Writers Workshop
The IFP/Gotham Writers Workshop supports emerging screenwriters and fiction feature filmmakers through labs, script development, and professional mentorship programs.
Overview
The Gotham Film and Media Institute (formerly IFP -- Independent Filmmaker Project) runs one of the most well-established writer and filmmaker development ecosystems in the United States. Through its Writers Workshop and related programs, Gotham supports emerging screenwriters and fiction feature filmmakers across script development, pitching, and early career formation. The organization has been supporting independent film since 1979 and its alumni include many of the leading independent filmmakers working in American cinema today.
The Writers Workshop specifically offers script development labs and mentorship programs for writers working on fiction feature screenplays. Selected participants receive structured feedback from industry professionals, peer development within cohorts of working writers, and access to Gotham's network of producers, development executives, and literary managers.
What It Funds
The Writers Workshop provides script development support rather than production funding. Selected writers receive intensive feedback on their feature screenplays through workshop sessions with professional script consultants and fellow writers. Some Gotham programs also include stipends to cover participation costs.
Gotham's broader ecosystem includes market programs that connect developed scripts with producers and development executives -- meaning that for writers whose scripts complete the workshop process, there are pathways to production introductions that extend beyond the development support itself.
Eligibility
Programs vary in their specific eligibility criteria. Most Gotham development programs are aimed at emerging and early-career screenwriters and filmmaker-writers based in the United States, particularly those who are underrepresented in the industry. Some programs require completed feature screenplay drafts as part of the application.
Filmmakers and writers should consult the Gotham website for current open programs, as the organization runs multiple initiatives across the year with different deadlines and requirements.
Who Should Apply
Emerging US-based screenwriters and writer-directors working on fiction feature projects who want structured script development support and access to a professional network in independent film. The Writers Workshop is particularly well suited to writers who have a strong feature concept or draft but who need developmental feedback and industry relationships to move their project forward.
See Also
For understanding how script development connects to the production pathway, see Film Grants and the Development Pathway. For an overview of the screenwriting craft and development process, see the Screenwriter glossary entry.
