December Opportunities Mini Slate: Industry Greenlights and Gateways

FILMUSTAGE: AI Powered Tool For Scripts

Filmustage is offering 20% off to the AFI community.

 

Use code AFI20

 

Filmustage is an AI-powered tool that transforms script pages into a production-ready breakdown in minutes. From schedules and budgets to storyboards, Filmustage helps filmmakers save time, reduce costs, and confidently plan every step of production.

 

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WOMEN DIRECTING MENTORSHIP

FELLOWSHIPS & COMPETITIONS

 

APPLY BY: DECEMBER 18

 

SeriesFest and Shondaland are honored to partner on our seventh cycle of the Women Directing Mentorship: A competition designed to discover aspiring female directors with unique voices and provide a launchpad for their careers. Founded in 2019, The Women Directing Mentorship is anchored by the prestigious opportunity to shadow a director on an episode of a Shondaland original series.

 

PRIZE

The director selected as the Winner for Cycle 7 (2026) will shadow a director for an episode of a Shondaland production. The shadowing experience generally lasts 3–4 weeks, depending on the project.

 

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CREATIVE SHORTS FELLOWSHIP

FELLOWSHIPS & COMPETITIONS

 

APPLY BY: DECEMBER 31

 

Vision Maker Media is unleashing the harness and barriers of Native storytelling through the Vision Maker Media Creative Shorts Fellowship. We want to nurture and encourage new and creative, innovative storytelling and have emerging Native filmmakers tell film stories in a uniquely imaginative, inventive, and artistically experimental way.

 

We are seeking to support emerging Native filmmakers to produce new stories that deconstruct barriers of perceptions and misperceptions, facts and myths, ideologies and truths, push the limits of art and technology, while also supporting a mentorship with a career professional film producer or director.

 

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WIF FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

FELLOWSHIPS & COMPETITIONS

 

APPLY BY: JANUARY 7

 

The WIF Fellowship Program reflects our commitment to advancing the careers of women, nonbinary, and trans people across all areas of the industry. It is our belief that a true culture shift includes support and community for every entertainment industry role. To that end, if you don’t see your role represented in the list of application options, we still encourage you to apply.

 

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

  • You must be local to Los Angeles in order to participate. The WIF Fellowship will include both in-person and virtual meetings.
  • You must have a clear career focus that you can articulate in your application.

 

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PITCH COMPETITION AND PROGRAM

FELLOWSHIPS & COMPETITIONS

 

APPLY BY: JANUARY 11

 

The ATX TV Pitch Competition and Mentorship Program was developed to give burgeoning TV writers the community, support, and tools needed to take the next steps in their careers.

 

Whether you’ve been writing independently for years, or have just finished pouring your soul into your first pilot, this program is designed for those that have not quite been able to pierce the industry bubble. It is for both those who have been trying for years to get into the right door, and also those just starting out, ready to give it their all, but have no idea where to begin.

 

Who Should Apply:

FELLOWSHIPS & COMPETITIONS

 

APPLY BY: JANUARY 11

 

The ATX TV Pitch Competition and Mentorship Program was developed to give burgeoning TV writers the community, support, and tools needed to take the next steps in their careers.

 

Whether you’ve been writing independently for years, or have just finished pouring your soul into your first pilot, this program is designed for those that have not quite been able to pierce the industry bubble. It is for both those who have been trying for years to get into the right door, and also those just starting out, ready to give it their all, but have no idea where to begin.

 

Who Should Apply:

  • Writers seeking support, mentorship, and community with other emerging TV creators.

 

  • Individuals with experience in entertainment who have not yet been paid to write or develop television.

 

  • Creators with a compelling story who feel unsure about navigating the twists, turns, and challenges of breaking into the TV industry.

 

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2026 Black List x WIF Episodic Lab

FELLOWSHIPS & COMPETITIONS

 

APPLY BY: DECEMBER 10

 

The Black List and WIF will invite six promising non-professional television writers who are of an underrepresented gender (women, NB/GNC, and/or trans, and others) to the Episodic Lab.

 

The Black List and WIF will invite six promising non-professional television writers who are of an underrepresented gender (women, NB/GNC, and/or trans, and others) to the Lab. The Lab will consist of script development, pitching, peer workshopping sessions, and master classes with established writers and industry executives. Writers can also apply directly through WIF. The Lab will run for four weeks in-person in Los Angeles beginning in March 2026 and sessions will be held twice weekly on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. There will be additional ... SHOW MORE

FELLOWSHIPS & COMPETITIONS

 

APPLY BY: DECEMBER 10

 

The Black List and WIF will invite six promising non-professional television writers who are of an underrepresented gender (women, NB/GNC, and/or trans, and others) to the Episodic Lab.

