TV / DIGITAL SERIES — SEPTEMBER 2022

TV RETREAT & FELLOWSHIP

CineStory Foundation

DEADLINES & SUBMISSION FEES:

  • Late Deadline – September 5, 2022 ($81)

  • Extended Late Deadline – October 10, 2022 ($88)

INFO: The CineStory Foundation believes in helping writers find their voice. We’re entering a world in which the ways to tell stories are limitless. Those stories always begin with a blank page. Our goal with the Television Retreat is to educate writers about the unique world of TV storytelling, from the collaborative nature of writing for networks or streaming channels to the independent realm of creating and shooting series for the web.

Structured like the CineStory Feature Retreat, the CineStory Television Retreat takes place over three days in the beautiful mountains of Idyllwild, California. Attendees receive three one-on-one, one and a half hour sessions with CineStory mentors. During these sessions, mentors will give attendees feedback on improving the craft of the script(s) they submitted in advance and will also discuss with writers various aspects of the business of TV writing to help writers better understand TV writers’ various roles in the entertainment industry. 

TV writers also will experience what it’s like to sit in a professional writers room run by an experienced mentor.  In addition, mentors and writers will gather for meals, drinks, screenings, and other special events.

RETREAT DATES:

  • April 29 – May 2, 2023

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

  • Quarterfinalists – Early January

  • Semifinalists – Mid February

  • Finalists – Early March

  • Division Winners – Early April

  • Fellowship Winner – Mid April

TV DIVISIONS:

  • Original Drama – 1 hour series

  • Original Comedy – 30 minute series

  • Original Sci Fi/Fantasy – 1 hour series

  • Original Children/Family – 30 min series

Pilots only. For division details, please visit our TV Submissions page.

cinestory.org/retreat-fellowship-contests/tv-retreat-fellowship-contest/

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MACDOWELL FELLOWSHIP

MacDowell

DEADLINE: September 10, 2022 at 11:59pm EST*

PROCESSING FEE: $30

INFO: MacDowell is a fellowship and residency program for writers, visual artists, composers, filmmakers, playwrights, interdisciplinary artists, and architects. About 300 artists are awarded Fellowships each year and the sole criterion for acceptance is artistic excellence.

There are no residency fees. Need-based travel grants and stipends are available to open the residency experience to the broadest possible community of artists. Artists with professional standing in their fields, as well as emerging artists, are eligible to apply.

MacDowell encourages artists from all backgrounds and all countries in the following disciplines: architecture, film/video arts, interdisciplinary arts, literature, music composition, theatre, and visual arts. Any applicant whose proposed project does not fall clearly within one of these artistic disciplines should contact the admissions department for guidance. We aim to be inclusive, not exclusive in our admissions process.

MacDowell is currently accepting applications for the Spring Summer 2023 residency season (March - August 2023) and has suspended a longstanding admissions requirement that applicants supply reference letters as part of the application process.

macdowell.org/apply/apply-for-fellowship

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CANADIAN WOMEN ARTISTS’ AWARD

New York Foundation for the Arts / Canadian Women’s Club

DEADLINE: Extended to September 13, 2022

INFO: The Canadian Women Artists’ Award is a $5,000 cash grant open to Canadian women artists ages 25-40 in New York State. The CWAA is an unrestricted cash grant and can be used in any manner the recipient deems necessary to further their artistic goals. 

In 2022, CWC and NYFA will be awarding three (3) $5,000 awards, one in each of the following categories:

  1. Visual Arts: Painting, Photography, Craft/Sculpture, Printmaking/Drawing, or Interdisciplinary Work

  2. Media and Design: Video/Film, Experimental Sound, or Design

  3. Literary Arts: Poetry, Nonfiction, Fiction, or Playwriting/Screenwriting

ELIGIBILITY:

The Canadian Women Artists’ Award is open to Canadian women artists living in New York State who meet the following requirements:

  • Must be a Canadian citizen, and able to provide proof of citizenship with legal documentation upon receipt of the award.

  • Must be between the ages of 25 and 40 before the application deadline.

  • Must be a current resident of New York State.

  • Must apply in only one of the eligible discipline categories.

  • Must be the originators of the work.

  • Must not be a previous recipient of the Canadian Women Artists’ Award.

  • Must not be a NYFA employee, member of the NYFA Board of Trustees or Artists’ Advisory Committee, and/or an immediate family member of any of the previous.

Students in bachelor’s or master’s degree programs are eligible to apply.

ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT:

NYFA is committed to supporting artists from every background, and at all stages in their creative careers. We strongly encourage artists of color, LGBTQ+ artists, artists with disabilities, and artists living outside of the metropolitan area to apply.

