Program guide
How to apply to Sundance Development Track (Screenwriters Lab)
Single application for first- or second-feature fiction writers and directors to be considered for the Winter Screenwriters Lab, Screenwriters Intensive and Sloan fellowship.
Step by step
- Check that you are eligibleThe published rules: Open to creators and freelancers; Screenwriters/directors developing a first or second fiction feature; a full screenplay draft is usually required.
- Gather the materialsYou will need: Work samples, Personal statement / SOP, Short bio.
- Write the answersBuild the statement around one plan for the fellowship period and the evidence that you will carry it out.
- Submit on the official pageApply through the official page (Own portal) before 20 April 2027, and keep the confirmation.
- Follow upNote when results are due. If the organiser invites questions, ask once, briefly, after the date has passed.
Timeline
- By 9 March 2027Ask referees and order documentsAsk your referees, and order transcripts or score reports; these depend on other people's timelines.
- By 23 March 2027Draft the statementDraft the statement around one clear plan, with evidence from your record.
- By 10 April 2027Review and remindReview against the selection criteria; gently remind referees of the date.
- By 18 April 2027Submit and keep the confirmationSubmit early and check that every reference shows as received.
Questions you will meet, answered honestly
What will you do during the fellowship?
A specific plan with milestones, tied to what the fellowship provides.
What is your long-term goal?
Honest and specific. It's fine if it is still forming, as long as the next step is clear.
What reviewers of fellowships look for
- Build the statement around one plan for the fellowship period and the evidence that you will carry it out.
- Ask referees early and send them your statement and the selection criteria, so their letters address the same points.
- Check the eligibility window (years since degree, nationality, field) before investing time.
How Onward Scout helps
This one is submitted on the organiser's own site, behind your login. Onward Scout prepares every answer and file in the form's order with one-tap copy, so submitting takes minutes; you mark it submitted when you're done.
Let Onward Scout prepare your Sundance Development Track (Screenwriters Lab) application
Get your personal statement, tailored résumé and notes for your referees for this programme, drafted from your own documents in about two minutes. Free to start, no account needed. Every answer is drafted from your own documents with sources, and nothing is submitted without your tap.
Nothing is submitted without your tap. Logins, CAPTCHAs, payments and interviews stay with you.