apply. Artists must currently be legal residents of Minnesota or one of the five boroughs of New York City and have been residents for at least one year prior to the submission of an application. Applications must be submitted through the Anderson Center’s online webform via Submittable. The primary goal of eligible artists must be to generate new works, as opposed to remounting or re-interpreting existing works.
Further details from the Jerome Foundation on emerging artist eligibility requirements can be found here: https://www.jeromefdn.org/defining-early-career-emerging-artists
APPLICATION: A completed application form includes a brief artist statement, a work plan, an emerging artist statement, work samples, and a resume. Incomplete or late applications will not be reviewed by the panel. You may begin your application, leave and return as many times as necessary to complete the form PRIOR to clicking the submit button at the bottom of the completed form. Important: do not submit your application form until you are completely finished editing as your application will be finalized at that time.
The Artist Statement, provides an opportunity for you to share, in 100 words or less, a brief statement or summary about your current and future work.
The Work Plan is a 1-2 page Word or PDF document. Write about your work, yourself, and your current thinking about what you’d like to accomplish at the Anderson Center as clearly and concisely as possible. The document can be single-spaced.
An Emerging Artist Statement addresses, in 250 words or less, your status as an emerging artist or early-career artist. How would participating in this program impact or advance your practice as an emerging artist? In what ways would this program meet your needs as an emerging artist? Why is this residency important to this stage of your career path? How do you identify as an emerging artist?
Work Samples should be of recent work and should include:
For composers and musicians: 3 to 5 recordings
For visual artists: At least 5 images of work (300 dpi or larger)
For nonfiction and fiction writers: 10 pages of double-spaced prose
For playwrights & screenwriters: 10-page excerpt (does not need to be from the beginning)
For poets: 10 pages of poetry
For translators: 10 pages of translation and original text
For performance artists: 3 short videos excerpts of performances (no videos longer than 5 minutes)
For filmmakers: at least 3 short film clips (no videos longer than 5 minutes)
The Resume, CV, or Biographical Outline is a Word or PDF document that shows education, work experience, publications, awards, and any previous residency experience. 3 pages maximum.
DURATION OF RESIDENCY: The Anderson Center’s Jerome Emerging Artist Residency Program offers residencies-fellowships of two weeks or one month in August. Preference is given to those applying for month-long stays. August is the only month the Jerome Emerging Artist Residency Program takes place.
PROGRAM DETAILS:
Each artist-in-residence receives:
$625/week artist stipend
Travel honorarium ($550 for New Yorkers and $150 for Minnesotans)
$450 documentation budget (services for photography, video, audio, etc.)
Evening dinners are prepared and presented by the Anderson Center chef Monday through Friday. The chef also shops for meal items for artist residents, and residents are responsible for preparing their own breakfasts and lunches, and meals over the weekends.
There is also a housekeeper who cleans and maintains the historic facilities. Additional cleaning and sanitization measures are being taken during the pandemic to help ensure the health and safety of artists, staff, and the community.
ACCOMMODATIONS: Each resident is provided room, board, and workspace for the length of the residency period in the historic Tower View mansion. Visual artists are provided a 15' x 26' studio. Other workspaces on site include gas and electric kilns, a print studio (with a Vandercook 219 letterpress and a Charles Brand-like etching press), and an open-air metalsmith facility. Options for rehearsal and studio space are also available for musicians, composers, dancers and choreographers.
Residents have access to the many walking trails on campus and to the Cannon Valley Trail, which goes through the Anderson Center’s property. Bicycles are also provided. Residents have responded to many different aspects of the gorgeous Tower View campus through their work, including composers sampling natural sounds and visual artists harvesting plant materials to create site-specific natural inks.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: The program is set-up to minimize distractions and other obligations so that artists have every opportunity to fully focus on their work. However, the Anderson Center was one of the first artist residency programs in the country to require that residents give back to the local community and connect with area residents & organizations through community engagement activities.
