2026 WRITERS ROOM
Black Creatives Social Club
DEADLINE: November 2, 2025
INFO: Apply to join the next cohort of the Black Creatives Social Club Writers’ Room, an 8-week virtual program designed to help Black creatives develop their TV Pilots or Feature scripts through accountability, collaboration, and community. Join a community that’s forging the next generation of screenwriters telling their stories & creating their own opportunities!
REQUIREMENTS:
You must be 18+ to apply.
All applicants must be based in located in a state that is either East Coast (EST) or Midwest (CT).
All sessions are virtual and held in Eastern Standard Time (EST).
Cohort dates Tues, January 20th - Tues, March 10th from 7-9 PM EST (Subject to change)
You must have a logline + synopsis ready to be considered.
You must submit a writing sample to be considered.
All final cohort members will sign an NDA agreement to protect your intellectual property.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdWNoYxVSN7PBdfVI_NXyse9Q_x70YmAU_p92JAH_5ueklGWw/viewform
_____
WIF | THE BLACK LIST EPISODIC LAB 2026
Women In Film / The Black List
DEADLINE: November 3, 2025
INFO: Achieving equitable cultural representation within our media narratives requires a representative number of skilled storytellers. The Episodic Lab, held in partnership with key collaborator and industry benchmarker The Black List, is designed to equip new television writers with the knowledge to build and sustain their careers. This program provides participants with support in craft, professional development, and networking toward advancing their livelihoods.
The Episodic Lab selects six to eight TV writers each year and runs for four weeks, with sessions including script development, pitching, a mock writers’ room, and roundtables with established writers and industry executives. Additionally, throughout the year, participants attend events and screenings that further expose them to the realities of life as professional writers.
Episodic Lab advisors and master class teachers have included writers from series including “Grey’s Anatomy,””Ted Lasso,”“Mr. and Mrs. Smith,””P Valley,”“Mindhunter,””High Potential,””The Vampire Diares,””The Walking Dead,””Outer Range,””Loot,””Snowfall,””Reboot, ””Chucky,” and many more.
All participants of the 2026 Episodic Lab will also become 2026 WIF Fellows, receiving an additional year of support.
EPISODIC LAB REQUIREMENTS:
IMPORTANT: Please note that applicants can apply through either WIF or The Black List, however, instructions are different for each platform.
To be eligible to apply through WIF:
You must be the sole and exclusive author of the television pilot submitted for consideration. Writing teams are eligible.
You cannot have received more than $25K in aggregate to date as compensation for television writing work.
You must be based in Los Angeles.
You must be available for in-person evening and weekend sessions during the month of March 2026.
WIF members can apply for membership rates, and non-members can apply for $40 per application.
Through WIF, applicants can submit up to three scripts. Each script must be submitted through its own application, so fees and/or waivers are applicable per script.
IMPORTANT DATES:
November 3, 2025 – Applications close
January 16, 2026 – Short list applicants notified of status
Week of February 9, 2026 – Interviews
Week of February 16, 2026 – All applicants notified of status
March 3, 2026 — Episodic Lab begins
If you’d like to review the application before applying, you can find a PDF version linked here.
For Black List instructions or any other Black List questions, please click here or contact SUPPORT@BLCKLST.COM.
womeninfilm.org/programs/writing/
_____
JULIA S. GOUW SHORT FILM CHALLENGE
CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) / Janet Yang Productions
DEADLINE: November 7, 2025 at 11:59pm PT
APPLICATION FEE: $25
INFO: In 2022, CAPE joined forces with Janet Yang Productions to form the Julia S. Gouw Short Film Challenge to provide short film production grants to four filmmakers in an effort to support Asian and Pacific Islander Women and Non-Binary filmmakers and their stories. The grant is supported and named after philanthropist Julia S. Gouw with additional support from Asian Women Leadership in Philanthropy Fund.
Four grantees are provided with a grant of $25K USD each as well as additional resources to make their short film possible. In addition, the grantees will be offered unparalleled networking opportunities with Emmy Award- and Golden Globe-winning Hollywood producer Janet Yang and the CAPE network as well as access to high-level industry professionals including agents, managers, producers and studio executives and more. The 2025 to 2026 submission cycle with mark a 5 year milestone of the Challenge.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Your work and and your script should be consistent with CAPE’s mission to champion diversity by educating, empowering, and connecting Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander artists and leaders in entertainment.
