WeScreenplay
WeScreenplay Diverse Voices Lab
Spring 2022
Coverfly-exclusive
Reads in Coverfly
Active Since 2016
WeScreenplay is looking for stories from writers with underrepresented backgrounds. 6 writers will be selected to participate in a career-changing lab!
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About

There’s no doubt about it — Hollywood has a growing interest in stories from different perspectives. Managers and agents are signing writers from underrepresented backgrounds in record numbers as the industry is finally taking strides to become more inclusive and diverse. 

 

Diverse Voices is a dynamic screenwriting lab with a proven track record of helping move the needle for stories that are told from perspectives that are often underrepresented in Hollywood today. This includes writers of color, women writers, writers with disabilities, writers over 40, writers in the LGBTQ+ community, and any other voices that have historically been ignored by Hollywood.

 

Over a dozen past winners have been signed, staffed, and optioned as a direct result of their Diverse Voices Lab meetings. 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.

 

Plus, since it started in 2015, Diverse Voices has raised over $40,000 for various nonprofit organizations. What’s not to love?

Benefits

The Spring 2022 Diverse Voices Jury:
Gisselle Ruiz -- Head of Diversity & Inclusion for WME. Gisselle Ruiz Ed.M is the current Head of Diversity & Inclusion for the William, Morris, Endeavor (WME) agency where she is on a mission to #CHANGEHOLLYWOOD. She leads WME’s commitment to be an anti-racist and ally-oriented company, and she works across WME guiding and bolstering efforts in recruitment, retention and strategic partnerships to achieve the agency’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. She has led talent acquisition and DEI at top companies and organizations including NBC Universal, The Walt Disney Company, Creative Artists Agency, Google, Facebook, and most recently was the global talent acquisition leader and spearheaded diversity and inclusion initiatives at TikTok.
Gisselle holds a bachelor's degree from Clark University in Urban Development and Social Change and a masters degree in Policy, Planning, & Administration from Boston University. She is a proud first generation transnational bilingual Afro-Latina with a deep connection to her Dominican heritage. She coaches individuals and teams on owning their power, story, and journey to amplify and unlock their potential to achieve personal and professional growth.

Katrina Mathewson -- TV Writer, Co-Chair of the WGA's LGBTQ+ committee. Katrina (Katie) Mathewson - and her writing partner Tanner Bean - got their start on Fox's critically acclaimed / tragically cancelled drama PITCH. They went on to create VERSUS, a coming-of-age limited series produced by AwesomenessTV. Katie and Tanner most recently wrote on Marvel Studios' HAWKEYE — while simultaneously writing CHRISTMAS EVER AFTER, a Lifetime movie starring Tony winner Ali Stroker. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Katie is a tattooed motorcyclist who's not nearly as cool as that description sounds. Her passion for LGBTQ+ activism has led her to serve as the co-chair of the Writers Guild of America's LGBTQ+ Committee, as well as on the Guild’s Inclusion and Equity Group. Katie is a co-founder of the Rainbow Pages, an independent database of queer WGA writers.

Kelly Garrett -- Executive Director of Original Programming for Freeform.As Executive Director of Original Programming for Freeform, Kelly oversees ratings hit CRUEL SUMMER, critically acclaimed and fan favorite GOOD TROUBLE, and EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE OK as a Current Executive. In the past, Kelly was the covering exec on such programs as the critically acclaimed series THE FOSTERS, SIREN, PARTY OF FIVE, THE BOLD TYPE, sci-fi family drama BEYOND, FAMOUS IN LOVE, multi-cam comedy YOUNG & HUNGRY as well as the series BUNHEADS. She also ran point on Peabody Award winning series SWITCHED AT BIRTH and procedural drama STITCHERS.
On top of original series, Kelly oversees Original Movies including Freeform’s THE THING ABOUT HARRY, GHOSTING, SAME TIME NEXT CHRISTMAS, TURKEY DROP, LIFE-SIZE 2, NO SLEEP 'TIL CHRISTMAS, and THE TRUTH ABOUT CHRISTMAS\, along with a growing original movie development slate.


Juan He -- Literary Manager at Housefire Management.Juan started his career in Universal Pictures Creative Development where he was involved in the development of feature films such as JURASSIC WORLD, MUMMY (2017), NIGHT SCHOOL etc. He later joined the world’s biggest talent agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in their Motion Pictures department where he worked in representation, with a strong focus on directors and writers. After CAA, Juan joined Good Fear Content as a junior manager/producer. As a junior manager, he consistently grow Good Fear’s writers and directors clients roster by scouting talents from all over the globe. In late 2018, Juan found a British horror director Alberto Marina and successfully set up his short film BAGHEAD at StudioCanal with Picture Co producing. In early 2019, Juan submitted his client’s project HICKAM to Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock and Steven Spielberg through CAA for production considerations. Recently, Juan joined Housefire Management where he continues to advocate for the voices he believes in.

Grand Prize Winners
Top 3 – 4

Includes
  • Diverse Voices Screenwriting Lab
  • Three (3) Free Classic Coverages to be used before the Lab Experience

The Diverse Voices Lab is a one-of-a-kind experience. Writers chosen for the lab 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.