Staff work with artists to facilitate and customize at least one hour of mutually beneficial exchange with the Red Wing community that helps foster connection and greater a sense of place.
Within the last few years, Anderson Center residents have connected with 12 schools in five area communities (ranging from elementary through college), 5 senior centers, 2 correctional or detention facilities, 7 community organizations serving children and families, and 8 community organizations serving adults. Residents have also engaged individuals from all walks of life through public workshops, events, discussions, and artful interventions.
During the pandemic, community engagement activities have safely and creatively continued in small group, outdoor, online or distance settings. Examples from the later half of 2020 include a writing exercise letter exchange with residents of a correctional facility, a poetry walk along a park trail, an outdoor natural dye workshop, a distanced reading/discussion with students of Tower View Alternative High School, and various public & private online interviews/discussions with community stakeholders.
PROGRAM MISSION & VALUES: The mission of the Anderson Center is to, in the unique and historic setting of Tower View, offer residencies in the arts, sciences, and humanities; provide a dynamic environment for the exchange of ideas; encourage the pursuit of creative and scholarly endeavors; and serve as a forum for significant contributions to society.
The Anderson Center Residency Program was set-up by a working poet to support other artists and continues to function by those with hands-on experience in the creative process. The organization seeks out feedback from residents each month in order to implement necessary changes as it works toward continual improvement of the program. Most importantly, staff trust artists to know what they need most to advance their individual practices. The Center does not dictate specific outcomes. Instead, the expectation is that the gift of time and space will generate significant advancements in residents' work. The Anderson Center trusts the artists to best use their time to benefit their own work and reach their own goals.
As an interdisciplinary arts organization, the Anderson Center embraces artists who are diverse in every way. Since its inception, the organization has intentionally worked with artists representing a wide range of disciplines, with the belief that the exchange of ideas is generative. The residency program supports artists from around the world, representing a wide range of cultures, races, sexual identities and genders. The Jerome Emerging Artist Residency Program exemplifies this diversity of identity and background for artists living in New York City and Minnesota. The Center strives to bring people and ideas together and operates with a spirit of welcome for all.
The Anderson Center aims to support work that is technically accomplished, conceptually rigorous and engages diverse communities. A goal of the Jerome Emerging Artist Residency Program in particular is to advance the practice of early-career artists that are uncompromising in their approach to creation and production, and whose work pushes boundaries and explores new creative territories.
SELECTION TIMELINE:
February 15, 2021 (11:59 p.m. CST) – application deadline
March 4, 2021 – Jury has selected Round 2 applications. All artists are notified of the status of their application
March 22, 2021 – Jury has selected finalists. Phone interviews with finalists begin.
April 4, 2021 – Final notification to selected artists, wait-list and runners-up
https://theandersoncenter.submittable.com/submit/174353/2021-jerome-emerging-artist-residency-for-mn-nyc-artists
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Universal Writers Program
Universal Studios
DEADLINE: February 21st, 2021, at 11:59pm
INFO: The Universal Writers Program identifies up-and-coming and experienced screenwriters with unique points of view that build upon the Studio’s commitment to telling stories and creating films that reflect the vast diversity of our audiences. The only feature film program sanctioned by the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW), the Program develops storytellers who organically incorporate multicultural and global perspectives in screenwriting.
The one-year paid program engages writers to create material for development consideration; however, concept development is not guaranteed. From pitch to final draft, writers are afforded creative guidance from executives, producers and designated creative consultants. In addition to penning two (2) feature-length scripts, writers participate in a curriculum designed to strengthen their creative and professional development, as well as overall knowledge of the Studio production process from pitch to premiere. The Program also provides access to agents, managers and various industry professionals through meetings and/or events.
Writers selected to participate in the Program are hired under a writing services agreement requiring an exclusive, full-time commitment of a minimum of 40 hours per week. Additionally, should a writer’s material be identified as potential development content, Universal Filmed Entertainment Group (UFEG) will have the option to extend the writer’s contract for a term of up to one additional year.
