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The Indiewood Screenwriting Fund (ISF) is a program under the Cinematography for Actors (CFA) umbrella. Through this program selected screenwriters gain access to 12 weeks of mentorships, workshops, and Q&A sessions with industry professionals. Additionally, cohort members will have the entry fee covered for one screenplay competition (from the top four) of their choosing.
Created last year by Yaroslav Altunin (a screenwriter who was a finalist at the Austin Film Festival in 2018 and won UCLA's Screenwriters Showcase while attending the university), the program focuses on "offering direct financial support, mentorship opportunities, and community-focused initiatives." Submission to the program is free, however, only 15 writers are selected.
To apply, writers must have a pdf applicable script ready for submission with a 50 word maximum logline, and 500 word maximum synopsis. Writers will also submit five 200-plus-word essay prompts, ranging from "What does screenwriting mean to you?" to "Explain financial need and reasons for support." If selected, writers will then be able to choose between the Austin Film Festival, Slamdance Competition, Final Draft Big Break Contest, and Academy Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting for submission of their script; ISF will cover the entry fee.
Altunin makes it clear that the program is open to all genre writers – regardless of experience and education – but does insist on submitted scripts being "written structurally well, written coherently," while avoiding issues like typos and reading confusion.
While the reimbursement of $60 to $100 in competition submissions may seems like the best reason to submit, the associated mentorships and workshops are just as valuable to writers in the program.
Tamia Martin, a second year MFA Screenwriting student at the University of Texas at Austin, was a member who enjoyed all aspects of the fund. During the 12 week program, Martin and others were able to attend two hour discussions on Saturdays with industry professionals, where they would be educated on various aspects of the creative world, such as "Film Ethics" and "Use of Props." One especially helpful discussion came from Andrew Lang, who discussed "Navagating Creative Collaboration" in discussing the development process in the filmmaking world. While most discussions were in person at the CFA studio in Los Angeles, Martin and others were was still able to enjoy and participate in these discussions virtually.
Martin also found her one on one mentorship call with Lang after the program to be extremely helpful and beneficial. Looking back at the program positively, stating: "I felt the support. I was just very impressed with how much work went into this small inaugural program."
Martin eventually submitted her feature length screenplay to the Nicholl Fellowship, which saved her about $130. And while her screenplay didn't go far in the competiton, she was still able to receive non-biased notes from the competition regarding her script, as well as notes from ISF and their many workshop opportunities. These workshops also provided a space where she was able to network and connect with her fellow cohort members. Overall, Martin felt she,
"Got a lot more out of ISF than if I would have submitted to these festivals by myself."
In regards to tips on submitting, both Altunin and Martin had different ideas. Altunin advised applicants to, "Make sure [screenwriting] is what you really want to do, because if it's not, if there's doubt, disinterest, it's going to show in you're writing." Martin on the other hand, advised applicants to learn, "How to give and receive a note," while also encouraging submitted applicants to participate and put themselves out there during the weekly meetings and workshops.
If you are interested in submitting to the fund, you can apply here.