This is not a “sit back” passive webinar experience. It is a “get your questions answered, find the right literary representation, and meet potential collaborators” busy several days. It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for any emerging screenwriter.

This lab has directly led to writers getting staffed, signing with their dream reps, and more! Want more info? You can read about the Diverse Voices Lab experience here.

Writer Success

If you are eligible, do not hesitate to apply for Diverse Voices. I have won or placed in multiple contests and none so far have gone to the lengths that the team at Diverse Voices went to in order to ensure the winners were put in front of the best agencies and management companies and production companies possible. They also delivered a highly inspiring four-day lab that far exceeded my expectations.
Daniela Saioni
Spring 2021 Winner
Absolutely go for it! You get invaluable feedback to polish your script and if you are fortunate enough to place, it's an amazing opportunity to get your work in front of reps that you might not have had access to otherwise. I'd like to say a big, heartfelt thanks to WeScreenplay for helping me connect with representation. They were the epitome of professionalism and courtesy. I don't doubt that I would be much further behind in my journey to find representation if it weren't for her help.
Soma Helmi
Spring 2021 Finalist
I was a finalist in WeScreenplay's 'Diverse Voices Screenwriters' Lab' (Spring 2021), and after that, WeScreenplay went above and beyond to share my script with reps and answer my questions to guide my next career steps. WeScreenplay sent my next pilot (PROJECT BLANCA, which is currently up at Coverfly) to Jen, who decided to rep me! Had I not placed in this competition, and had WeScreenplay not been as proactive about helping finalists' careers, I would not have made this particular connection.
Teresa Jusino
Spring 2021 Finalist
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Spring 2025 Winners on Coverfly

MELANIE FROM HR
Private
Feature  · Thriller  · 96 Pages
After being misled, a woman uses her "resources" to wreak havoc on the man who broke her heart.
  • Verified WGA Member
Studio City, CA
Born and raised in Nashville, TN, Asheleigh had two loves, ballet and writing. Realizing that dancing professionally was not for her, she worked briefly as a magazine writer then focused on TV writing. She worked on THE QUAD, before moving over to BLACK LIGHTNING. Her first credit earned her a nomination for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Seri...
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Top 1%
Feature  · Thriller  · 110 Pages
When her politically-divided church is threatened by extremists, a controversial pastor must fight to reclaim her pulpit as a skeptical FBI agent investigates her involvement in the threats.
North Hollywood, CA
Tosin is an actor, writer, director and proud son of Nigerian Immigrants now living in Kansas City, where he grew up. He is most known for "Bass Reeves" (Paramount+) and “Run The World” (STARZ), “The Chi” (Showtime), “Black Lightning” (CW), and “Julia” (HBO). On film, he stars in Amazon’s "Blackbox", "Friend Request" and "North of the 10" (B...
Show more
Top 1%
Feature  · Thriller  · 110 Pages
Cancer surgeon Moira Caldwell uncovers a conspiracy that seeks to squeeze profits out of patients, eliminating anyone who stands in the way.
Portland, Oregon
I'm a Portland Oregon-based writer of conspiracy thrillers and dramas with a side of comedy. I'm also a cancer surgeon/scientist who adores T cells, math, visual arts, and cats. I was privileged to use my patient advocate experience as an advisor on Here Awhile starring Anna Camp, Steven Strait, and Joe Lo Truglio and was featured in the Sundanc...
Show more
See Other Placements

Announcements

Dec 15th
Semifinalists
Jan 14th
Finalists
Feb 15th
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.

  1. Screenplays entered must:

    1. Be submitted in PDF form and must fit all standard screenplay format guidelines. Personal formatting conventions will be accepted but must not intentionally or accidentally alter the page count of the project as determined by the judges. Anything over 120 pages will cost $1 extra per page.

    2. Be owned solely by the writer or writing team listed. It may be an adaptation or reimagining of true events or fictional stories. 

    3. Be written in English. However, scripts from anywhere in the world will be accepted.

    4. Have pages numbered. Scripts of any length will be accepted for an additional fee, but we’d advise that scripts over 150 pages should be edited down before being submitted.


      NOTE: WeScreenplay automatically removes the cover page before assigning scripts to readers, so writers may include any typical information on their cover page. Scripts are accepted with or without cover pages.

  2. Writer must be 18 years of age or older at the time of the winner's announcement.

  3. By entering this screenplay into the competition, you must have full permission from all co-writers and any attachments to the project.

  4. WeScreenplay claims no ownership nor option on your work. All ownership and rights to the scripts submitted to this contest remain with the original rights holder(s).

  5. Screenplays entered may be in any genre or combination of genres. All will be treated equally and read by an unbiased panel of readers and jury members.