Your short film script must feature an Asian or Pacific Islander (Native Hawaiian, Maori, and Pasifika included) female or non-binary protagonist (regardless of age).
Your project may have co-writer(s) and/or co-director(s). However, as the applicant, you must have written the submitted script and must plan to direct the funded short film.
You must be at least 18 years old or older to apply.
You may submit multiple scripts, but each will require a separate application and $25 processing fee each.
Applicants must be authorized to work and have ability to accept paid work in the United States. CAPE does not sponsor or assist with visas or immigration.
Your script must be 15 pages maximum (not including title page).
Your script must be in PDF format and in industry format.
For the application, scripts must be written in English and/or translated in English (if other languages are used).
Narrative live-action and / or animated short film scripts will both be accepted.
Your script must not contain any identifying information (name, email, rep information) on any pages. You may include WGA or copyright registration numbers if you wish, but it is not necessary. Generic watermarks such as “CAPE/JYP” are also allowed.
Your script must be original and you must own all rights to the script free and clear.
Your script must not be under an option and you must have sole authority over changes to the script.
If your short film is at any stage of production, principal photography must not have started before December 9, 2024.
ADDITIONAL PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS:
If awarded the grant, you must produce a short film based on the pre-approved script submitted to the challenge.
Final projects must be no more than 15 minutes in length inclusive of credits.
Participants are not allowed to act in their film under the the Julia S. Gouw Short Film Challenge.
Grantee’s short film can be shot anywhere in the world. (For example, past grantees have shot their short film in India and Philippines.)
capeusa.org/short-film-challenge
_____
CALL FOR FILMS: ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL
Atlanta Film Festival
DEADLINE: November 7, 2025
FEES: Fees are based on category and deadline. Please visit the website for more info
INFO: The Atlanta Film Festival (ATLFF) is the area’s preeminent celebration of cinema. Our 11-day festival presents over 120 films from all over the world, representing 110+ countries, selected from over 6,000 submissions. Each year, 90%+ of ATLFF’s program is composed of submitted films. ATLFF actively strives to provide a diverse slate of programming with spotlights on filmmakers of color, LGBTQ+ films, women and gender non-conforming filmmakers, and filmmakers from the Georgia. For the 2024 festival, 49% of the program selected from submissions was directed by women and gender nonconforming directors and 59% by BIPOC directors, as well as 24% of selected films coming from Georgia filmmakers.
In addition, each year ATLFF seeks to program a variety of genres and film styles including (but not limited to): experimental films, music videos, comedies, horror and sci-fi, virtual reality, food films, and puppetry films.
ATLFF has been named a “Top 50 Festival Worth the Entry Fee” and one of the “25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World” by MovieMaker magazine, and has been recognized as a Best Film Festival by Creative Loafing, Sunday Paper, USA Today 10 Best, and Atlanta Magazine, as well as the Best Spring Festival by the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
ATLFF’s continued exposure is in part thanks to growing distributor and press attention. Recent distributor attendance includes A24, Paramount, Netflix, Lionsgate, Focus Features, The Orchard/1091 Media, Magnolia, Bleecker Street, The Film Collaborative, Participant Media, Archer Gray, Kino Lorber, XLrator Media, CNN, HBO, Showtime, AMC, Sundance TV, Warner Media, NBC Universal, Filmstruck, Kickstarter, Seed & Spark, Vimeo, and MUBI.
Now in its eighth year, our Georgia Film Award has grown into two juried awards – Georgia Feature Award and Georgia Short Award to further celebrate and recognize the outstanding work of filmmakers in our community. Films made by Georgia-based directors and submitted to either feature film category or short category in Narrative, Documentary, or Animation will be eligible for consideration for the appropriate category upon inclusion in the festival. Georgia film submissions are also considered for non-Georgia competition categories as applicable.
Georgia filmmakers may submit with a discounted submission fee for projects that were both shot in Georgia and come from a director with a current Georgia address. Projects that meet both qualifications can submit at a discount. To obtain the discount code, applicants will need to email GA@atlantafilmfestival before submitting with the following information: the city the director resides in and where in GA the film was shot. Films that are not live-action are also eligible for the discount if the director resides in the state and partially produced the film in Georgia.
AWARDS + PRIZES:
Over $100,000 in combined cash and prizes for have been given for awards in the following categories year to year:
The winners of Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature, and the Georgia Feature Award receive a rental credit from the Atlanta Film Society's own annual credit donated by the Plaza Theatre to perform a week-long Oscar Qualifying Theatrical run at the Plaza Theatre (up to a $6,500 value each).
