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ScreenCraft
ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship
2021
Coverfly-exclusive
Reads in Coverfly
Active Since 2013
This career changing fellowship has led to dozens of writers signed by representation. Fellows have been hired to write for Netflix, Apple TV+, ABC, Amazon, FX, NBC, Hulu, and more.
View Latest Season
This season has closed, but there's a new season open now!

About

ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship is a program designed to provide career guidance with personalized plans of action and thoughtfully curated industry meetings for emerging screenwriters. It  is a growing and thriving community of talented screenwriters with meaningful connections to industry mentors. 

The program provides 7 days of intensive meeting and 3 months of personalized career consultation for emerging writers.  Every year, three chosen Fellows receive ongoing professional support, mentorship, and personal introductions to key entertainment professionals.

ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship is open to any writer applying with a finished draft of television pilot or feature-length project. Apply now to start your professional writing career and to be a part of ScreenCraft’s growing community of talented screenwriters with meaningful connections to industry mentors.

TESTIMONIALS

TEVIN KNIGHT, 2020 Fellow, sold his Fellowship winning pilot to a major studio!

As creators, we often think about the movies and tv shows we loved growing up and idolize those very people who made them. The great thing about ScreenCraft is once you win, those idols of yours officially become your colleagues. The transition from fan to the fellow filmmaker is strategic and nurturing. With each introduction and meeting your web grows and your dream has now become your career.”

Anya Meksin, 2017 Fellow, Staff Writer on IN FROM THE COLD.

“ScreenCraft gave me a much-needed boost of confidence at a moment when I felt discouraged and stagnant in my career. With that new surge of energy and validation, I was able to recommit to my work and regain a sense of purpose and hope.”

Davia Carter, 2018 Fellow, Staffed on NBC's upcoming show, DEBRIS

“ScreenCraft's Fellowship week was invaluable. I’m certain that I wouldn’t have launched my career as quickly as I did without it. I had the opportunity to sit down with executives at Netflix, Universal, and Bad Robot, and those dozen-plus meetings I took taught me two things that would have taken years to learn without ScreenCraft: how to nail a meeting and how to pitch myself as a writer.”

T.A Snyder, 2014 Fellow, Directing his suspense thriller, PANTHER CREEK.

“The Fellowship Week is a full week of meetings— it was a whirlwind experience that opened my eyes to the business side of screenwriting and the industry. The experience revealed a critical truth: the business side is only the beginning, and if you’re not in the trenches making connections and building relationships, your words are only characters keeping you warm at night.”

Lucy Luna, 2019 Fellow, Staffed as a writer on TWO SENTENCE HORROR STORIES, and ALL RISE 

“When all our hopes and dreams rely on someone opening a door for us, well…a gentle knock on the right door is louder than banging on all doors. Winning ScreenCraft Fellowship jump-started my career. They immediately understood where I wanted to go, and what I needed and they worked with me as if my dream was theirs.”

Benefits

ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship Week provides an intensive week of invaluable industry access and professional networking opportunities for emerging writers to succeed. The ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship Curriculum details are as follows:

  • 3  emerging writers are selected for ongoing mentorship and professional support .
  • Three months of one-on-one consultation with ScreenCraft writer development team.
  • A special trip to Los Angeles for meetings with industry executives.
  • 7  days of intensive professional meetings with literary agents, managers and studio executives.
  • Mentorship support from previous Fellowship winners. 

Writer Success

2024 Winners on Coverfly

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Announcements

May 12th
Semifinalists
Jun 2nd
Finalists
Jul 7th
Winners

Rules

At the program's request, Coverfly will automatically remove your title page for you if you include one when submitting to this program.

Requirements

  • Submissions are accepted via electronic submission on this website only, between October 1st, 2020 and February 28, 2021.

  • The application fee for each TV or feature film screenplay submission is $49 until the early deadline on October 31st, and then $69 until regular deadline on January 31st 2021, and then $79 until the final deadline on February 28th, 2021.

  • Only Feature scripts and TV Pilots are accepted for the Fellowship.

  • There is no limit to the number of projects you may submit for consideration. Each project will be assigned to a unique first-round reader.

  • If you advance to the final round of consideration, you’ll be asked to submit a cover letter in which you can include a bit more information about yourself and your project(s).

  • Quarter-finalists will be announced on or before March 31st, 2021. Semifinalists will be announced on or before April 28th, 2021. Finalists and winners will be announced on or before May 19th, 2021.

  • Entries must be received on or before the deadlines and submission fee payment must be made in full at time of the submission. All entry fees are non-refundable

  • All submitted material must be original, and all rights must be wholly owned by the writer(s).

  • Material must be submitted by the writer. Material written by writing teams must be submitted by one of the writers, with consent of the other(s).  All writers must be credited on the title page.

  • If a writing team is chosen as a winner, both writers will participate equally in the program.

  • It is recommended that original material be registered with the WGA or The Library of Congress before submitting to any competition, however we do not require registration.

  • All ownership and rights to the scripts submitted to this contest remains with the original rights holders. 

 

Eligibility

  • All writers at least 18 years of age are eligible. However, a writer who has earned more than $50,000 (or equivalent currency) from professional writing services for film or TV in the preceding year is not. (Contest winnings not included.)

  • All persons from anywhere in the world are eligible; however the material submitted must be primarily in English.

  • All material submitted to other competitions or contests are eligible.

  • There are no requirements as to when the material was written.

  • The material submitted must not be encumbered by any obligation to, or option held by, a third party prior to entering the competition.

  • Any submitted work that becomes optioned, published, produced or purchased between the time of submission and the end of the judging period will no longer be eligible.

  • Material should be submitted in standard screenplay format, font, spacing and margin.

  • Adaptations are ineligible unless the underlying rights are owned by the writer or the work is in the public domain.

  • The recommended length for feature film scripts is 100-120 pages. Scripts over 120 pages will be accepted, but there is a small page overage charge to compensate the judges for the extra time invested in reading longer scripts.

  • Feature screenplays must be between 75 and 140 pages.

  • Comedy TV pilot scripts should be between 25 and 40 pages. Drama TV pilot scripts should be between 45 and 65 pages.

  • All material must be submitted electronically as a PDF or it will not be eligible.