Best Screenwriting Fellowships — Nicholl, Sundance, WB, Disney

The Academy Nicholl Fellowship is one of the best screenwriting fellowships for new, up and coming screenwriters. The Academy selects up to 5 screenwriters with a fellowship of $35,000. 

In addition to the cash award, winning writers participate in seminars and ceremonies during the award week. The opportunity is in the networking as winners can rub shoulders with producers, directors, and other talent.

Winners are expected to complete at least one feature film script during the Fellowship year. 

This has led to a number of successful careers such as that of director Destin Cretton. After winning in 2010, Cretton went on to directing Short Term 12, The Glass Castle, and more recently Just Mercy, to much critical acclaim. 

When it comes to script writing fellowships that produce and support indie filmmakers, the Sundance Screenwriters Lab ranks among the best. 15 screenwriters are chosen to partake in a five day workshop and writing lab in Utah. Applications for the Sundance Screenwriters Lab are open to any screenwriter who is working on their first or second feature film. 

The Universal Writers Program aims to find up-and-coming writers with various points of view. The fellowship is also the only program sanctioned by the Writers Guild of America West and prides itself on its effort for inclusion of writers from all walks of life. 

The program lasts one year and develops its screenwriters into full-time writers in the industry. Throughout the year-long program, writers will complete two feature length screenplays. 

The Warner Bros Writing Workshop is one of the longest running script writing fellowships on this list starting over 40 years ago. The program selects up to 8 writers to partake in a program that lasts from Oct. through Mar. 

Ultimately, the WB Writers Workshop aims to develop writers and ultimately have them earn a staff writer position on a TV show produced by Warner Bros. 

If you’re looking for a fellowship where you can learn from screenwriters already working in the industry then you’ll want to apply to the CBS Writers Mentoring Program. The program has produced over 75 writers’ careers. 

The program has two segments. The first is an eight-month program in which writers meet with their mentors and peers to develop their ideas. The second part is a sixteen-week workshop in which writers connect with execs, potential producers and agents. 

The WarnerMedia Access Writing Program, formerly known as the HBO Access Writers Program, is geared toward ambitious television writers. The eight writers selected for the fellowship begin by partaking in a writing master class based in Santa Monica. After the masterclass, writers participate in an eight-month development process for a pilot script. 

During these eight months, HBO execs will help writers develop their scripts and tackle things like plot problems, character development, getting representation, and marketing their television show. The Warner Media Access Writing Program happens every two years giving writers time to create their submission sample scripts. 

Script writing fellowships can be an incredible opportunity to hone your writing skills and develop your scripts. However, not all compensate writers financially in the way that the Disney ABC program does. Selected writers of the program are paid a weekly salary of $981.54 or $50,000 annualized. The program lasts one year and has produced successful writers that have gone on to write for shows like Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and Chicago Fire. 

The program aims to staff writers on a Walt Disney Television series as a staff writer. The first month of the program is designed to educate and prepare writers to work as a staff writer throughout their one year fellowship. Writers will also meet and have access to various producers, execs and representatives to develop a lasting network. The ultimate goal is to produce writers that will be valuable assets to WDT writers’ rooms.

The Black List Feature Lab selects up to 6-8 writers for a month-long writers workshop. Throughout the workshop, writers will develop a feature length screenplay. Screenwriting mentors will work with writers through one on one meetings to get writers’ screenplays to a place where it can be presented to execs, producers, agents and managers. 

The Black List and Women in Film fellowship is a one-year program that is geared toward writers from underrepresented genders (Trans, women, NB/GNC, and others).

The program invites six non-professional screenwriters to develop their pilot scripts with writing mentors, production companies, and execs.