Best Narrative Feature ($1,500 cash prize + theatrical run prize)
Best Documentary Feature ($1,500 cash prize + theatrical run prize)
Best Narrative Short ($750 cash prize)
Best Documentary Short ($750 cash prize)
Best Animated Short ($750 cash prize)
Best Cinematography ($90,000 value in camera and post rental/services)
Georgia Feature Award ($1,500 cash prize + theatrical run prize)
Georgia Short Award ($750 cash prize)
*Additional prizes may be announced. Current award categories and prizes are subject to change.
ACADEMY-QUALIFICATION: The winners of Best Narrative Short, Best Documentary Short, and Best Animated Short all qualify for the following year’s Academy Awards in their respective categories.
ATLFF juries are composed of filmmakers, film critics, academics and industry figures. Recent jurors have included Academy Award-nominated filmmakers and representatives from The Los Angeles Times, Indiewire, TIME, Adult Swim, VICE, Vimeo, NPR, Film Independent, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Seed and Spark, Music Box, NEON, Oscilloscope Laboratories, IFC Films, Factory 25, MEMORY, and MUBI.
Films competing in juried categories are chosen solely at the discretion of the ATLFF programming team. Acceptance to the festival does not guarantee placement in competition. Films are not programmed in or out of competition, as competition status is determined once the full program has been locked.
All officially selected features and short films will be eligible for our Audience Awards. In addition to the juried prizes listed above, ATLFF also awards prizes in a variety of non-juried categories. While they vary from year to year, recent non-juried prizes have included Programmer Awards, the Filmmaker-to-Watch Award, and the Southern Documentary Fund Award. All official selections that meet the guidelines of these non-juried competitions, in a year when they are being presented, will be eligible.
_____
EPISODIC PROGRAM
Sundance Institute
DEADLINE: November 9, 2025
APPLICATION FEE: $50
INFO: The Sundance Institute Episodic Program provides artists with the tools and training to develop their original series and pilot script. Offering one of the few training grounds for independent voices, the program is designed to help creators move their projects and careers forward.
The Sundance Institute Episodic Lab is a six-day program that offers writers the opportunity to workshop a pilot script, while developing their writing. Working with accomplished showrunners, Fellows will participate in one-on-one story meetings, craft workshops, and simulated writers’ rooms. Together, these meetings provide an elevated creative strategy for artists to advance their projects.
ELIGIBILITY:
The Lab is open to international and U.S. participants, subject to international travel guidelines and restrictions. By submitting an application, each Applicant agrees to be bound by these Rules and the decisions of the Selection Advisory Committee, which are final and binding on all matters relating to this Program. The Program is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws.
Additional Eligibility Requirements:
Applicants must be 18 years of age or older at time of application.
The Script must be the Applicant’s original creation or adapted from optioned source material. The Script must be written in the English language.
The Script draft must be revised or new, that is, not previously submitted to any Sundance Institute labs, competitions, grants, or programs; not already produced; not already sold to a third party; and not distributed online or otherwise.
Applicants cannot have already had an episodic project (pilot or pitch) that has been produced by a studio or network in the past.
The Script shall not infringe the copyright or any other proprietary right of another individual or entity. The Applicant is responsible for all rights pertaining to the project (including the Script).
sundance.org/programs/episodic-storytelling
_____
WINTER RESIDENCY 2026
Velvetpark Media (Brooklyn, NY)
DEADLINE: November 9, 2025 by 11:59pm EST
APPLICATION FEE: $25
INFO: Velvetpark Residency is a project based live-work studio, awarded through a selection process by open application. It is open to LGBTQ+ writers and visual artists to complete a proposed project. Applicants from across the United States are welcome to apply, however, must have a primary residence.
The studio will be awarded bi-yearly, and will alternate between writers Winter/Spring, and visual artists Summer/Fall respectively. This schedule will continue to alternate into the ensuing years.
Velvetpark‘s Residency award is open for for an artists, writers, creators age eighteen and above, who are not enrolled in an academic program. The residency is for a 6 month term, as indicated in application form.
The VP Residency is housed within Crown Studios, an artist building on a floor of eleven working arts professionals in the Crown and Prospect Heights neighborhoods of Brooklyn, New York.
