2027 New York Screenwriting Fellowship

ABOUT

The New York Screenwriting Fellowship is for early-career, greater NYC-based screenwriters who are under-represented in the film industry and have demonstrated a rigorous commitment to their craft. Up to eight writers will be provided with both a screenwriting mentor and an executive mentor, as well as seminars, receptions, and other introductions, as they develop a new feature length screenplay during the Fellowship period. The goal of The New York Screenwriting Fellowship is to diversify the writers who have access to the meetings and projects that offer career sustainability.

Note: The New York Screenwriting Fellowship is a hybrid program. Applicants accepted to the Fellowship are required to attend virtual and in-person seminars and group writing sessions a minimum of two sessions per week for the duration of the program (June through October). In-person meetings will take place at either the WGA East or FilmNation Entertainment offices in New York City.

 

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 PROGRAM BENEFITS

Up to eight writers will be provided with both a screenwriting mentor and an executive mentor, as well as seminars, receptions, and other introductions, as they develop a new feature length screenplay during the Fellowship. The Fellowship will culminate with table reads of the participants’ works and a reception with leaders of the New York film industry.

The NY Screenwriting Fellowship is a partnership between FilmNation Entertainment and the Writers Guild of America East as they continue their championing of industry inclusion and fostering communities of writers. The NY Fellowship marks FilmNation’s and WGA East’s commitment to serving diverse, emerging talent and supporting New York City as a thriving hub of the entertainment industry. Final Draft is serving as the sponsor of the 2027 Fellowship and will provide NY Fellowship participants with software and other promotional materials.

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RULES & APPLICATION MATERIALS

The New York Screenwriting Fellowship program will accept up to 100 applications until Wednesday, November 25th 2026, on a first-come, first-served basis. 

We are focused on engaging writers who have already worked to establish relationships as they pursue their craft, and who have completed at least one feature-length screenplay. All applicants to The Fellowship are expected to be aware of statistics and research related to the lack of inclusion in the industry, and to be mindful of the spirit and mission of the program when applying.

The application process for the New York Screenwriting Fellowship will proceed in three rounds. 

All applicants will be required to submit:

1. An artistic statement of no more than 500 words.
2. A short written response of no more than 500 words to a prompt about a creative project that resonates with them due to its depiction of underrepresented voices/stories.
3. A one-page résumé.
4. A completed, WGA-registered feature-length screenplay, and summary of said screenplay (recommended 120-page max.).
5. A treatment for the project that the writer would like to work on during the fellowship (recommended 5 pages). 

Please register your script here (if not already registered). Registration certificates & registration numbers will be sent within three (3) business days of registration.

NOTE: If the script registration fee is cost-prohibitive, please select "New York Screenwriting Fellowship" as the Type of Material and enter the code NYSF2026 to register your screenplay for free.

ROUND 1: During the Round 1 blind review period, 100 screenplays will each be scored by two WGA screenwriters. The 40 highest-scoring applications will be reviewed by program staff to determine the 20 screenplays that will progress for Round 2.

ROUND 2: Round 2 will consist of a blind review by WGA and FilmNation staff of the sample script and summary, as well as the treatment for the NY Fellowship project.

ROUND 3: Up to 15 applicants will be named finalists and invited to interview in April 2027 with NY Fellowship staff for up to eight fellowship seats.

Application status notifications will be provided when the participating NY Fellowship writers are determined in May 2027.

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Application ID: {typeA46}

Application ID: {typeA46}

Your completed screenplay needs to be WGA-registered. Click here to register your material.

NOTE: If the registration fee is cost-prohibitive, select "New York Screenwriting Fellowship" as your Material Type and enter the code NYSF2026 when prompted. This will allow you to register for free.

Your Application ID is: {typeA46}

Uploaded files MUST be named using your 5-letter application ID, "NYSF", and File Type as follows:

• CV/résumé: {typeA46} - NYSF - CV.pdf
• WGA-registered Feature Screenplay: {typeA46} - NYSF - Screenplay.pdf
• Feature Screenplay Summary: {typeA46} - NYSF - Summary.pdf
• Project Treatment: {typeA46} - NYSF - Treatment.pdf

Applications that do not follow the eligibility requirements, application directions, and/or standards for feature formatting/length will not be considered.

Note that WGA registration takes up to 3-5 business days to process.