Professional Development & Funding Opportunities for Screenwriter

Workshops, Contests, Labs, Residencies, Professional Development, Mentorship Programs

Canadian Opportunities

Below is a list of some of the film and screenwriting training, workshops, residencies, mentorship programs in Canada:

• Banff -  residencies and development programs for film and tv

• Canadian Film Centre (want you out of school for a couple of years – acting, directing, producing, editing, writing for film and tv)

• Caribbean Tales - creates, markets and distributes educational programs and products intended to promote racial equality in Canada.

• CineCentral - filmmaker society (Nanaimo, BC)

• Cineworks - an independent filmmakers society—an artist-run production and exhibition centre that supports independent filmmakers and media artists.

• CinVic - an artist-­run society which provides independent filmmakers and media artists with affordable and accessible development opportunities, programming, and equipment (Victoria)

• Corus Writer's Apprentice Program (Canada)

• Daryl Duke Screenwriting Prize

• Jim Burt Screenwriting Prize (WGC)

• National Screen Institute (Canada)

• NFB -  National Film Board -  Programs, TV, Short Film, Feature

• Northwest Territories Film Commission - promotes the NWT as a production location for feature films, documentaries, television programs, commercials, as well as still shoots.

• Micki Moore Residency (TIFF)

• Pacific Screenwriting Program  - Building a vibrant screenwriter community in British Columbia by providing a training ground for BC’s aspiring and active screenwriters. Combining real-world story-room experience, mentorship, bootcamps, workshops and information sessions, the program equips writers with the skills, experience, and connections necessary to establish a sustainable career in the province’s dynamic screen industry.

• Pacific Screenwriters Lab, Pacific Screenwriting Program

• https://pacificscreenwriting.ca/indigenous-screenwriters-lab/

• The Canadian Academy Directors Program for Women - an initiative that came from the Academy’s desire to reach gender parity and ensure the greater representation of women and women-identifying directors working in today’s screen-based media industry.

• TIFF Industry -  Master classes and workshops, talent lab

• Warner Media Access and Canadian Academy Writer Program

• Whistler Talent Programs (Screenwriters Lab, Indigenous Filmmaker Fellowship, MPPIA Short Filmmaker Award, Women in Focus Mentorship, Producers Lab, Power Pitch, WIDC/WFF Industry Immersion

• Women in Film & Television - Vancouver

• Women in Film & Television - Toronto

• Women in the Director's Chair -  provides professional and creative development to mid-career Canadian women directors of screen-based fiction. 

International Opportunities

• Disney Fellowship

• Film Independent

• Humanitas Prize

• IFP labs

• Stowe Story Labs

• Sundance

• The Orchard Project

• Transgender Film Centre - TFC Career Development Lab - US

Screenwriting Contests

Contests can be a good way to get feedback, have something to put on a CV, or get some recognition. However they can be costly and sometimes can be scams.
​
Here’s a list of some of the best screenplay contests from Moviebytes.

You can find reputable screenplay contests at Film Freeway and Coverfly.

There are some opportunities available on the Blacklist site.

Here are some that I recommended.

Canadian

• Female Eye Film Festival Screenplay Contest (Toronto)

• The Comox Valley International Film Festival - feature and short film script competition (Vancouver Island)

• The Vancouver International Women in Film Festival Screenplay Competition (Vancouver)

International

• 10 Best Screenplay Contests

• Atlanta Film Festival

• Austin Film Festival Screenplay Contest

• Bluecat

• Edinburgh International Scriptwriting Competition

• Launch Pad

• Most Worthwhile Fellowships, Labs, and Contests

• Nantucket Film Festival

• Nichol Fellowship

• Slamdance

• Zoetrope

Graduate School

• 10 Best Academic Screenplay Programs in the US

• American Film Institute (AFI)

• Columbia

• Concordia

• Humber (post graduate certificate)

• SFU

• University of Victoria

• University of British Columbia

• UCLA

• USC

• York

*I don't recommend applying for for-profit film schools such as Vancouver Film School  or Toronto Film School. They are very costly and you can get lower cost educational opportunities through continuing education or private workshops. 

Continuing Education & Private Workshops

• Corey Mandell (Screenwriting Courses Online)

• Chang School of Continuing Education, Ryerson University,  Film Studies Certificate (film production)

• Daniela Saioni (TV & Film Writing, Directing)

• Humber College Continuing Education

• LIFT - courses and equipment rentals (Toronto)

• ProPath Screenwriting  (Private workshops and consulting)

• University of Toronto, Continuing Education

• Ryerson University Continuing Education

• Second City and Comedy Bar offer courses (Toronto)

Many universities and colleges offer continuing education screenwriting and film classes.

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Funding Opportunities

Creative BC: Equity + Emerging Development - Reel Focus BC

NFB: Filmmaker Assistance Program - BC and Yukon

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Tell me about your favourite professional development opportunities.

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