For almost two decades Velvetpark has recognized queer people in the arts, academia and activism, by featuring stories on, by, or about these individuals in the pages of the print magazine and online. It is in the same spirit that our residency program has been launched and expanded to include imaginative and enterprising LGBT+ creators, who need space to support and cultivate their work.
RESIDENCY DATES:
Please note that we will be awarding TWO 3 month terms for our writer residency this year!
Term 1: January 5th – March 30th 2026*
Term 2: April 3rd – June 28th 2026*
*Dates are subject to change.
CHECKLIST:
100 – 250 word, project proposal
– additional .pdf, docx, .doc, .jpg files and supporting materials accepted (limited to 10 mb in size)
Project Outline:
– Provide a detailed outline of what you expect to complete within your 3 month term.
Writers — Work Samples
– Poets, submit up to 15 – 20 pages of poetry
– Prose, 25 – 30 pages of prose
– screenplay/play script, provide 1 – 2 completed works
– additional works accepted via url, to online portfolio or published works
CV/Resume
– should reflect your artistic/creative accomplishments
2 references
– 1 professional reference, who can speak about your work and
– 1 personal reference, who can speak about you personally, your work ethic, values, and any other pertinent information about you.
– provide names and contact; phone/email of these individuals (letters not required).
– finalists’ references will be contacted by selection committee to speak about you.
velvetparkmedia.com/residency/
_____
Antigravity Academy Screenwriters Camp
Antigravity Academy
DEADLINE: November 10, 2025 at 11:59PM PT.
INFO: Antigravity Academy’s Screenwriters Camp is a program designed to support emerging filmmakers (or writing teams) as they develop their first feature.
Antigravity Academy is an Emmy-winning creative home for singular storytellers, with a unique emphasis on emerging talent. We develop and produce stories that haven’t been told before in film, television, documentary, short-form and beyond.
Antigravity’s debut film, DÌDI (弟弟), written and directed by Sean Wang, premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival where it won the Audience Award, was released globally later that summer by Focus Features, and went on to earn two Independent Spirit Awards.
Through our educational and community initiatives, we’re reimagining what the film industry can be and working to make it accessible to everyone. That’s why we created Antigravity Academy’s Screenwriters Camp -- to open new doors into Hollywood for bold, emerging voices in film, wherever they come from.
SCREENWRITERS CAMP:
The Screenwriters Camp consists of a week-long residential intensive from May 27th, 2026 to June 1st, 2026 followed by a series of virtual sessions and a period of industry exposure. Upon completion, participants will have a new draft of their screenplay and a lasting place within the Antigravity Academy community, along with expanded industry connections to help carry their projects forward.
BENEFITS:
Each filmmaker (or filmmaking team) will begin a 7-month development period with Antigravity Academy, starting with a weeklong in-person intensive in May before continuing with new drafts, virtual sessions, and a period of industry exposure. By the end, participants leave with a polished draft, meaningful professional connections, and a lasting place within the Antigravity Academy community.
Have more questions? Click here to read our FAQs!
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfwX1e0KU62zjcpN3JePEdYTEZLPAXt80JmbDF0YTBsJlMuHQ/viewform
_____
WAVE GRANT
Wavelength Productions
DEADLINE: November 16, 2025 at at 11:59pm PT
INFO: The WAVE (Women at the Very Edge) Grant is devoted to supporting emerging filmmakers from diverse backgrounds and perspectives to tell their own “great f**king story.” Each year, we select five recipients to receive a $5,000 seed grant for the production of their first short film.
Recipients also receive extensive mentorship from Wavelength’s award-winning team, guiding them though all aspects of development, production, post-production, festival strategy, and more - an MBA in filmmaking if you will! In addition, we offer in-kind partner services such as camera equipment from Fujifilm, crowdfunding mentorship from Seed&Spark and coloring services from Nice Shoes.
AWARD
FIVE GRANTEES each receive a $5,000 seed grant for the production of their short film.
GRANTEES receive robust individual and peer-to-peer mentorship. The Wavelength team and film industry professionals assist with strategies around development, production, post-production, and distribution. Grantees meet regularly with one another for group mentorship and updates.
GRANTEES receive in-kind coloring services from our partners at Nice Shoes
ALL APPLICANTS receive invites to a free virtual 5-part workshop series from Seed&Spark covering crowdfunding, pitching, budgeting, and distribution. The selected GRANTEES each get 1:1 advice from a Seed&Spark crowdfunding expert on their campaign.
