Black List Parenthood Writers Fellowship

Deadlines & fees

• Opt-in deadlinePassed
  1 Sept 2026America/Los_Angeles$130

Dates and fees checked against the official site 10 Aug 2026.

Key facts

Formats

Feature, TV Pilot

Eligibility

18+

Required materials

Completed feature screenplay or pilot teleplay, in English, hosted on the Black List with at least one pending or completed evaluation attached · A brief explanation of why parenthood is an important theme in your work and how it resonates in the script · If longlisted: a one-page personal statement, professional resume and short essay on how the project engages with parenthood themes

Applicants must be at least 18 and not a minor in their state or country of residence, and must be the sole owner of all rights in a wholly original, non-infringing completed feature screenplay or pilot teleplay of one hour or half an hour. Scripts must be submitted in English, with translations noting the original language. Writing teams are permitted provided every member complies. There is no income cap, no career-stage bar and no exclusion of represented writers. The theme gate is narrow: scripts must focus on the beginning of life. Two selection quotas apply: at least two of the four projects will focus on fatherhood or male caregiving, and at least one will be set in Europe in a country where The Human Safety Net operates, focusing on families at risk of social exclusion with children aged nought to six. No residency or nationality restriction is published, and the eligibility wording contemplates applicants outside the United States, but the page never states outright that non-US writers may apply.

Prizes

15,000 US dollars each to four writers, plus three meetings with an experienced creative mentor, access to a panel of subject experts spanning neuroscience, biology, psychology and anthropology, monthly cohort sessions with the other fellows, and an invitation to the 2027 Lights! Camera! Impact! Storyteller Gathering during the Venice Film Festival, where fellows present their pitches. Travel and accommodation terms for Venice are not published. Each recipient retains complete ownership of their work and the submission agreement carries no option, first look or first refusal, though it does include a broad release, indemnity, a name and likeness clause and binding arbitration in Los Angeles.

Judging

Up to forty projects are longlisted and asked for a one-page personal statement, professional resume and short essay. Up to ten are shortlisted and every shortlisted writer is interviewed by the Parenthood Fellowship committee. Four recipients are selected no later than 30 October 2026 and the fellowship commences in November. No mentors, expert panellists or committee members are named. Entrants receive the written Black List evaluation they purchased or were granted, which carries written and numerical feedback from a professional reader.

Frequently asked questions