Applicants must be authorized to work legally in the United States and be at least twenty-one (21) years of age as of June 1, 2021. Entertainment industry experience is not required but strongly recommended. We encourage those applying to review the FAQs carefully as they are designed to guide applicants towards a strong submission.
Those applying must submit a complete application package, which includes the following items:
1. APPLICATION must be completed in its entirety. Incomplete applications will be disqualified.
2. ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY* that best reflects the writer’s distinct voice and cultural perspective. Submitted screenplays must: (1) Follow a three-act structure; (2) be between 90-120 pages in length; and (3) have a clear beginning, middle and end. Any scripts less than 90 pages or exceeding 120 pages will be disqualified. Scripts must be registered with the WGA prior to submission, and the applicant must be the sole writer and owner of all original material submitted. We are not able to accept screenplays written by multiple writers.
3. ORIGINAL TREATMENT* with wide audience appeal that is not based on the submitted original screenplay. Submitted treatments that are the basis for the submitted original screenplay will be disqualified. Submitted treatments must include the following elements and adhere to these formatting guidelines: (1) Title (2) WGA Registration Number (3) Logline (4) Brief key character descriptions (5) Three-act structure (6) Must not exceed five/5 pages (7) 1.5-inch line spacing (8) 1-inch margins all around (9) nothing smaller than an 11 font-size. Treatments that do not include such elements or that deviate from the above formatting guidelines will be disqualified.
Because all reads are blind, do not put your name on any page of the screenplay and treatment. Only provide the title and the WGA registration on the title page of both pieces of material.
Both the original screenplay and the original treatment can be in the following genres: action, adult comedy, drama, family, grounded sci-fi/horror. However, if selected for the Program writers may be assigned to write content that tonally matches the slates of UFEG’s various divisions including but not limited to Universal Pictures, and Focus Features. Additionally, material that is a hybrid of animation and live-action will be accepted, provided that the material is predominantly live action with only minimal animation.
*Although Universal Pictures and Focus Features have released films based on true stories, real people and/or pre-existing intellectual property, for the purposes of applying to this Program, submissions must be wholly original and fictional. Adaptations, biopics and screenplays based on real people, underlying materials or other pre-existing content are not eligible.(Please refer to the FAQs for more information.)
4. RELEASE FORMS must be completed, hand-signed, dated and uploaded in order for submissions to be accepted. Incomplete release forms will result in disqualification.
5. RÉSUMÉ outlining chronological paid employment history (may include entertainment and non-entertainment positions) and any writing-related honors/awards. Positions must have been held within the past 15 years (two pages or less). Only list compensated positions with the exception of entertainment industry internships and full-time volunteer work at non-profits. If listing writing projects, only include projects that were produced and/or optioned. The applicant’s résumé will provide us an understanding of his or her work history and insight into his or her individual life experiences.
6. PERSONAL ESSAY that articulates the applicant’s unique perspective and background as it relates to their storytelling. Must not exceed 750 words. Essay Topic: Share an impactful life experience that informs your perspective on diversity and inclusion and your unique voice as a writer.
7. LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION (Optional) from entertainment industry professionals who have read the applicant’s material and can comment on the applicant’s writing ability are strongly encouraged, but not required. Acceptable letters must be on business or personal letterhead, dated in the current calendar year and include the author’s title and/or industry affiliation. No more than two letters per application will be accepted. Letters must accompany the submission and may not be submitted separately via email or mail. Any recommendation letters emailed or mailed to the Program separate from the writer’s application will disqualify the application.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Applicant must be authorized to work legally in the United States. This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.
Minimum age of 21 as of June 1, 2021.
Applicant must be the sole writer and owner of any material submitted, which must be wholly original. Adaptations, biopics and screenplays based on real people or pre-existing materials are not eligible. Material written by more than one writer will not be accepted.
Any candidate who does not meet the aforementioned criteria will be disqualified.
https://www.universaltalentdevelopment.com/writers
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BLACK WRITERS IN FOCUS
Diverso
DEADLINE / FEE: February 21, 2021 ($20)
INFO: DIVERSO is a student-run film nonprofit dedicated to changing the face of entertainment by empowering the next generation of underrepresented storytellers.