ELIGIBILITY:
Wavelength’s WAVE Grant is for a short narrative film of approximately 10 minutes. Shorts already in production or post-production will not be considered.
Production of the short must be completed within 2026. Production cannot begin before April 2026.
This project must be the applicant’s scripted directorial debut. Student films do not count as prior work. Applicants may have prior experience in the film industry but cannot have directed a scripted short or feature film before.
Applicants must own the copyright of their production and have budgetary and editorial control.
Applicants must be based in the United States and will be required to provide proof of residency.
Student films, feature films, series, and engagement/outreach campaigns will not be considered. Documentary concepts or films in need of finishing funds will not be considered.
Directing duos or teams are not eligible.
REQUIREMENTS:
Script – Your script does not have to be final. Works in progress are accepted (and encouraged!).
Project Information — This information will help us understand your mentoring needs and how far along your project is:
Schedule – draft of the film’s schedule through the end of 2026
Budget — we know this exercise may be daunting for first-time filmmakers. Do your best and have fun with it! We will use it as a baseline for determining what budgeting mentorship you may need.
Collaborators – note any key collaborators attached at this time such as producers, heads of department, talent, etc.
Resume/CV
Video pitch – 1-3 minute video introducing yourself and the project. The pitch is an opportunity for the WAVE Grant team to get to know you and your film, and we encourage you to show up as your authentic, creative self. Some optional items to touch on in your video are:
A bit about yourself and what drives your interest in filmmaking
Your vision for the film, including style and tone
Your inspiration for the film
Any attached producers, cast, or crew
Supplemental Materials (optional) – Feel free to include any supplemental materials you’ve created to date. This could be a pitch deck, look book, treatment, or anything else that will give us further insight to your project’s synopsis, style and/or tone
TIMELINE:
Applications close: November 16, 2025 at 11:59pm PT
Interviews with finalists: January 2025
All applicants will be notified by February 15, 2026 of the status of their submission
WAVE Grant program begins: late February 2026
wavelengthproductions.com/wavegrant
_____
Philly Cultural Critics Fellowship
cinéSPEAK (Philadelphia, PA)
DEADLINE: November 24, 2025 at 11:59pm
INFO: The cinéSPEAK Philly Cultural Critics Fellowship is a paid learning opportunity geared toward Philadelphia-based cultural critics of color—especially those who are new and emerging in the industry.
We are looking for voices that further amplify the spirit and magic of the Philadelphia film community. The fellowship provides local journalists with the opportunity to refine their skills, get more connected to the local film ecosystem, and to be compensated for publishing work for the journal. Like cinéSPEAK Journal’s primary funder Critical Minded, this fellowship aims to build the resources and visibility of cultural critics of color in Philadelphia.
TIMEFRAME:
Fellowship Period: February 2026 – December 2026
After the submission deadline, all applications will be reviewed and finalists will be contacted for an interview.
STIPEND: $2,000 total ($400 per article for a total of five articles)
The fellow will be paid as a 1099 contractor employee.
ELIGIBILITY:
Live and/or work in Philadelphia.
Be at least 18 years old.
Identify as a person of color.
Able to attend in-person meetings and events in Philly.
Some availability for meetings and emails Tuesday-Thursday 9 AM – 5 PM.
QUALITIES WE’RE LOOKING FOR:
Passion for supporting independent filmmakers.
Knowledge of and investment in the Philadelphia independent film scene.
Some writing experience and skills, but don’t need to have experience publishing.
Alignment with cinéSPEAK’s mission and values.
Understanding of the cinéSPEAK Journal’s voice and editorial vision.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Complete five articles; four as part of the Philly Profiles column and one about a cinéSPEAK Under the Stars screening.
Meetings and gatherings, including an orientation on February 5th, 2026 and a fellowship completion celebration at the end of 2026
Prompt and consistent communication with cinéSPEAK editorial team
PERKS:
Free admission to all cinéSPEAK screenings during the year of the fellowship.
Possible opportunities for mentorship sessions, press accreditation support, additional article pitches, and Q&A facilitation.
cinespeak.org/journal/journal-fellowships
_____
BIPOC SCI-FI LAB STUDENT APPLICATION FORM
Justice for My Sister
DEADLINE: November 24, 2025
INFO: Justice for My Sister is offering a virtual workshop series for individuals who are Black, Indigenous, and/or PoC and interested in telling futuristic stories that center our community members as leaders, so that we can imagine ourselves into the future in powerful ways.