 

The Black List and WIF will invite six promising non-professional television writers who are of an underrepresented gender (women, NB/GNC, and/or trans, and others) to the Lab. The Lab will consist of script development, pitching, peer workshopping sessions, and master classes with established writers and industry executives. Writers can also apply directly through WIF. The Lab will run for four weeks in-person in Los Angeles beginning in March 2026 and sessions will be held twice weekly on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. There will be additional mandatory sessions on several weekend days (to be announced). All selected Lab participants will be invited to join the yearlong WIF Fellowship Program following the Lab.

 

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Documentary Labs

FELLOWSHIPS & COMPETITIONS

 

APPLY BY: DECEMBER 15

 

The Documentary Producing Lab, held during the Fall, is designed for producers working in the nonfiction space. For one week, producers with projects in active development, production or post-production will be paired with creative and business consultants, learning strategies and practices that will benefit them not only on their current projects, but throughout their careers. With the generous support of The Harnisch Foundation, each Fellow will also receive professional coaching by Renee Freedman & Company as part of the program, positioning participants for success as they continue to grow professionally. The Documentary Producing Lab also includes multiple case studies with notable nonfiction producers, and concludes with a networking day with industry professionals.

 

The Documentary Story LabSHOW MORE

FELLOWSHIPS & COMPETITIONS

 

APPLY BY: DECEMBER 15

 

The Documentary Producing Lab, held during the Fall, is designed for producers working in the nonfiction space. For one week, producers with projects in active development, production or post-production will be paired with creative and business consultants, learning strategies and practices that will benefit them not only on their current projects, but throughout their careers. With the generous support of The Harnisch Foundation, each Fellow will also receive professional coaching by Renee Freedman & Company as part of the program, positioning participants for success as they continue to grow professionally. The Documentary Producing Lab also includes multiple case studies with notable nonfiction producers, and concludes with a networking day with industry professionals.

 

The Documentary Story Lab only accepts projects in the final stages of production or early post-production. The Lab is for directors, although director/producers can apply. Projects in the research and/or development phase or projects that have locked their picture edit are not eligible.

 

The Documentary Producing Lab accepts projects in active development, production or post-production. Applicants who are also directing the project they are submitting are ineligible.

 

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2026 Native Lab Application

FELLOWSHIPS & COMPETITIONS

 

APPLY BY: DECEMBER 22

 

Description: The Native Lab provides direct support to emerging filmmakers and episodic creators from U.S.-based Native American, Native Hawaiian, Alaskan Native, and Indigenous communities and Canada-based Indigenous Canadian (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit) communities. The fellowship for Indigenous Canadian film artists is made possible with support from the Indigenous Screen Office. If you are Canada-based, please apply here: https://iso-bea.ca/industry-initiatives/programs/sundance-native-lab-2025/.

 

Please note that you are required to submit a narrative feature or episodic pilot script.

 

*click photo to learn more*

 

NFMLA Virtual Conversation | Taking Control of Your Filmmaking Career & Creating Your Own Momentum

EVENTS AND NETWORKING

 

December 12, 2025

 

Tired of giving your power over to your co-writer, producer, editor, the person you’re pitching? Find yourself buying into all those industry myths and negativity that truly hold you back? Think there are only certain ways to make it in the industry?

 

Join Entertainment Career Coach/Talent Agent Consultant/NFMLA Workshop Facilitator Jim Arnoff in an immersive, interactive workshop that will give you the insider’s strategies for owning your vision, blazing your personal journey and taking charge of building the entertainment career you truly desire. Learn the coaching tools to articulate your vision with precision, eliminate those blocks that have been holding you back and design a concrete action plan that will achieve the entertainment career you deserve…..on your terms.

 

*click photo to learn more*

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EVENTS AND NETWORKING

 

December 12, 2025

 

Tired of giving your power over to your co-writer, producer, editor, the person you’re pitching? Find yourself buying into all those industry myths and negativity that truly hold you back? Think there are only certain ways to make it in the industry?

 

Join Entertainment Career Coach/Talent Agent Consultant/NFMLA Workshop Facilitator Jim Arnoff in an immersive, interactive workshop that will give you the insider’s strategies for owning your vision, blazing your personal journey and taking charge of building the entertainment career you truly desire. Learn the coaching tools to articulate your vision with precision, eliminate those blocks that have been holding you back and design a concrete action plan that will achieve the entertainment career you deserve…..on your terms.

 

*click photo to learn more*

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Monthly Film Festival

EVENTS AND NETWORKING

 

January 17, 2026 2:30pm PST – 10:00pm PST

 

NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) hosts its January Monthly Film Festival, spotlighting fighting ageism with InFocus: Counter-Ageism program, along with a selection of short film highlights from its ongoing program, as well as the West Coast Premiere of writer-director Mylissa Fitzsimmons’ feature The Long Run.

 

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