The Black List and WIF will invite six promising non-professional screenwriters who are of underrepresented genders (women, NB/GNC, and/or trans, and others) to participate in a one year residency, kicking off with a long weekend intensive in the Los Angeles area on May 18-22, 2023 (dates subject to change). Over the kickoff, writers participating in the Residency will workshop one feature screenplay through one-on-one sessions with screenwriting mentors and in peer workshops. Throughout the following 12 months, writers will be supported through additional events as well arranged meetings with representation, production companies, and fellow writers to elevate their projects and career trajectories. Participants should expect these events to be held in person in Los Angeles. Writers will also be invited to exclusive Black List and WIF events through the end of June 2024.

Writers will also be able to submit their script directly through WIF when applications open on their website later this year.

The kickoff weekend of the Feature Residency is a residential program and accommodations will be provided for the kick-off. If you are accepted into the Residency, you will be required to board in the provided accommodations for the duration of the weekend. Please see below for details. 

Participants must be able to provide proof of vaccination (including boosters per current CDC guidelines) and willing to test for COVID-19 infection prior to arriving at the in-person portion of the program. 

Please take into consideration that the Feature Residency will hold semi-regular in-person events in Los Angeles throughout the year. If you live outside of LA and are unable to accommodate such a schedule, we kindly request that you withhold your submission to this opportunity.

BLACK LIST DEADLINES

• Submission Period Opens June 29, 2022

• Evaluations Deadline (optional)* February 5, 2023

• Submission Period Closes March 5, 2023

• Short List Writers Notified March 6, 2023

• Personal Statements Due March 13, 2023

• Zoom Interviews April 3-4, 2023

• Final Participants Notified April 5, 2023

• Residency Begins (Virtually) May 1, 2023

• Kick-off Session (Los Angeles) May 18-22, 2023**

* In order for new script evaluations to qualify for consideration for the Residency, they must be purchased by midnight on the Evaluations Deadline. Please note, purchase of an evaluation is not required for consideration to participate in the Residency although we do strongly encourage that you have your script evaluated. 

** Kick-off weekend dates are subject to change. 

Applicants can apply through the Black List and/or WIF, however instructions are different for each platform. 

THE SELECTION PROCESS

From the Black List submissions, up to 15 writers will be invited, based on the strength of their scripts, to submit a one-page personal statement and professional resume. These writers will also be potentially invited to interview. In addition, WIF will generate their own short list of 15 writers who submitted directly to WIF. From the total of those submissions, up to 6 writers will be selected by the Black List and WIF to participate in the Residency.

KICK-OFF ACCOMMODATIONS

For the kickoff weekend, ground transport to and from all Residency events, and accommodations (room and tax only)* will be provided by the Black List and WIF. Meals will also be provided. The kickoff weekend of the Residency is a residential program.

* If you are accepted into the Residency, you will be required to board in the provided accommodations for the duration of the kickoff weekend.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I Submit A Pilot Script To Be Considered For The Annual Lab And/Or The Feature Residency?

No, you must submit a feature script to be considered for the Annual Lab and/or the Feature Residency.

Can I Submit Multiple Scripts To Be Considered For Each Program?

Absolutely. But writers will be selected for each program based on a single script; so if you're selected, you must workshop the script that is chosen for the program.

Do I Have To Workshop The Script That Gets Me Selected For A Program Or Can I Workshop Something New?

You have to workshop the script that gets you selected for the program.

How Will The Scripts Be Evaluated For This Program?

We use the ratings a script receives, both from our paid readers and from industry pros, to determine the short list of writers for each program who will be invited to submit a one-page personal statement. Paid evaluations initiated before midnight on the stipulated evaluations deadline for each program will be guaranteed consideration. Paid evaluations are not required.

For our 2023 Residency, the evaluation purchase deadlines is February 5, 2023.

Because our finalists are determined by examining all data about opted in scripts for site partnerships, we strongly advise purchasing at least one evaluation. In the event that the purchase of a single evaluation is cost prohibitive, please follow us on social media and the Black List blog where opportunities for free and discounted evaluations appear from time to time.

I Have A Writing Partner Who Identifies As A Cis Man. Can I Still Apply To The Black List X WIF Feature Residency?

Yes, you are still eligible to apply for all programs, including the Black List x WIF Feature Residency and the Black List x WIF Episodic Lab. In our effort to create equitable spaces in a currently male-dominated industry, should you be accepted into either the Black List x WIF Feature Residency or the Black List x WIF Episodic Lab, your partner would not be able to participate in the sessions directly. However, you would be able to share appropriate script feedback with them.

I Live Outside Of Los Angeles. Can I Still Apply For Any Of The Programs?

Yes, you may still apply for any of our programs. However, this program takes place in Los Angeles, CA and you will be responsible for your own travel and accommodations to/from/in Los Angeles should you live outside of Los Angeles, are accepted into the program, and decide to participate.

Accommodations for the kick-off portion of the Black List x WIF Feature Residency will be provided by the Black List and WIF. For the kickoff weekend, ground transport to and from all Residency events, and accommodations (room and tax only)* will be provided by the Black List and WIF. Meals will also be provided. The kickoff weekend of the Residency is a residential program. If you are accepted into the Residency, you will be required to board in the provided accommodations for the duration of the kickoff session. Accommodations will not be provided for Residency events outside of the kickoff weekend. If you are applying to the Residency and do not live in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, you will need to cover your own travel for the kick-off weekend and travel and accommodation expenses for any additional events.

Please take into consideration that the Feature Residency will hold semi-regular in-person events in Los Angeles throughout the year. If you live outside of LA and are unable to accommodate such a schedule, we kindly request that you withhold your submission to this opportunity.

I'd Like To Be Considered For The 2023 Residency! How Exactly Do I Do That?

Just opt your script into consideration during onboarding or add it from the My Scripts page! 

And please make sure to read the Submission Requirements and the Submission Agreement for each program, which can be found as PDFs on each program's submission page, to make sure you are qualified first. You'll need to meet all of the requirements to participate in the program if selected. 

Writers can also apply through WIF (https://womeninfilm.org/programs/writing/). However please note that the procedures and deadlines for applying directly through WIF are different than those for applying through the Black List.

Is This A Case Where The Person Who Buys The Most Evaluations Will Be Invited To The Program?

Not at all. Certainly more data allows us to make more confident decisions about the strength of scripts hosted on the site, but by no means is it necessary or recommended to buy up evaluations to improve your chances of being selected for one of our programs.

My Script Was On The Site Awhile Ago, But I Took It Down To Work On A Rewrite. Does A Script Have To Be Live On The Site To Be Considered?

Great question. It just needs to be live on the site for one week at some point between the time that the opt-in for the program opens and the opt-in deadline. Legally, writers have to opt into consideration for each program and they can only do that with an active script. We recommend reactivating the script for one month at some point between now and a week before the program's opt-in deadline.

What Exactly Happens In These Writing Programs?

We can only speak to ours, but some of the things we do include:

One-on-one sessions with professional writers as mentors

Peer workshopping of each others' scripts

Dinners with special industry guests

Guest lecturers and Q&As

Private film screenings

Sessions with lit agents and managers