Write Room Screenwriter Residency 2022 - call for submissions

Thursday, 25 August 2022 5:00 pm 17:00
Monday, 24 October 2022 5:00 pm 17:00

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Vicky Pope and Rob Sarkies - Write Room mentors

Call for Submissions: Screenwriter Residency

Application deadline: 5pm, 24 Oct 2022

Residency Dates: 6 Feb - 30 Apr 2023 (12 weeks)

Write Room Wellington is a screenwriter residency programme offered in partnership with POP Film, the Wellington City Council Aho Tini 2030 Arts, Culture & Creativity Strategy, and Wellington’s Unesco City of Film Programme.

Each year a Wellington screenwriter is selected to undertake a 12-week residency to develop a draft of their feature film screenplay with the support of experienced industry mentors. This year’s mentors are Robert Sarkies (Scarfies, Out of the Blue, Consent: The Louise Nicolas Story) and Vicky Pope (Gardening with Soul, Savage), along with the Write Room Producer Intern.

Write Room Wellington recognises the challenges for New Zealand screenwriters to create space in their lives to write and find a place to do their work. This opportunity is for a Wellington-based screenwriter hailing from film, television, web-series, theatre, radio, journalism or other literary backgrounds, with a feature film project at a stage that will benefit from focused development towards completion of a draft of the script. You do not need a completed script to apply.

The aim of the programme is to support a writer to develop their screenplay to a level where it can be pitched to a producer and secure further development funding and a pathway towards production.

Over the first 4 years of the programme 4 projects have been identified and supported to a stage where they successfully accessed further development support from the NZ Film Commission. 2019/2020 Producer intern Thomas Coppell says

“I was lucky to find a project through the process and we have since been awarded early development funding from the New Zealand Film Commission. We have attached a director, are driving towards production of the film here in Pōneke. I highly recommend the Write Room programme to emerging producers and writers!!!”

What’s on offer

The screenwriter will be provided with:

Private office space at Toi Pōneke Arts Centre in Wellington for 12 weeks between 6 Feb and 30 April 2023.
Grant of $9,750
Experienced creative support from the Write Room mentors.
Script read through at the end of the residency.

The framework of the residency is defined by what the writer thinks will be helpful to them, but generally takes the following form:

A feedback and planning session with the mentors at the commencement of the residency.
Two to three work-in-progress discussions with mentors during the residency.
An assessment of the draft at the conclusion of the residency, with advice on next steps to take.
At the end of the residency the writer’s script is presented to the industry via a read-through workshop to showcase the writer and introduce the work to potential producers.

We expect the chosen writer will spend a minimum of 25 hours a week committed to writing during the residency. You will be required to deliver a draft of your script as part of the programme.

Hours are flexible and can be worked in and around other work commitments - it does not have to be full time.