  6. The following formats will be accepted: Feature screenplay, TV pilot screenplay

  7. Entrant’s total earnings for screenwriting for either film or tv, produced or unproduced, must not exceed $50,000 in the previous 18 months from submission or $250,000 lifetime earnings. This excludes any prize money from competitions or fellowships and only applies to fund or money transferred in exchange for an option or sale of a script, treatment, idea, intellectual property, or other writing for filming. Money earned from acting, directing, producing, or any other film work outside of writing is not included.

  8. Screenplays submitted must not have been previously sold or produced unless said sale or production was completed with no financial gain to the writer.

  9. Purchasing Additional feedback throughout the competition will in no way impact your standing or odds of advancement.

  10. For a submission to be valid it must be accompanied with the appropriate payment based on the submission deadlines.

  11. All deadlines are at 11:59pm PST on the date listed. Any deadline alteration or promotion of any kind does not make any entry valid for a refund of any kind.

  12. RESUBMISSIONS will be accepted. Alterations can be re-uploaded via our submissions management platform at coverfly.com for $5. New drafts of an entry will be accepted at any time during the contest.

  13. There are no refunds for any submitted screenplay. Coupons may not be applied to previously submitted scripts. Coupons deemed for WeScreenplay coverage may not be used for submission to the contest or addition of coverage to any submission unless explicitly stated or exempted on the coupon or by a WeScreenplay representative via e-mail communication only.

  14. There is no limit on the number of scripts a writer or writing team may submit.

  15. Prizes are awarded per script and teams of writers are expected to divide prizes on their own accord. If the lab is in-person, WeScreenplay will provide flights and hotel accommodations up to $2000 total. WeScreenplay will send prizes to the writer who submits the project and will in no way be responsible for how the prizes are distributed among the writing teams.

  16. The decision of the judges will be final and cannot be contested in any manner. There is no score on a scorecard that guarantees advancement to the next level as advancement will be based on all scores in the competition.

  17. Scorecards can be accessed on the writer’s dashboard. Feedback will be delivered before the next announcement but usually sooner. Feedback for each round of the competition, whether it's the 1 page or 3 page option, will be returned before the next competition announcement.

  18. WeScreenplay reserves the right to delay announcements for any reason. While we never anticipate any delays, such delays will not alter the standing of any screenplay entry and will not qualify an entry for a refund under any circumstance.

  19. By entering a WeScreenplay competition every entrant is agreeing to all WeScreenplay Terms of Service listed on the website and additional terms agreed upon at checkout. If you disagree with any terms you may not submit to the contest.

  20. By submitting to the contest you are releasing your script (but not it’s underlying rights) to WeScreenplay and holding harmless WeScreenplay or any affiliates from any claims, expenses, and liabilities, including but not limited to invasion of privacy, defamation, copyright, libel, trademark infringement, slander, personal property infringement, etc.

  21. Any prize winners will be required to sign an affidavit validating their entry into the contest.

  22. Any writer winning a cash prize of over $599 will be required to file the appropriate tax and legal documentation before the cash prize is distributed.

  23. All prizes provided by sponsors or mentors are subject to said sponsor or mentor providing the prize. WeScreenplay will do everything in its power to collect the prize packages promised, but is not responsible for a sponsor’s failed delivery.

  24. Former Grand Prize, Second Prize, and Third Prize Winners of the contest may enter so long as it is NOT the same script that won in a previous year. Any other placement in former years does not disqualify the script from being entered this year.

  25. Void where prohibited.

  26. Except where prohibited by law, participation in the contest constitutes each entrant’s consent to WeScreenplay and its agents’ and contest sponsor’s use of entrants’ names, likenesses, photographs, and/or personal information for promotional purposes in any media, worldwide, without further payment or consideration. All uses of a entrants’ information are in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

  27. BY ENTERING THE CONTEST YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ AND AGREE TO THESE CONDITIONS. You agree to release and hold harmless WeScreenplay, Red Ampersand, Inc., Industry Arts, LLC., WeScreenplay.com, its subsidiary, parent and affiliated companies, Prize contributors, judges, screenplay readers, Sponsors, and any other organizations responsible for administering, advertising or promoting the Contest, and every one of their respective members, directors, employees, agents and representatives (collectively, the “Released Parties”) past and present from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liability, including but not limited to damages and negligence to property and persons, including but not limited to invasion of privacy, defamation, slander, libel, violation of right of publicity, copyright, infringement of trademark or other intellectual property rights relating to a participant’s Entry, participation in the Contest and/or acceptance or use or misuse of Prize; provided however, that such release will not apply to any commercial exploitation of the script by a Released Party in violation of your rights under applicable copyright law; and (c) indemnify, defend and hold harmless the WeScreenplay.org and its Sponsor, agents and employees from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liabilities (including reasonable attorney’s fees) relating to an entrant’s participation in the Contest and/or entrant’s use or misuse of Prize. Employees of WeScreenplay and their immediate families are ineligible to participate in this contest. Any such submission will be immediately disqualified. ENTRY TO THIS CONTEST IS VOID WHERE PROHIBITED or restricted by any Federal, State or Local law. Voided entries will be refunded. Recipients’ eligibility will be verified before the grant is awarded and the winner may be required to sign an affidavit of eligibility.

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