The Screenwriters Lab is a five-day writer's workshop that gives independent screenwriters the opportunity to work intensively on their feature film scripts with the support of established writers in an environment that encourages innovation and creative risk-taking. Through one-on-one story sessions with Creative Advisors, Fellows engage in an artistically rigorous process that offers them indispensable lessons in craft, as well as the means to do the deep exploration needed to fully realize their material.
Filmmakers typically begin their participation in the Feature Film Program with the January Screenwriters Lab, the only Lab for which there is an open application. Online applications for the January Screenwriters Lab are made available in the Apply/Submit section of the website beginning February 15 of each year and must be postmarked by May 1.
The January Screenwriters Lab is held in January, just before the Sundance Film Festival. The 2011 January Screenwriters Lab will take place January 14-19, 2011.*
The June Screenwriters Lab is by invitation only and is held near the end of June, following the annual Directors Lab. The 2011 June Screenwriters Lab is June 25-30, 2010.*
*These dates are subject to change.Project Selection
Each year, The Feature Film Program selects 12 projects for the January Screenwriters Lab. Decisions are made and filmmakers are notified by December 15. An additional five projects are invited each year to participate in the June Screenwriters Lab. Decisions are made by April 15. Please note that the June Screenwriters Lab is by invitation only, and the June Directors Lab is almost always populated by previous Screenwriting Lab projects. There is no open application for the Directors Lab.While it is difficult to define selection criteria, the FFP seeks work that represents the personal vision of an artist and challenges and engages audiences in a truly original way.
The Fellows are selected from an open submissions process and a combination of intensive year-round outreach, recommendations from a national network of program alumni, Creative Advisors, film school faculty, film festival staffs, producers, and other film professionals. Historically, open submissions have provided approximately half of the total number of projects considered for the Labs.
Project selection is based on our rigorous review of the script and the writing and, if applicable, the directing talent involved. It is not necessary for anyone other than the writer to be involved in the application process for the January Screenwriters Lab. In order to get a more complete sense of the filmmaker's vision and aesthetic, our application asks candidates, when applicable, to describe their choices for director, cast, composer, or other creative elements.
All applications are reviewed by Institute staff. Filmmakers selected for the second stage of the review process are asked to submit full screenplays of their projects, which are reviewed by Institute staff. A short list of projects is then recommended to a Selection Advisory Committee comprised of writers, directors, and independent producers who work with the staff to make final decisions.
International Filmmakers
Each year, the Feature Film Program invites five to six international filmmakers to participate in its Screenwriters Labs. The Program's international outreach is currently focused primarily on these regions: the Middle East, Turkey, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.Project Support
Sundance Institute provides airline travel, accommodations, and meals at the Sundance Resort in Utah for one writer/filmmaker per project for the duration of the Lab, in addition to the extensive creative and strategic support provided throughout a project's development. The Institute considers special requests to provide accommodations and meals for additional creative partners, and may ask the creative team to cover travel and other expenses.The Feature Film Program is committed to supporting all of our projects long after the Lab. Projects supported through the Screenwriters Labs receive the full and continued support of the Feature Film program, which can include ongoing creative and strategic advice, significant production and postproduction resources, participation in the Screenplay Reading Series, a Rough Cut Screening Initiative, and direct financial support through project-specific grants and artist fellowships. The Feature Film Program is committed to seeing our films produced, and then seen by the world, and we continue to search for new ways in which we can support our artists and their projects.
Giving Back to Sundance Institute
Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organization funded by foundations, corporations, film industry sources, individuals, government agencies, and earned income such as ticket sales at the Sundance Film Festival. The Institute was founded by Robert Redford as a way to give back to a creative community and a new generation of film and theatre artists by providing them with an opportunity to develop their projects and skills. Because securing funding for the Institute's programs is a consistent challenge, we request that Lab Alumni whose projects are produced contribute to the Institute's work to support the next group of emerging filmmakers. The agreement is a way for filmmakers supported by our program to continue the spirit of giving back. Any revenue that is designated to Sundance Institute is allocated to the Feature Film Program and is used on an annual basis to provide critical support for the Labs.
Projects supported by the Screenwriters Labs are asked to contribute 0.25 percent of their production budget calculated after the first $1 million. Projects supported by the Directors Labs are asked to contribute 0.5 percent of their production budget calculated after the first $1 million. The total contribution for projects supported by both Labs is not to exceed 0.5 percent. Contributions are tax-deductible and are used to fund the Labs for the subsequent year. Additionally, Lab Alumni are asked to recognize the Program with the credit, "This film was supported by the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program," along with Sundance's wordmark in the picture's end titles, in a size of type not less than that of the largest end credit, on a separate card immediately following the cast list. Lab Alumni are also asked to contribute 1 percent of the net profit of the film. If you have any questions or would like clarification on this, please call 310-360-1981.
Important Dates
January Screenwriters Lab applications available online starting: February 15 (for the following year's Lab)
Application deadline for U.S. filmmakers: May 1 (postmarked)
Application deadline for international filmmakers: September 1 (postmarked). Click here for more specific information if you are an international filmmaker.
The applications are now closed for the January Screenwriters Lab, but to view last year's application click here.
To Apply (U.S. Applicants):
- The online application is currently closed. Next year's application will be available February 15 and due May 1.
- When applying online, you must also send the following supplemental materials to the address below:
- A cover letter introducing yourself and your project (e.g.: Why are you applying to the program? Are you collaborating with anyone on the project? What is the status of the project? How do you envision the realization of the script?). The cover letter should be no longer than one page.
- Resume/bio (including name, address, and telephone) of the writer, and anyone else involved with the project (i.e.: director, producer, etc.). It is unnecessary to have anyone other than the writer attached, and the resume/bio should be no longer than one page.
- A synopsis of the screenplay, no more than two pages, double-spaced.
- The first five pages of your script. Do not submit script pages from any other work. Please, do not send the full screenplay or any directing samples.
- A $35.00 non-refundable processing fee, payable by credit card via the online application.
Feature Film Program Applications
Sundance Institute
8530 Wilshire Blvd., 3rd Floor
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
If you wish to be notified that your application has arrived, please enclose a self-addressed stamped postcard. Submitted scripts, applications, and other materials will not be returned. Candidates may submit up to three applications, though it is not encouraged to submit more than one - please complete a separate application for each project submitted.
To Apply (International Applicants)
The program is unable to accept open applications from international filmmakers. An international applicant is a non-U.S. citizen living outside of the United States. For more information on the international outreach of the Feature Film Program, please click here.FAQ
If you have additional questions about applying for the Screenwriters Lab, click here for our FAQ.Alumni and Advisors
Many groundbreaking artists have been supported by the Screenwriters Lab, including: Cary Fukunaga, Cherien Dabis, Craig Zobel, Josh Marston, Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, Darren Aronofsky, David Gordon Green, Shirin Neshat, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Tamara Jenkins.Click here for a full list of Screenwriters Lab alumni.
Creative Advisors for the Screenwriters Labs have included Scott Frank, Susannah Grant, Frank Pierson, John August, Chris McQuarrie, Thomas Vinterberg, Atom Egoyan, Naomi Foner, Mike White, Allison Anders, Walter Mosley, and Walter Bernstein, among many others.
Click here for a full list of Creative Advisors.
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