To request an accommodation or assistance in applying, please email CWAA@nyfa.org. We ask that requests for accommodation be made as soon as possible, or by Tuesday, August 9, 2022, to allow adequate time for staff to support you in submitting an application before the deadline.

https://www.nyfa.org/awards-grants/canadian-women-artists-award/

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BPM OPEN CALL & INCUBATOR 2022-2023

Black Public Media

DEADLINE: September 26, 2022 by 11:59pm ET

INFO: Black Public Media's annual Open Call is our chance to celebrate the complexity of the Black experience through story. This year we will support projects in two key ways:  (1) production funding and (2) 360 Incubator+, a workshopping opportunity with peers in the field.

We are calling for broadcast length (1-2 hours) documentary and short (30 mins or less, nonfiction or scripted) projects that are currently in pre-production, production, or post-production and intended for public media distribution. We accept proposals for pilot episodes of a broadcast length or shorts limited series.  The limited series must be 3 to 5 episodes. We welcome a range of subjects, creative approaches and perspectives as long as the work promotes discourse and engages audiences around a critical social issue. However, we are especially interested in projects that address the following content priorities: Climate change, Environmental Justice, Health disparities, Art & Culture, Black history

FUNDING:

Projects will receive funding as follows:

  • One broadcast length project will receive up to $100,000.  

  • One shorts project will receive up to $50,000.  

  • In addition, five producing teams with broadcast length projects will be accepted into BPM's 360 Incubator+, a hybrid professional development program that culminates with PitchBlack, a pitching forum during which 360 Incubator+ fellows compete for up to $150,000 in production funding.

Please note that all Black Public Media (BPM) funding awards are licensing agreements for public media distribution.

ELIGIBILITY:

  • The applicant must (a) be the project’s producer or director, (b) be a US citizen, (c) have a minimum of three years professional producing and/or directing experience, or have a senior producer attached to the project;

  • Key creative personnel (producer, director, writer, or editor) must include a person of color;

  • The proposed content must be either a short (scripted or nonfiction) or broadcast length documentary for public media distribution;

  • The project must be completed within 36 months of receiving the award;

  • The applicant must hold artistic, budgetary and editorial control, and must own the copyright of the proposed project;

Projects or production entities that are foreign-based, owned or controlled are NOT eligible. Neither are industrial, promotional or student films.

Our deadlines are strict. We highly recommend that you start your application in plenty of time and "save" to complete your submission over time.  As soon as the application window closes, a panel of media professionals across the industry will evaluate the proposals in a two-tier review process.

REVIEW CRITERIA:

The review panel will evaluate each proposal using the following guidelines:

  • The subject/story meets BPM’s mission to engage audiences around a critical social issue.

  • The synopsis demonstrates a compelling narrative that is unique and original

  • The treatment clearly describes the creative approach (use of visuals and audio), structure, and style.

  • The team’s production experience will support the execution of the project

  • The budget and production timeline matches the scope of the project presented

  • The video sample demonstrates skill, creativity and ability of production team to execute the proposed project

  • The overall application is a professional proposal that demonstrates project readiness.

Each proposal will be scored using the guidelines above.  The highest scoring shorts and broadcast  projects will receive production funding to advance their project.  The second highest rated broadcast length projects will be accepted into the 360 Incubator+  and PitchBLACK, to further develop their proposal to pitch for funding.

Notification of Awards: DECEMBER 2022

Applicants will be notified if their project advances to the next stage. Additional materials may be requested at this point. Applicants who are being considered for the 360 Incubator+ will be required to do a brief interview. Once an acceptance is offered, the applicant has three days to confirm their participation. (See 360 Incubator+ schedule below.)

All funding awards and 360 Incubator+ acceptances will be announced in December 2022.

RIGHTS AND RELEASES:

Projects selected for funding will receive a BPM funding contract. The contract is not a grant but a licensing agreement in which BPM is granted exclusive or shared domestic public television distribution rights as well as the exclusive or shared right to package, schedule and promote the program through public broadcasting. BPM makes no expressed or implied commitment to financially support a project until an agreement is signed by both the applicant and BPM. As a condition of the funding contract, producers must agree to BPM's standard terms and conditions, including the following:

  • For broadcast projects, assignment to BPM of public television broadcast rights for four (4) years over national public television, off-air record rights, and internet streaming rights;

  • For web projects only, assignment to BPM of streaming rights for four (4) years;

  • Funding and/or Presentation credit to BPM and Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB);

  • Net revenues must be shared with BPM from the exercise of subsidiary or ancillary rights over a 15-year period;

  • Financial books and records related to the production must be maintained for three (3) years following the receipt of funds or net revenues by the producers.