In partnership with RIDEBACK (Aladdin, It, The LEGO Movies) and THE WRITERS GUILD FOUNDATION, we have created Black Writers in Focus: a paid internship program for Black student screenwriters.
Vetted by a rigorous committee of all Black readers, four talented students will spend ten weeks over the summer fine-tuning a writing sample with a personalized mentor, attending panels and classes with industry leaders, and learning from the best by shadowing in a writers' room.
Selected students will receive a $5,000 stipend to support a part-time commitment over 10 weeks. Interns are expected to make a 20-hour commitment each week. The internship program will be hosted virtually over the summer (June 7th - August 16th).
BENEFITS:
A 10-week, virtual, part-time internship program over the summer that includes:
$5000 stipend for each intern
Shadowing in writers’ rooms
Panels & Workshops from top industry leaders
Access to Diverso's vast professional network
Personalized mentorship to develop an industry-ready writing sample
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: Applicants must be Underrepresented writers currently enrolled in a university as an UNDERGRADUATE or GRADUATE student (2020 Winter Graduates are eligible). For eligibility and submissions information, please scroll down and read the Frequently Asked Questions portion.
Please ensure your submission has a cover sheet with only the TITLE of the screenplay. The author's name must NOT appear anywhere in the script in order to preserve anonymity in the judging process. Please specify genre when submitting material.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Who can submit?
Black student writers currently enrolled at an undergraduate or graduate institution whose script has not been optioned. Winter 2020 Graduates are also eligible. Screenwriters may not have earned more than $25,000 writing fictional work for film or television. The BWIF is intended to promote and assist amateur writers exclusively.
Who is considered "Black?"
In accordance to the US Census, Black or African American refers to a person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa, including Sub‐Saharan African entries (e.g., Kenyan; Nigerian) and Afro‐Caribbean entries (e.g., Haitian; Jamaican). This includes individuals of mixed heritage.
What's your refund/resubmission policy?
At this time, no refunds will be issued, please read all instructions before submitting. If you wish to submit a new/corrected draft, applicants will incur a second submission fee. Please reach out for assistance with this.
Can I submit with a writing partner?
No. Only solo writers may submit.
What does the entry fee cover?
The entry fee of $20/submission allows us a way to sustainably pay our professional, all-Black reader base.
What if I can't afford the entry fee?
We offer waivers to students who have difficulty affording the entry fee.
How long should my script be?
We accept submissions within the page count below for each category:
Does my script have to be centered around a Black narrative?
No. The script doesn't necessarily have to have anything to do with Black narratives as long as it's written by a Black student. Just give us your best work!
What if my script is optioned during the contest?
Your script will still be eligible. In fact, we encourage writers to continue marketing their scripts as they wait for their scripts to be evaluated.
Can I submit a script that was optioned in the past?
Any script that is NOT currently under option or contract can enter the contract. If a pre-existing option has expired, you are eligible to enter.
Can I send my script in another language than English?
You may enter the contest, but the script must be written in English so that our readers can read it. If a script has other languages in it as part of the plot, simply denote that the line will be spoken in another language using a parenthetical, e.g. (speaking in Spanish).
What scripts are accepted?
We accept feature scripts, original pilot scripts, and both half-hour and hour-long teleplays. Any script submitted must not be currently optioned at time of submission.
How many scripts may I submit?
Writers may submit a single draft of one script only per category (e.g. one pilot, one feature).
Why should my name and contact information not appear on my title page?
To ensure a meritocratic and anonymous judging process, we ask for the absence of a name and contact information. All your contact information can be found by us in your application.
Who is reading my script?
A variety of Black analysts with script-reading experience. This can range anywhere from executive assistants, professional readers, writers, and/or studio executives.
Are only digital scripts accepted?
Diverso is environmentally conscious and only accepts digital scripts in PDF format.
