Call for Entries: The Creators

Screen Australia and the Australian Writers’ Guild are jointly calling for entries for The Creators, a new career acceleration program for mid-career screenwriters.

Up to six writers with existing episodic slates will be selected to travel to Los Angeles to participate in training, industry meetings, networking events and attend Content LA in 2023.

Screen Australia’s CEO Graeme Mason said, “We’re delighted to partner with the AWG to provide Australian screenwriters with this unique opportunity to advance their original Australian stories and gain training and exposure to the US industry. The Creators aims to help creatives enhance their slates, pitching skills, business capability, forge important connections and reach market and audience. In an increasingly global market we’re committed to supporting Australian writers to find pathways to audiences here and around the world.”

AWG President Shane Brennan said, “Australia produces outstanding television with highly skilled screenwriters at the core of the creative vision. The Guild is thrilled to partner with Screen Australia on The Creators, designed to equip Australia’s most in-demand writing talent with the industry knowledge and access to take our unique stories to the world and to drive opportunity and production on a local and global scale.”

Susie Hamilton, The Creators Program Director said, “Australia is home to many talented, established screenwriters who are ready, with the right support and access, to take their stories to a global audience. The Creators will identify six high-calibre screenwriters and provide them with the unique training, unmatched opportunities and exposure to enter the global industry as market-ready, pitch-ready and slate-ready creatives/writers. We couldn’t be more excited to deliver this program.”

The program will provide participants with high-level training from industry leaders, as well as project and pitching development and networking opportunities to sell their stories in domestic and international arenas. Jeff Melvoin, founder and Chair of the Writers Guild of America’s Showrunner Training Program, will lead the selected writers in a training workshop, and writer, director and executive producer Jeff Greenstein will lead the writers in pitching training while in the US.

The Creators is supported by industry partners Australians in Film and Scripted Ink.

To apply, writers must have sufficient recent credits across television, feature film and/or theatre; and existing interest from the global community. They must also have a slate of 3-5 scripted episodic projects currently in development including one lead project with a draft pilot script to focus on in the program. Applicants must be available from 6–19 May 2023 to attend.

Applications close at 5pm AEDT Thursday 2 February 2023.