HBO Access Writing Fellowship

HBO Access Writing Fellowship is sponsored by HBO. Offers emerging filmmakers the opportunity to develop their writing and storytelling skills.

Fellowship & Writing Programs for Screenwriters Masterlist — The Writers Guild Foundation Fellowship Programs for Screenwriters Perhaps one of the best ways to break in to the screenwriting industry is through participating in a contest or fellowship program hosted by a network, studio, or organization. Getting accepted into one of these programs—or even moving on to the final stages of the application process—is a HUGE deal.

While there are no guarantees of getting staffed or securing representation by landing in a writing program cohort, these opportunities are within reach if you’re accepted.

We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of verified fellowship programs below and check out this blog post and this recent WGFestival video featuring program alums for helpful application tips we’ve compiled from talking to lots and lots of writing program representatives. Good luck!

Please note that all summary details should be reviewed in full on the official fellowship program website as changes to the program requirements occur every year. Academy Nicholl Fellowship APPLICATION DATES: Typically open at the start of the year; closes May 1. FORMAT & ELIGIBILITY: Each year, the Academy Nicholl screenwriting competition awards up to five $35,000 fellowships to amateur screenwriters.

The fellowship is open for screenwriters who have not earned more than $25,000 writing fictional work for film or television. Entry scripts must be the original work of one writer, or of two writers who collaborated equally, and must be written originally in English. Adaptations and translated scripts are not eligible.

SUBMISSION DETAILS: You will submit an application that includes an original feature film screenplay (no shorter than 70 pages and no longer than 160 pages) in PDF format only. The entry fee varies depending on which deadline you are submitting to. Austin Film Festival Screenplay and Teleplay Competition APPLICATION DATES: Typically open at the start of the year; closes in May.

FORMAT & ELIGIBILITY: All scripts must be submitted in English. Scripts must not have been optioned or sold prior to a certain date. Scripts that have reached the Semifinalist level or above in previous years within the Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition or Digital Series Competition are not eligible for resubmission.

SUBMISSION DETAILS: Submission details vary depending on genre/category you are submitting to. Black List / Women in Film Episodic Lab APPLICATION DATES: Typically open from June-August. FORMAT & ELIGIBILITY: The Black List and Women In Film will invite six to eight promising non-professional television writers who identify as women to the Lab.

You must be competent to contract and over the age of 18. You must not have earned more than $25,000 in the aggregate in connection with any prior television writing work. SUBMISSION DETAILS: Submission requirements are laid out extensively on their website.

Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment New Writers Fellowship APPLICATION DATES: Submissions typically open in October ELIGIBILITY: The CAPE New Writers Fellowship discovers and nurtures emerging writers launching their careers in television and film. This unique, immersive Fellowship arms each participant with the practical and business knowledge they need to succeed as a professional writer in the entertainment industry.

Writers must be 18 years or older; must not have been a staff writer on an episodic nor have had a feature worth over $1 million budget produced, regardless of which category they are applying for; must be able to work in the United States; and, if selected, must attend every single session in-person (no exceptions). All sessions take place in the Los Angeles area.

Writers must provide their own transportation and lodging for the duration of the program. CAPE is unable to offer any financial or other assistance regarding accommodations. The CAPE New Writers Fellowship is open to writers of all race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability and sexual orientation.

SUBMISSION DETAILS: Submission details vary from year to year. Disney Entertainment TV Writing Program APPLICATION DATES: Submissions typically open from May-June. FORMAT & ELIGIBILITY: The twelve-month Program typically begins in February and ends in February of the following year.

For at least the first month of the Program, writers participate in a curriculum designed to better prepare them for staffing consideration. Past activities have included: workshops led by veteran television writers, producers and Program alumni; improvisational workshops; and networking mixers with executives. You must be 21 or older to be eligible.

SUBMISSION DETAILS: Submission details vary from year to year and all application links, instructions, and additional information are managed solely through their Facebook page. Film Independent Screenwriting or Episodic Lab APPLICATION DATES: The Screenwriting Lab typically closes in October. The Episodic Lab typically closes in February.

FORMAT & ELIGIBILITY: The Screenwriting Lab is open to any writer applying with a completed draft of a feature-length project they wish to workshop during the program, with an eye toward production. The Episodic Lab is open to any emerging writer applying with a completed draft of a half hour or hour-long television pilot they wish to workshop during the program. Each applicant must be the author of the script he or she submits.

The submitted pilot cannot have been pitched at any point to a studio or network. SUBMISSION DETAILS: Submission details vary based on which lab you are applying to. Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest APPLICATION DATES: Typically opens in the beginning of the year; closes in July.

FORMAT & ELIGIBILITY: The Big Break Screenwriting Contest offers film and TV writers in 11 genres the chance to win up to $100,000 in cash and prizes. Grand prize winners also get flown to Los Angeles to meet with managers, producers and executives. Any writer over the age of 18 whose screenplay or teleplay is not currently optioned is eligible.