Is coverage provided?
We provide all who enter actionable feedback on their scripts from our industry readers.
How can I verify that my script has been submitted?
You will be notified by e-mail immediately after your script is submitted. If you have received a confirmation e-mail, your script is in our system and no further action is necessary. If you have not received a confirmation e-mail, please check your junk mailbox or filter. If the confirmation is not in either place, e-mail us at hello@dvrso.org for a copy of your confirmation. We will contact you if there is any technical issue with your file.
What genre is recommended?
There is no recommended genre. Scripts from all categories are accepted and will be evaluated according to the execution of the story, originality, and dialogue.
Can I submit images or accompanying documents along with my screenplay or teleplay?
No. The purpose of the contest is to judge the scripts based on the merit of the writing alone.
I don't live in the United States. May I enter?
Yes.
My script is based off a true story. May I submit?
Yes. However, unless the story is in the public domain, you must have the agreement and consent of the people represented in the script. In order to enter, you must be able to grant the rights to the story you wrote to a producer, should he/she want to option the script.
Securing the rights to the source material is the responsibility of the screenwriter. If you feel that the rights are available, you may certainly enter. Regrettably, we cannot offer any advice on whether or not the rights are available. We recommend that you consult an attorney if you plan to pursue the project, as the question regarding rights -- even life rights -- would eventually come up and need to be addressed prior to anyone's optioning of or buying the script.
Can my script be plagiarized?
Diverso and its partners, employees, and/or associated agents claim no ownership nor first right of option to any submitted original screenplay. All ownership and rights to the submitted scripts remain with the original rights holders until and unless other agreements are made.
In addition, all readers will sign confidentiality agreements to ensure that your work is protected.
https://writers.coverfly.com/competitions/view/black-writers-in-focus
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SCREENWRITING FELLOWSHIP
ScreenCraft
DEADLINES: February 28, 2021
INFO: Past ScreenCraft-winning writers have been hired by producers, optioned their projects to major studios, and signed with top representatives at CAA, WME, 3 Arts Entertainment, United Talent Agency, Anonymous Content, Paradigm Talent Agency, Untitled, ICM, Writ Large, Bellevue Productions, Romark Entertainment, Lit Entertainment and many others.
The chosen Fellowship recipients will receive ongoing professional support and a special trip to Los Angeles for meetings, mentorship and personal introductions to key entertainment studio executives, producers, literary managers and agents. To apply, simply submit your feature film script or original television script, along with an optional cover letter that expresses your vision and background as an emerging writer.
Apply now and join a thriving community of talented screenwriters with meaningful connections to industry mentors.
2020 Fellows will meet with the following Hollywood manager mentors:
Adam Kolbrenner, Lit Entertainment, renowned boutique literary management company known for such clients as Nicole Perlman, Aaron Guzikowski, Justin Marks, Greg Russo, Jonathan Mostow and many more
Kailey Marsh, Brillstein Entertainment Partners, the management company behind such stars as Brad Pitt, Amy Adams, Rachel Brosnahan, Rachel Weisz, Adam Sandler, Vin Diesel and many more
Ari Lubet, 3 Arts Entertainment, the management and production company behind such shows as Orange is the New Black, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Silicon Valley, Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock, The Mindy Project, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Saint George and more. Clients of 3 Arts Entertainment include such legends as Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Aziz Ansari, Maya Rudolph, Kevin Hart, Mindy Kaling, George Lopez, Matt LeBlanc, BJ Novak, James Franco, Charlie Day, and many more!
Scott Stoops, Good Fear, the management company behind such notable talent as Evan Daugherty, James Duval, Tiffany Dupont and Billy Brown
Jake Dellman, Verve Talent and Literary Agency, the agency behind many great writers, directors and actors as Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World), Greg Russo (Mortal Combat), Emily Carmichael (Pacific Rim: Uprising, Jurassic World 3) and many more!
