Cine Qua Non Lab: Storylines Lab
Lab · 2027Prestige 56/100
Virtual early-development lab taking a feature from concept to treatment. 1,500 US dollars, no travel.
Deadlines & fees
Opens soon
The 2026 edition is complete. The next call opens in October 2026, though no exact dates, times or timezone have been published.
Dates and fees checked against the official site 8 Aug 2026.
It costs $1,500 if you get in
That is charged after selection and is separate from any entry fee above. Charged per participant and due on acceptance, with roughly 10 days from notification to confirm and pay. Whether any tax is added is not addressed. Cancelling more than 15 days before the start refunds 50 per cent; later cancellation refunds nothing. Note that window is 15 days here against 20 days for the Script Revision Lab. Because the lab is virtual there is no accommodation, meals or travel either included or excluded: the fee buys the online workshop sessions and one-to-one guidance with the facilitator. No scholarships, reductions or waivers are available, and no instalment plan is published.
Key facts
- Formats
- Feature
- Eligibility
- Open worldwide
- Required materials
- Online application · CV or resume including education, experience and film credits · Synopsis of up to 3 pages in 12-point Courier · All materials in English; no full script required and no additional materials accepted
Open to professional writers or writer-directors from anywhere in the world developing a narrative feature at an early stage, from concept through to treatment. Also explicitly open to Cine Qua Non alumni workshopping a new project and to seasoned professionals. Only one person per project is accepted. Held in English, and all applicants must have a good knowledge of English with materials submitted in English. No completed script is required, no credits threshold is specified, and no director or producer attachment is required. Being virtual, there is no travel or accommodation component. The same credit obligations apply as for the Script Revision Lab, including an on-screen script consultant credit for the lab mentor.
Prizes
No cash award, prize or stipend. Unlike the Script Revision Lab there is no partnership grant or scholarship attached to this programme.
Judging
Selection is by a jury panel of film professionals who are not named; shortlisted applicants may be invited to a video interview. Individual feedback is not provided. The published mentor roster tagged to this lab includes Christina Lazaridi, Helena Medina, Meedo Taha, Pavel Jech, Jessie Keyt, Christian Routh, Lena Rudnick, Jeannie Donohoe and Elina Fessa. Cohort size is not published.
The PreList verdict
The cheapest way into Cine Qua Non, and the right door if your feature is still an idea rather than a draft. Fifteen days online with a facilitator and a small international group, taking a project from concept towards a treatment, and you come out with a short treatment and story points, character profiles and a synopsis. No script required to apply, no credits threshold, no producer or director needed. For a writer who works better with structure and deadlines than alone, that is a reasonable 1,500 US dollars.
The honest part: it is 1,500 dollars for online sessions, with no cash award, no stipend and, unlike the residential Script Revision Lab, no scholarship or partnership grant of any kind. Cine Qua Non states plainly it cannot offer reductions or waivers. There is no written feedback either, for applicants or participants. And the credit obligations that come with the residential lab apply here too, including an on-screen script consultant credit for your mentor, which is a lot to give for an early-development workshop.
Two practical notes. The cancellation window is tighter than its sibling lab: 15 days for a 50 per cent refund rather than 20, and nothing after that. And their own page contradicts itself on how long the lab runs, describing it as two weeks, as 15 consecutive days, and as taking place across a nine-week window, which cannot all be true. Ask before you book anything around it. The next call opens in October 2026.
Dylian Salvatore, Founder of The PreList · Updated 9 Aug 2026
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from the Script Revision Lab?
Stage and format. Storylines is for a feature at concept-to-treatment stage and runs entirely online; the Script Revision Lab is for a completed script and is residential in Mexico. Storylines requires no full script at application, costs 1,500 US dollars against 3,750, and includes no accommodation or meals because there is nothing to accommodate.
What does it cost?
40 US dollars to apply and 1,500 to attend if accepted, due on acceptance with about 10 days to confirm. Whether any tax is added is not stated. Cancel more than 15 days before the start and half is refunded; after that, nothing.
Are there scholarships?
No. Unlike the Script Revision Lab there is no partnership grant here, and Cine Qua Non states it is unable to offer fee reductions or waivers.
How long does it actually run?
Their page is inconsistent, describing it as two weeks, as 15 consecutive days, and as taking place between two dates nine weeks apart. Most likely there are multiple cohorts within that window, but the page does not say so. Worth confirming before you plan around it.
Is your script right for Cine Qua Non Lab: Storylines Lab?
Upload your screenplay and The PreList scores how well it fits this lab: genre, format, eligibility and readiness, before you spend anything.
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