SUBMISSION DETAILS: Submission details vary from year to year. APPLICATION DATES: Typically opens in April; closes in May. FORMAT & ELIGIBILITY: The 1497 Features Lab is designed to elevate and develop screenplays by writers of South Asian descent, while providing career support.

They believe in a holistic approach to foster writers' creative and career journeys. As a result, each selected Mentee will move through a multi-tiered process: Script Development, Mentorship, and Connect with the Industry. The 2023 Lab will be held in person.

To be eligible, applicants must be of South Asian descent, over 18 years of age, must reside in the United States, and have a completed narrative feature script. SUBMISSION DETAILS: All applications must be submitted through our partner Coverfly, which requires applications to be completed in one sitting.

Applicants will submit links to past work, an artistic statement, logline, script synopsis, and the first 10 pages of the screenplay as a PDF. Fox Entertainment Writers Incubator APPLICATION DATES: Typically opens in October; closes in November.

FORMAT & ELIGIBILITY: The FOX Writers Incubator is a highly selective initiative designed to nurture and provide training to four (4) writers of all genres (comedy, drama, animation, etc) who have diverse voices, backgrounds and life experiences. Writers will have a chance to work intensively on their scripts with the support of established writers, executives, directors and producers.

The initiative offers trained writers a rigorous three-month workshop focused on rewriting their material, honing writing skills, and exploring the business of media and entertainment. Upon successful completion of the FOX Writers Incubator, writers will receive priority in staffing meetings on FOX television shows.

SUBMISSION DETAILS: Applicants will submit one original pilot script; a script synopsis; script genre; a logline; two additional original loglines of unproduced material; two names of recommendations; a resume/CV, bio, and personal statement; and a submission agreement. Writing teams have additional submission rules. APPLICATION DATES: Typically open from February-April.

FORMAT & ELIGIBILITY: The New Voices Fellowship is an approximately six-month mentorship program for early career television and screenwriters who are exploring the human condition in a nuanced, meaningful way. The program identifies and empowers five writers each year who are working on a 30- or 60-minute pilot or feature-length screenplay.

To be eligible, applicants must be 21 years of age or older, residing in the United States, emerging television and screenwriting who are unrepresented (with no current manager, agent, or attorney acting in this capacity), have not be staffed as a writer, and have not received payment for screen or television writing services prior to the submission period.

SUBMISSION DETAILS: Alongside a general application and entry fee submitted through Coverfly , writers will submit an original 30-minute or 60-minute pilot, or feature-length screenplay no longer than 120 pages as a writing sample, logline, brief synopsis, a bio, a résumé, and a short artist statement that speaks to professional aspirations.

Inevitable Foundation Accelerate Fellowship APPLICATION DATES: The Accelerate Fellowship opens in May and closes in June. FORMAT & ELIGIBILITY: The Accelerate Fellowship is a four-month rewriting sprint that gives disabled film and television writers $30,000 in funding and bespoke mentorship to develop a spec script to market.

Through writers groups, one-on-one mentorship, guidance from the Inevitable Foundation staff, and access to leading film and television writers, the program offers disabled writers everything they need to get their script ready to take to market. This year’s program will also encourage nuanced disability representation in the projects themselves.

SUBMISSION DETAILS: After meeting the program eligibility requirements, applicants will be asked to provide information about themselves and their writing career; a writing sample, with a title and logline; a short response detailing the project they intend to work on through the fellowship; and a few short answer questions about their goals for the program. Semi-final applicants will be invited to interview.

ISA Fast Track Fellowship APPLICATION DATES: The Fast Track Fellowship runs twice a year and is typically open from April through August and September through February. FORMAT & ELIGIBILITY: The Fast Track Fellowship is open to any writer applying with a completed draft of a feature or tv pilot script.

The Fellowship offers 2 writers per season a week of meetings with 8 industry professionals and acceptance onto the ISA Development Slate to receive consultation and access to industry partners. The ISA Fast Track Fellowship has been instrumental in discovering and elevating writers on the rise. Fellows have signed with major agencies like CAA, Paradigm and ICM.

Many have been introduced to and then signed with management companies during their Fast Track week and had their scripts optioned, leading to development deals. Writers must own the script, and it must not already be sold, produced for a profit, or currently under option. SUBMISSION DETAILS: Applicants must submit an original feature script or TV pilot script and answer a couple of brief questions on the application.

APPLICATION DATES: The ISA Diversity Initiative is typically open from January through March and is free to apply. FORMAT & ELIGIBILITY: The International Screenwriters’ Association’s Diversity Initiative strives to elevate writers from underrepresented and marginalized communities. We are seeking writers with unique perspectives based on race, sexuality, gender, neurodiversity, disability, economic inequality, age and other.