Recovering our ancestral ways. Afrofuturism. Intersectional and interdimensional feminism/womxnism. Life beyond gender. Land stewardship. People of color saving our planet. Non-dystopian narratives about the next 7 generations. We need your voice and vision. Join our BIPOC Sci-Fi Lab and get the tools you need to craft your TV pilot.
Get training in character development, story structure, writing a pilot, media literacy, world building and writing to expose and diminish the white supremacist, capitalist, heteronormative-patriarchy.
We encourage you to use your essays to demonstrate your writing skills. We won’t be able to accommodate all applications, so please tell us why YOU are the person to tell the story you’re proposing to the workshop as part of this fellowship.
TUITION: Tuition for this 9-weeks lecture series is $555. We have a limited amount of partial scholarships available.
Those who complete this portion of the fellowship are eligible for continued one-on-one mentorship to polish your script, at no additional cost. Completion of your script will grant you two free months listing of your script on The Blklst. If you have any questions regarding this application, please email us at: communications@justiceformysister.org
justiceformysister.org/bipocscifiapp2025
_____
2026 NRDC CLIMATE STORYTELLING FELLOWSHIP
NRDC / The Black List
DEADLINE: November 28, 2025
INFO: The Black List is thrilled to announce that it has partnered with NRDC’s (Natural Resources Defense Council) Rewrite the Future program, The Redford Center, NBCUniversal, and The CAA Foundation to launch the fifth annual NRDC Climate Storytelling Fellowship.
The Fellowship will grant $20,000 each to three writers to support revision of a feature screenplay or pilot that engages with climate change in a compelling way through events, actions, character, emotions, plot, and/or setting.
In addition, NRDC will connect each fellowship recipient with the following professionals for feedback and guidance on their scripts:
A credited professional screenwriter with an interest in climate storytelling
A climate story consultant from NRDC’s Rewrite the Future program to advise on effective approaches to climate storytelling that are entertaining and impactful
As applicable, one or more NRDC experts to advise on climate issues highlighted in the script
After receiving these consultations, Fellows have six (6) months to complete a revision of their script. Revised scripts may be reviewed for development by studios, agencies and/or production companies including Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Hyperobject Industries, Yellow Dot Studios, NBCUniversal, UTA and WME among others. Writers will retain all rights to their work.
At the end of the Fellowship, each recipient will provide NRDC with a short reflection of how the fellowship has advanced their work and/or career, a revised version of their script, and an overview of the changes they made during the revision process.
Writers who opt in with a qualified screenplay or pilot will receive one free month of hosting and one free evaluation. To be considered for the fellowship, a script should engage with climate through events, actions, character, emotions, plot, and/or setting. If you meet these criteria when you opt in, you will receive a notification. Scripts must be submitted no later than November 28, 2025.
Writers who are interested in submitting to the 2026 NRDC Climate Storytelling Fellowship may do so via The Black List - submissions sent via email cannot be accepted. Please note that submissions will only be accepted if the writer also includes a short description of how their script qualifies as a climate story. Qualified screenplays and pilots will automatically receive a fee waiver for one free month of hosting and one free evaluation once their submissions are accepted. Qualified screenplays will also automatically be opted into consideration for the program once they are accepted.
Each fellowship recipient will retain complete ownership of their work.
Last year’s mentors included Brit Marling (ANOTHER EARTH; MURDER AT THE END OF THE WORLD; THE OA), Daniel Scheinert (EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE; SWISS ARMY MAN), and Mike Schur (BROOKLYN NINE-NINE; PARKS AND RECREATION; THE GOOD PLACE). Past cycle mentors have included Pamela Adlon (BABES; BETTER THINGS), Roxane Gay (WORLD OF WAKANDA; BAD FEMINIST), Dorothy Fortenberry (EXTRAPOLATIONS, THE HANDMAID’S TALE), Naren Shankar (THE EXPANSE, STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION), Sarah Treem (THE AFFAIR, HOUSE OF CARDS), and Scott Z. Burns (AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH; CONTAGION).
WHAT MAKES A COMPELLING CLIMATE STORY?...
The script can be in any genre, but climate change and solutions must influence action and/or impact characters.
Climate storytelling highlights the ways that climate change affects characters, influences choices, and/or drives action. A climate story acknowledges that we already live in a climate-altered world and are grappling with the impacts to our homes, health, communities, and jobs. We would love to see stories that highlight communities most impacted by the climate crisis and/or stories that feature characters and communities working toward solutions.
