Film Independent, the Los Angeles nonprofit behind the Spirit Awards, has run its Screenwriting Lab annually for 28 editions. It is a full-time, two-week workshop for emerging writers who already hold a completed draft of a fiction feature. Each Fellow is paired with a Creative Advisor and works with that advisor one-on-one and in group sessions, alongside guest speakers drawn from the industry. Seven writers were selected for the 2026 edition, which launched on 6 April 2026 and was guided by five creative advisors. The Lab takes place in Los Angeles and invited writers should plan to be there for its full duration. The 2027 edition is set for spring 2027, and applications for it opened on 29 June 2026.
Benefits & funding
- No tuition — beyond the application fee, there is no cost to participate in any Film Independent Artist Development program.
- A Creative Advisor assigned to each Fellow, working with them one-on-one and in group sessions on the script across the two weeks.
- Group workshops plus sessions with industry guest speakers.
- A $25,000 Climate Entertainment Development Grant goes to one filmmaker accepted into the Screenwriting Lab or Fast Track with a climate-focused fiction feature.
- Filmmakers accepted into Artist Development programs may also be considered for named fellowships administered by Film Independent, including the 191 Fellowship ($10,000), the Cayton-Goldrich Family Foundation Fellowship ($10,000), the MPAC Hollywood Bureau Fellowship ($10,000) and the Sony Music Vision Fellowship ($10,000).
- Costs the writer carries: the application fee ($65 non-member, $45 member, waived once per membership year for Filmmaker Pro Members), Film Independent membership at $105 a year for accepted participants, and all travel, lodging and visa expenses, which Film Independent states it cannot subsidize.
Eligibility
- Writers at any level of experience, from anywhere in the world; international applicants are eligible.
- One complete, feature-length fiction screenplay, submitted in English.
- Writing partners and teams may apply together with a single application; the Lab is for writers only, and other collaborators do not attend.
- Adaptations qualify when the applicant retains the rights to the underlying material.
- Documentary, short film and television projects are not eligible.
- No degree, age or nationality requirement is stated. Invited writers need to be in Los Angeles for the whole Lab and cover their own travel, lodging and visa costs.
Can you apply?
Open to all applicants
No nationality, residency, education, or experience limits are listed.
We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1Applications for the 2027 Lab opened on 29 June 2026 through the Film Independent submission manager on Submittable.
- 2Prepare the materials: a cover letter (500 words max), one complete feature screenplay, an artist statement (750 words max), a 25-word logline and a synopsis, project status and history, bios of any attached key cast and crew, an optional look book, and a narrative directing sample if the writer plans to direct.
- 3Pay the application fee: free for Filmmaker Pro Members (one waived fee per membership year), $45 for Film Independent Members, $65 for non-members.
- 4Submit by 31 August 2026, or by the extended deadline of 14 September 2026 when applying as a Film Independent member.
- 5Wait for the decision — applicants are notified three to four weeks before the program starts.
- 6Accepted writers join Film Independent at the $105 annual General Membership rate and arrange their own travel and stay in Los Angeles.
Program timeline
Applications open for the 2027 Screenwriting Lab
Jun 29, 2026
Regular application deadline
Aug 31, 2026
Extended deadline for Film Independent members
Sep 14, 2026
Three to four weeks before the start
Fellows notified
The two-week Lab runs in Los Angeles
Spring 2027