Our aim is to break down barriers and celebrate authentic narratives. Up to 3 selected writers will be considered for acceptance onto the ISA Development Slate, the top tier of ISA writers. Writers may submit an original full-length feature screenplay or TV Pilot.

SUBMISSION DETAILS: Applicants must submit an original feature script or TV pilot script. National Hispanic Media Coalition Series Scriptwriters Program APPLICATION DATES: Typically opens and closes in the spring. FORMAT & ELIGIBILITY: Ten diverse Latinx writers nationwide are selected for a 7-week intense writers lab.

At the end of the program, these writers will have either a half-hour or hourlong original series pilot, which they will pitch to Industry leaders, beginning with our partners at ABC and NBC. Over the 7-week duration writers work with a professional writing mentor, meet and speak with professional industry writers, and build a community of Latinx writers. The program is officially conducted virtually.

You must be 18 years or older, live in the United States, and must have access to reliable internet connection to participate in daily video conferencing. SUBMISSION DETAILS: Complete an online application, submit one properly formatted script (half-hour, 1-hour, or features are accepted), logline, resume, bio, and statement of purpose. NBCUniversal Launch TV Writers Program APPLICATION DATES: Typically opens and closes in June.

FORMAT & ELIGIBILITY: Formerly NBCUniversal’s Writers on the Verge, NBCU’s Launch TV Writers Program develops diverse writers whose distinct points of view and lived experiences provide unique perspectives to the writers’ room. During the eight-month program, writers develop an original pilot to which they retain all rights.

They are paired with NBCUniversal programming executives from the NBCU Television and Streaming portfolio and Universal Studio Group who mentor them, as they write their original pilot and polish samples for staffing consideration.

Writers also attend weekly evening workshops to enhance their creative and professional skills, including branding, pitching, and interviewing, as well as expand on their knowledge of the ever-changing television landscape. Additionally, they have opportunities to learn from and build relationships with industry professionals, including network and studio executives, showrunners, agents, and managers.

At the conclusion of the program, participating writers will be considered for available staff writer positions on NBCU Television and Streaming as well as Universal Studio Group series.

Writers must be at least 21 years old, authorized to work in the United States, must reside in Los Angeles during the program as workshops are in-person, and can not have received a staff writing credit on more than one broadcast, cable, or streaming scripted series. SUBMISSION DETAILS: Participants will submit a general application, two original scripts, a resume, a legal release form, and personal essay.

Nickelodeon Writing Program APPLICATION DATES: Typically open from July-August. FORMAT & ELIGIBILITY: While in the Program, writers meet our series creators, work in writers’ rooms, and receive hands-on experience writing spec scripts and pitching story ideas in both live action and animated television. There are two creative avenues to pursue: the General Track (12-months) and the Preschool Track (6-months).

The Preschool Track was created to develop writers specifically interested in writing and/or creating shows for the preschool demographic. You must be 18 years or older to participate. If you have previously applied to the Program and were not selected, you are welcome and encouraged to apply again.

However, you must submit a different spec script for each new submission period.

SUBMISSION DETAILS: Participants will submit a general application that includes one spec script in PDF format (this applies to both individual writers and writing teams), a one-page resume in PDF format, a short biography (500 words or less), two essay questions (each 75 words or less), and a completed and digitally signed Submission Release form and Schedule A Paramount Writers Mentoring Program APPLICATION DATES: Typically open from April-May.

FORMAT & ELIGIBILITY: Formerly the CBS Diversity Writers Mentoring Program, the focus of this eight month program is on opening doors for talented and motivated diverse writers: providing opportunities to build relationships with network executives and show runners; to support new and emerging writers in their efforts to improve their craft; and to develop the interpersonal skills necessary to break in and succeed.

Aspiring diverse writers with a strong desire to write for Paramount television series are encouraged to apply. You must be 21 or older to be eligible.

SUBMISSION DETAILS: You will submit an application, letter of interest, a work resume or bio, and two writing samples: one half-hour or one-hour episodic spec script based on a current prime time television series which aired, or was released, during the years’ season on any network or cable channel, including Netflix, Hulu or Amazon; and one original work of writing (original pilot, stage play or short fiction story).

Short film scripts or feature screenplays will not be accepted. Original material should match in tone the spec script. A signed Submission Release form for the writing samples is also required.

Sesame Workshop Writers’ Room APPLICATION DATES: Typically opens from March -April. FORMAT & ELIGIBILITY: Sesame Workshop Writers’ Room is a writing fellowship from the creators of Sesame Street . Up to 8 writers with diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural identities are selected to join the Writers’ Room, where they’ll receive hands-on writing experience guided by Sesame Street veterans and other media industry leaders.