We worry about climate change. We feel shame and grief about it. We talk about it with our partners and friends. People discuss whether it makes sense to have children, or wonder where the safest place is to live, or what they can possibly do to help.
Climate can be a central factor in motivating characters and driving plot. The story and genre options are limitless because climate can touch every aspect of life, from food, health, and relationships to justice, jobs, and national security.
Many climate stories in mainstream entertainment depict extreme weather disasters, societal breakdown, and apocalypse. That dark and narrow vision is understandable, and it can be entertaining, but if all the climate stories we see show characters stuck in despair, or in dystopian futures, it reinforces the view that there’s no way out.
It also overlooks the enormous potential for original content that illuminates the more complex and nuanced human reality of the climate crisis, including stories about people fighting for a healthier, more equitable and sustainable future.
We need it all–the bleak and the inspirational, the fantasies, dramas, comedies, and rom-coms. It is the power and privilege of writers to show us how climate change is transforming our world, and to help us find a path to salvation. This program aims to support well told stories with climate themes that entertain viewers and allow them to engage with the range of emotions caused by the climate crisis. Our general frame is that if a story works artistically, it’s a great way to approach climate and we hope that submitted scripts continue to reflect a diversity of characters, settings, and tones.
We encourage you to clearly highlight your script’s climate connection in your submission materials, as only qualifying scripts will receive a script waiver.
Note: For TV pilot submissions, applicants who make the short list must also provide a long synopsis or treatment describing the primary story arcs and how the climate themes will be developed throughout the show.
Note: To submit an updated version of your script, please upload it to the Black List directly BEFORE November 28th, 2025 at 11:59pm. RTF is not able to accept scripts via email and only scripts submitted via the Black List will be considered.
THE SELECTION PROCESS:
Writers who meet the submission requirements will be able to opt into consideration via the Black List website until midnight on November 28th, 2025 All qualifying scripts submitted before the deadline will receive one free script evaluation for their hosted scripts. Based on the strength of their scripts as determined by the Black List’s script evaluations, a short list will be invited to submit a one-page personal statement and professional resume during the selection period (December-April). Semifinalists may be asked to conduct a short interview and three fellowship recipients will be selected no later than April 30, 2026.
IS MY SCRIPT ELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION?
ELIGIBLE:
Scripts that have been previously reviewed on The Black List
Scripts that were submitted for previous cycles of the NRDC Climate Storytelling Fellowship
Scripts by international writers (scripts must be submitted in English)
Scripts by writers who are with or without representation
Scripts of any genre (as long as they include climate!)
Pilots for episodic series or feature scripts
Adapted work, although we recommend securing an option or permission for the original material
NOT ELIGIBLE:
Content created as part of a commercial campaign
Incomplete scripts—please upload a completed draft of an original feature film script or pilot teleplay
Stage plays or musical scripts, Novels, Podcasts, Games or VR/AR Experiences
Scripts already in development
blcklst.com/programs/2026-nrdc-climate-storytelling-fellowship
_____
WOMEN DIRECTING MENTORSHIP
SeriesFest / Shondaland
DEADLINE / FEE: December 18, 2025 ($75)
INFO: SeriesFest and Shondaland are honored to partner on our seventh cycle of the Women Directing Mentorship: A competition designed to discover aspiring female directors with unique voices and provide a launchpad for their careers. Founded in 2019, The Women Directing Mentorship is anchored by the prestigious opportunity to shadow a director on an episode of a Shondaland original series.
PRIZE
The director selected as the Winner for Cycle 7 (2026) will shadow a director for an episode of a Shondaland production.
ENTRY MATERIALS:
Complete our application that includes the following:
Work Sample - A short film or a feature
Personal Introduction Video - 3–5 minute video introducing yourself, your unique voice and style, and why you think you’re the right fit for the Women Directing Mentorship. Be creative! (see examples below)
Reel - Reel under 15 minutes or a short film showcasing your directing work. This reel can include student work.
CV/Resume
Entry Fee (see above)
Please note, entry materials will not be returned. Clips of (or full) Personal Introduction Videos may be used to market this or future Women Directing Mentorship cycles.
ELIGIBILITY:
To qualify, you must have 3 years of professional experience (in any professional role, not just Director). This can include having experience directing independent shorts, series, and films.
Applicants who have previously directed a network series are ineligible.
Must be 21+ years of age.
Applicants should to be based in the United States or the United Kingdom