Labs & Fellowships

Supporting the creative community has always been our top priority at BET which is why we launched Project CRE8. We are staying true to our commitment of supporting emerging creatives by launching Project CRE8: TV, a nationwide screenplay competition searching for the next great comedy television show.

The Black List and Women In Film will invite six to eight promising non-professional television writers who identify as women to the Lab.

The goal of the program is to positively impact the presence of diverse writers throughout the industry. As part of its ongoing commitment to create additional access for writers of diverse backgrounds CBS’ Diversity Institute has launched a different kind of writers' program which highlights one of those paths. The focus of this eight month program is on opening doors: providing opportunities to build relationships with network executives and show runners; to support new and emerging writers in their efforts to improve their craft; and to develop the interpersonal skills necessary to break in and succeed.

The Cassian Elwes Independent Screenwriting Fellowship is an annual program designed to encourage and identify new talent in the field of independent cinema by awarding two screenwriters each year with an all-expenses paid trip to the Sundance Film Festival and an opportunity to meet with producer Cassian Elwes (MUDBOUND, LEE DANIELS' THE BUTLER, DALLAS BUYERS CLUB).

Unrepresented feature writers with an independent sensibility who have made less than $5,000 in aggregate in their film or television writing careers will be able to opt into consideration via the Black List website. At that time, the Black List will choose ten screenplays imbued with an independent spirit by unrepresented screenwriters, which will be sent on to Mr. Elwes for his consideration.

The HBOAccess® Writing Fellowship provides mentorship for up to 8 diverse, emerging storytellers. Following a one-week intensive of master classes, participants are immersed in 8 months of mentoring by HBO creative executives, as each participant develops a script suitable for HBO® or Cinemax®.

One writer will be selected to receive $10,000 as well as development support from executives at MACRO and The Black List to craft a feature-film pitch to be presented to a Warner Bros. executive in 2021. The pitch developed for this partnership, if sold, will grant the selected writer a two-step WGA minimum deal. The mission of this program is to discover and empower the next generation of writers in the studio system with creative tools, resources and the access needed to help launch their careers.

The authors of five scripts will be invited to participate in this three-day, dynamic lab in mid-June, where they will work closely with Lab Mentors — established writers who will critique and encourage their work. Only narrative feature-length screenplays and episodic pilot script (standard broadcast length – half hour or hour) will be considered.

After the lab, the fellows work with experienced Outfest directors to present their screenplays on stage with a live reading at the Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival in July. Screenwriting Lab Fellows will continue to receive guidance from Outfest Staff and Mentors for the full calendar year.

The Screenwriters Lab is a five-day writers’ 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 focuses on the art and craft of screenwriting and creative risk taking. Through one-on-one story sessions with creative advisors, fellows engage in an artistically rigorous process that offers indispensable lessons in craft to facilitate the deep exploration needed to fully realize their material.

Elevate Your Filmmaking Journey with The Athena List: Celebrating Women Leaders in Exceptional Scripts!

Unveil your creativity through their annual script competition, where remarkable scripts featuring women leaders at the core take center stage. As the cornerstone of the Athena Film Festival's Creative Development Program, The Athena List is dedicated to amplifying the scripts and the talented writers behind them within the industry. Their ultimate aim? To propel these compelling stories to the silver screen and catapult the careers of these writers to new heights.

Ready to embark on a journey that celebrates women's leadership and storytelling prowess? Discover how The Athena List can serve as your launching pad into the world of film and industry recognition.

Screenwriters who have written a script that includes at least one lead character with a disability are invited to submit their feature or pilot scripts for consideration in the Disability List.

The Black List has partnered with IllumiNative and Sundance Institute for the inaugural Indigenous List. The Indigenous List will feature film and television scripts authored by Native American, Native Hawaiian, and Alaskan Native Film artists working in the U.S.

The Black List has partnered with the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) and Pillars Fund to create The Muslim List, highlighting the very best unproduced scripts written by at least one Muslim writer.

The Universal Writers Program identifies up-and-coming and experienced screenwriters with unique points of view that build upon the Studio’s commitment to telling stories and creating films that reflect the vast diversity of our audiences. The only feature film program sanctioned by the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW), the Program develops storytellers who organically incorporate multicultural and global perspectives in screenwriting.

The one-year paid program engages writers to create material for development consideration; however, concept development is not guaranteed. From pitch to final draft, writers are afforded creative guidance from executives, producers and designated creative consultants. In addition to penning two (2) feature-length scripts, writers participate in a curriculum designed to strengthen their creative and professional development, as well as overall knowledge of the Studio production process from pitch to premiere. The Program also provides access to agents, managers and various industry professionals through meetings and/or events.

Discover a groundbreaking opportunity to advance your career in filmmaking and screenwriting. Research underscores the scarcity of mentorship for women of color, a consequence of systemic racism and patriarchy. It's time to change the narrative.

Unlock Her Potential aims to elevate women of color into leadership roles, ushering them into the C-suite, director's chair, and beyond. Let's shatter the boys' club that has perpetuated exclusion. To qualify, you must be a woman* of color, aged 18 or older, residing in the US (including Puerto Rico), and possess an active LinkedIn profile.

Apply for a SINGLE MENTORSHIP to streamline your submission. The program will only consider your most recent application if multiple are submitted.

A $25 non-refundable administrative fee accompanies your mentorship application. This contribution aids application processing and sustains the program. If financial constraints arise, opt for a smaller donation or opt-out, knowing all applications receive equal consideration.

*This encompasses cis, trans, non-binary, femmes, gender non-conforming, gender-expansive, & gender-fluid individuals. Your journey to success starts here. Apply today and unleash your potential!

WeForShe's annual WriteHer List is focused on bringing deserved attention to talented female writers and the compelling, original and diverse stories they have to tell. Approximately 125 women have been featured on our annual list, which has led to these writers finding passionate representation, being staffed, and placed into development deals.