Northern Ireland Screen New Writer Focus

Deadlines & fees

Dates and fees checked against the official site 9 Aug 2026.

Key facts

Formats

Feature

Eligibility

UK residentsEmerging writersNorthern Ireland only

Open to

United Kingdom

Required materials

A first draft of the script you wish to develop, including a title page with project title, writer full name, address and contact details, in standard industry format, Courier 12pt, around 90 pages · A single document containing a logline, a paragraph synopsis and a one-page outline in Courier 12pt · Files named with the project title and your full name · Submitted through the SmartSimple portal, after a brief pre-application form and an anonymous equality monitoring form

Open only to Northern Ireland resident writers new to feature film, defined as a writer without a writing credit on a produced feature film, and Northern Ireland Screen reserves the right to request proof of residency. You must not have previously completed the scheme. Feature film scripts only: the scheme states plainly that it is not taking applications for TV drama or comedy. No genre restriction, and projects need not be limited by budget or genre, with a range of art-house and commercial stories welcomed. Scripts should run to approximately 90 pages in Courier 12pt. Writing teams of up to two may submit jointly. One project per applicant, and multiple applications are not permitted. No producer or director is needed, and representation is not mentioned as a bar.

Prizes

Selected writers are invited to apply for a writer's award following the selection process, so selection alone does not guarantee the money. The 2026-27 guidelines state that award as 2,500 pounds. Note a live discrepancy: Northern Ireland Screen's own development funding page states that the maximum award for script development to an individual is 2,250 pounds and that all individual awards are allocated exclusively through New Writer Focus, so the two figures describe the same award and cannot both be current. The scheme-specific guidelines are the more likely figure, but confirm before relying on it. Payment staging is not published, and travel or accommodation for the writers' room, which involves monthly meetings, is not addressed anywhere. No option, first-look, first-refusal or exclusivity clause appears in the guidelines. Worth noting for clarity: Northern Ireland Screen does describe development awards as recoupable loans elsewhere on its site, but those statements sit under its project and slate development funds, which are company-only, and no recoupment language appears under script development or in these guidelines.

Judging

Applications go through Northern Ireland Screen's SmartSimple portal under Funding Opportunities, preceded by a brief pre-application form and an anonymous equality monitoring form. Applicants are notified of a decision by the end of August. No individual feedback is offered to unsuccessful applicants given the volume. The selection panel is not published. Ursula Devine, Development Executive, is the named scheme contact. Alumni cited by Northern Ireland Screen include Mark McNally of In the Land of Saints and Sinners, Kevin Fitzpatrick of The Last Rifleman and Sam O'Mahony of The Wise Guy. Note two contradictions in the official documents: the web pages say up to four scripts are chosen with development running September to April, while the guidelines PDF says up to three scripts and September to March.

Frequently asked questions