Each participant will develop and write a pilot script for their own original kids concept. Past fellows have gone on to develop their own original content with Sesame Workshop, as well as write for Sesame Street and various programs at Nickelodeon, Disney, DreamWorks, and more.

Participants must be 21+ years old; a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; must have a diverse racial, ethnic, or cultural identity; and no extensive media writing experience, such as having written more than six episodes for a network or cable scripted/narrative series.

Participants must be able to attend and complete writing assignments for all 8 sessions, which will be held virtually from May to July 2022 SUBMISSION DETAILS: Applicants are required to submit the application form, a resume, personal statement, original script sample (11 page maximum), and more info on the script.

Sundance Episodic Storytelling Lab APPLICATION DATES: The next submission season will open Summer of 2026 SUBMISSION DETAILS: There are two rounds in the application process: in the Round 1, applicants are required to submit the first 5 pages of an original pilot script, their bio, series logline, series overview, personal statement, thematic statement, and (optional) links to samples of previous work, along with a $40 non-refundable processing fee.

If selected for the Round 2, applicants are notified by email and have 2 weeks to submit their full pilot script. For further detail on what the application process entails, please see our FAQ section below. APPLICATION DATES: Typically open from September-November.

FORMAT & ELIGIBILITY: Tribeca All Access® is TFI’s flagship program for scripted and documentary storytellers who come from communities underrepresented in the film industry. Eligibility guidelines depend on whether you are submitting a scripted, documentary, or hybrid film. SUBMISSION DETAILS: Submission details vary based on which category you are submitting.

Warner Bros. Discovery Access Comedic Voices Program APPLICATION DATES: Opens June 6-July 1 FORMAT & ELIGIBILITY: The Warner Bros. Discovery Access Comedic Voices Program provides historically excluded comedic talent a platform to engage with the late night and unscripted areas of the Warner Bros.

Discovery enterprise. During an intensive multi-day bootcamp, participants of this program will get the opportunity to learn the art of creating late night materials, producing unscripted segments and hearing from creative and executive speakers. Applicants to this program must be at least 18 years old and have the ability to work in the United States.

SUBMISSION DETAILS: The application requires creation of a late-night-style segment in the voice of Samantha Bee, John Oliver, or Bill Maher, as well as jokes/bits submissions for TBS's WIPEOUT and TruTV's IMPRACTICAL JOKERS. Warner Bros. Discovery Access Writers Program APPLICATION DATES: Application closes in July, the year before the program starts.

FORMAT & ELIGIBILITY: The Warner Bros. Discovery Access Writers Program provides a pathway for writers seeking to enhance their skills in the episodic television writing space, learn about the business of television from executives and industry guests, and attend a master class on storytelling and collaborative creative writing.

SUBMISSION DETAILS: Applicants are eligible to apply if they’ve staffed on one or zero seasons of US network or streaming television shows. All applicants must submit two original samples, both of the same genre. WarnerMedia Access Writing Fellowship (formerly HBO Access) APPLICATION DATES: Application opens March 8.

Deadline is March 21. FORMAT & ELIGIBILITY: Formerly the HBO Access Writing Fellowship, the WarnerMedia Access Writers Program is a multi-month pipeline program for lower-level narrative TV writers. The objective of the program is to provide marginalized voices a pathway for entry into the television industry through instruction, mentorship and exposure.

Up to 20 writers from across various genres will be selected to be a part of the inaugural cycle in 2021. Writers must be 18 years of age or older, have the right to work in the U.S., must not have been staffed on more than one season of episodic television. Writers of historically underrepresented backgrounds are highly encouraged to apply.

The virtual program will kick-off in mid-July 2021 and continue through January 2022, meeting 1 – 2 times per week, covering the business of television and the creative process. The final leg of the workshop will focus on script development and the creation of a new sample.

At the conclusion of the program, the WarnerMedia Equity & Inclusion group will work with the participants to find potential staffing opportunities within the enterprise. SUBMISSION DETAILS: Applicants will submit a resume or bio, two original samples within the same genre (TV scripts preferred, but narrative writing is accepted within 30-65 pages), and agree to the terms and conditions.

APPLICATION DATES: Typically submissions are open from February-April. FORMAT & ELIGIBILITY: The Writers Lab mission is to ignite the power of women and nonbinary screenwriters over 40 and activate the media industry to broaden the range of storytelling across visual platforms. The flagship international lab is a four-day film and tv script development retreat in or near New York City open to international applicants.

Beginning with a submissions period early in the year, 12 projects are selected in the summer for participation in the fall retreat. The fall writers intensive gives women and nonbinary screenwriters over the age of 40 the opportunity to work intensively on their features and pilots with the support of established film professionals.

In addition, The Writers Lab offers labs, retreats, ongoing mentoring, industry exposure, and craft programming. Founded in 2015, TWL is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit.