Submissions Opened for 2024 HamptonsFilm Screenwriters Lab

HamptonsFilm, the home of the Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF), is now accepting submissions for the 24th Screenwriters Lab, taking place April 5-7, 2024.

Held annually each spring, the HamptonsFilm Screenwriters Lab champions the artistic visions of up-and-coming filmmakers from around the world. An intimate gathering in East Hampton, NY, the Lab fosters emerging talent by pairing selected fellows with established writers and creative producers for a weekend of one-on-one mentorship. Over the course of the weekend, these film industry veterans advise the participating fellows on their feature length projects in a series of individual and group development sessions. Additional events include nightly salons, roundtables, master class, and happy hours with industry guests, board members, alumni of the Lab, and members of the local artistic community.

One of the participating screenplays at this year’s Lab will also be selected as the recipient of the 2024 Melissa Mathison Fund. The fund was established in 2016 and named for the late, beloved Oscar®-nominated screenwriter, and strives to foster the continued development of female writers in the industry. Previous recipients include Shehrezad Maher’s “Theory of Colors,” Farida Zahran’s “The Leftover Ladies,” Lana Wilson’s “Back Seat,” Kelly O’Sullivan’s “Mouse,” Kirsten Tan’s “Higher,” Aemilia Scott’s “The Birthday Suit,” Annabelle Attanasio’s “Mickey And The Bear,” and Cathy Yan’s “Dead Pigs.”

Since its inception, over 100 screenwriters have taken part in the Lab. Recent highlights include Andrew Semans’ Resurrection (IFC Films, Sundance 2022), Annabelle Attanasio’s Mickey and the Bear (Utopia, SXSW 2019), Michael Tyburski and Ben Nabors’ The Sound of Silence (IFC Films, Sundance 2019), Cathy Yan’s Dead Pigs (Film Movement, Sundance 2018), Christina Choe’s Nancy (Samuel Goldwyn Films, Sundance 2018) and Ísold Uggadóttir’s And Breathe Normally (Netflix, Sundance 2018). With projects from participating fellows produced year after year, the Screenwriters Lab continues to be an inspiring and safe space for artists to find and hone their creative vision.

2023 Screenwriters Lab Mentors included award-winning filmmakers Ekwa Msangi (Farewell Amor), David Hinojosa (Past Lives; Bodies Bodies Bodies), and Samuel D. Hunter (The Whale). Additional mentors from previous editions include Academy Award®-winning and nominated screenwriters Debra Granik (Winter’s Bone), Tamara Jenkins (The Savages), Jim Taylor (Sideways), Michael H. Weber (The Disaster Artist), Oren Moverman (The Messenger), Robin Swicord (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Alex Dinelaris Jr. (Birdman), and Darius Marder (Sound of Metal). Mentors for the 2024 edition will be announced at a later date.

Submissions are now being accepted via FilmFreeway. To submit a screenplay and for more information on deadlines, please visit https://filmfreeway.com/HamptonsFilmScreenwritersLab.

ABOUT HAMPTONSFILM

HamptonsFilm, home of the Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) was founded in 1992 to celebrate the art of film and to introduce a unique and varied spectrum of international films and filmmakers to our audiences. A non-profit organization with year-round screenings of global narrative and documentary films, an annual Screenwriters Lab, a summer documentary showcase, and extensive educational initiatives, HamptonsFilm offers programs that enlighten, educate, and provide invaluable exposure for filmmakers, while also providing the East End of Long Island with an educational and cultural experience that enriches the lives of its citizens and contributes to the local economy. HIFF, celebrating its 31st year, is an annual premiere film event in New York State, and an intimate showcase of some of the year's best offerings in contemporary cinema from around the world. Awarding prizes to filmmakers in cash and goods and services of over $130,000, each year, with over $5 million awarded in competition funds and services over the decades, our program continues to play an important role during awards season. For more information, please visit hamptonsfilmfest.org.