Tracy Kopulsky, MXN Entertainment, the management company behind such celebrated filmmakers as Diablo Cody, Melina Matsoukas, Jesse Andrews and Amanda Marsalis
Alex Platis, Untitled Entertainment, the management company behind such stars as Jared Leto, Penelope Cruz and Naomi Watts
https://screencraft.org/fellowship/
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New Voices
Humanitas
DEADLINES / FEES:
Early Deadline: March 1, 2021 ($65)
Regular Deadline: April 1, 2021 ($75)
Extended Deadline: May 17, 2021 ($85)
INFO: In 2010, Executive Director Cathleen Young created NEW VOICES with the vision of discovering, developing and launching a new generation of talented writers under the mentorship of Hollywood showrunners and studio partners.
Every year, NEW VOICES selects up to six writers through a rigorous selection process. Candidates are asked to submit a script and participate in personal interviews. Once matched with a mentor, the writers have three months to further develop their script under their mentors’ supervision. After the script is honed, HUMANITAS sends it to a partnering studio or network executive. The winning writers are given recognition at the annual awards ceremony and are awarded with a $7,500 grant.
We are looking for well-written scripts with compelling stories and developed characters. Any genre is accepted as a 30-minute pilot, 60-minute pilot, or feature film screenplay. We accept only one application and script per year. To be eligible a TV writer can have experience up to and including "Executive Story Editor", and feature writers cannot have earned more than $25,000 writing fictional work for film.
TIMELINE
A SIGNATURE HUMANITAS NEW VOICES STORY MUST:
Challenge us to use our freedom to grow and develop.
Confront us with our individual responsibility.
Examine the consequences of our choices.
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
One original 30-minute pilot, 60-minute pilot, or feature film screenplay (name redacted)
Logline
Brief synopsis (1 paragraph)
Release form
Depending on what deadline you submit your entry by, there is a different fee to submit to NEW VOICES. Candidates will submit payment with their application.
If you are selected as a Semifinalist, you must prepare:
Letter of interest (1 page, double-spaced)
Resume (no more than 2 pages)
Bio (1 page, double-spaced)
https://www.humanitasprize.org/new-voices
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GENERAL SUBMISSIONS
Tulsa Review
DEADLINE: March 1, 2021
INFO: The Tulsa Review seeks bold, unique voices for publication in our annual journal. We accept submissions of any unpublished, short creative writing (such as poems, fiction, novel excerpts, creative nonfiction, one-act plays, and short screenplays) and visual artwork (such as photographs, illustrations, or digital images).
GUIDELINES:
Any writer or artist who is not a TCC student may submit their unpublished work as a General Submission.
Do not include your name on your manuscript or artwork. We read and judge submissions blindly.
Each submission in every category must be submitted individually.
Prose and poetry submissions must be in a .DOC, .DOCX, .RTF, or .TXT file format. Please use Times New Roman font, size 1
For fiction and nonfiction use double spaced lines. Do not exceed 7,500 words. Writers can submit up to 2 works in each genre.
Poets can submit up to 5 poems. Do not exceed 25-30 lines.
For drama, writers can submit up to 3 works.
Visual artwork must be submitted as a .PDF of less than 5 MB. (If your artwork is selected for publication, we will contact you for a higher-resolution image.) Artists can submit up to 5 pieces.
We encourage submissions to multiple genres.
Submissions are accepted year-round but are reviewed only during the spring semester.
Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but please let us know immediately if a work has been accepted for publication elsewhere.
When a submission is accepted for publication, Tulsa Review is given first-publication rights. (Rights revert to the author/artist after publication.)
TCC students, if you wish to submit to the TCC Student Writing Contest, please see the TCC Student Writing Contest Guidelines. If you are a TCC student submitting to a contest, there is no need to make a separate General Submission.
SUBMISSION FEE: $0
For each piece submit a short bio (no more than 30 words) to be included with publication. Feel free to include any social media information, or personal creative website in the bio. All contributors will be notified by April 1, 2021 whether their work has been accepted.
https://www.tulsaccreview.com/submit/