Producers must comply with all equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination laws and policies, payola/plugola requirements and other applicable federal and state rules and regulations.

submissions.blackpublicmedia.org/submit

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Storyknife Writers Retreat

DEADLINE: September 30, 2022

APPLICATION FEE: $40

INFO: Storyknife provides women with the time and space to explore their craft without distraction. Every aspect of a residency at Storyknife is steeped in a profound generosity of spirit so that each writer knows she and her work are valuable. Storyknife residents carry away both this affirmation and a living community of women writers to assist their valuable work wherever they go.

Residencies at Storyknife in Homer, Alaska, are either for two or four weeks. Resident’s food and lodging is covered during the period of their residency, but travel to and from Homer, Alaska, is the responsibility of the resident. Residents stay in individual cabins & dine at the main house. An on-staff chef is responsible for food preparation.

Four week residencies begin on the 1st of each month and end on the 28th. Two week residencies begin on the 1st of each month and end on the 15th OR begin on the 15th and end on the 28th. Residencies are available April through October.

ELIGIBILITY:

Applicants must:

  • Be woman-identified

  • Be 21 years of age or older

  • Apply as an individual artist, not a collaborative group or team

You will provide a work sample and answer four questions (each answer 300 words or fewer).

  • How have you sought to educate yourself as a writer? (Formal education not a prerequisite, but evidence of curiosity and learning in your applicable genre is.)

  • What is your experience with publishing your work? (Publishing is not a prerequisite but is considered a goal for writers who attend Storyknife.)

  • What project will you pursue while in residency? (Please note that you will be free to work on whatever writing you wish during residency. We simply are interested in what you think you’ll be pursuing.)

  • Why would a writing residency benefit you at this time especially?

Work Sample Requirements:

  • Work samples should reflect work completed within the last two years. All work samples must be uploaded through Submittable. Written work samples will be uploaded directly within the application. 

  • Applicants can submit published or unpublished work samples. 

  • All work samples must be combined into one PDF file.

  • A writing sample not to exceed 10 pages (prose: double-spaced 12 point font, poetry: single-spaced 12 point font acceptable). Prose includes screenplays and stage plays which also must conform to the 10 page limit. 

  • Any writing samples with identifying material will be disqualified. Identifying material is your name, address, or publication credits. This only refers to the writing sample, not the answers to the questions. This is an anonymous jurying process.

Diversity

Storyknife is committed to diversity and elevating voices of historically excluded communities. We value all aspects of diversity and seek to make each resident’s time at Storyknife as productive and pleasant as possible.

Please contact executive director, Erin Hollowell, at ehollowell@storyknife.org to ask about accommodation or to speak further about your needs. Storyknife is welcoming to all and will work with you to meet your needs.

storyknife.org/how-to-apply/

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TV PILOT COMPETITION

ScreenCraft

DEADLINE: September 30, 2022

INFO: Our TV Competition has a history of getting writers signed, staffed, and have helped them land development deals for their own projects. It's one of our most successful competitions, period. Winners and finalists have signed with 3Arts, Management 360, CAA, Verve, Zero Gravity, and more.

MENTORS: This year’s mentors are three incredible showrunners: one comedy, one broadcast drama, and one premium cable drama. They have created and served as EP on shows like PEN15 and THE HANDMAID’S TALE, have overall deals with major studios like Universal, and have written for NBC, Netflix, and countless other streamers, networks, and series. Each of these mentors will select one Grand Prize writer to mentor. They will help their chosen writers develop their craft and guide them toward career success in their writing journey.

GRAND PRIZE WINNER:

3 Grand Prize winners will be selected for this year's competition. One by Anna Konkle (Pen15), one by Katherine Collins (Lost in Space, Handmaid's Tale), and one by Lisa Zwerling (The Rook, When We Rise, Betrayal). Each Grand Prize winner will receive from their respective mentor: a personalized round of notes, virtual meeting, and project development insight.

The Grand Prize Winners will also be welcomed to the ScreenCraft Writer Development Program and receive personal introductions and calls with one or more top Hollywood literary manager(s) who are looking for talented emerging TV writers.

ScreenCraft has a proven track record for getting writers signed with managers, agents, and staffed.

  • Personal Introduction to top literary managers, executives, or producers

  • Accepted into the ScreenCraft Development Program

  • $500 cash

  • An exclusive invitation to a Finalist only workshop to position yourself and your writing to the industry

RUNNER-UP PRIZES:

  • Written Feedback from a jury member

  • Accepted into ScreenCraft Development Program

  • An exclusive invitation to a Finalist only workshop to position yourself and your writing to the industry

screencraft.org/pilot/?fbclid=IwAR2-HH2ctD08NYwY1PhNdCDFtmc_3BeBQmRJYTncTcaLvHYiToJP8pNqUMY

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