Stowe Story Labs
Lab · 2026Prestige 50/100Feedback included
Vermont and online labs where emerging writers develop scripts with mentors. Fellowships can cover fees.
Deadlines & fees
- Feature Campus and Writers Room deadlineNext deadline
- 2027 Narrative Labs and Writers' Retreats early bird
Dates and fees checked against the official site 6 Sept 2026.
Key facts
- Formats
- Feature, TV Pilot
- Genres
- Action, Adventure, Animation, Biography, Comedy, Crime, Documentary, Drama, Family, Fantasy, History, Horror, Music, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi, Sport, Thriller, War, Western
- Eligibility
- Open worldwideEmerging writers
- Required materials
- Application via Submittable: story idea plus writing sample (full requirements behind the Submittable login)
Open to emerging screenwriters, filmmakers and creative producers worldwide; Stowe looks for a strong story idea, a good writing sample and a collaborative nature. Teams of two may apply and share slots. Fellowship or scholarship interest is indicated on the same application.
Prizes
Tuition-based: the four-day Narrative Lab costs US$2,750; five-day retreats US$1,800 (remote) or 4,250 euros all-inclusive (Connemara and Croatia); the 12-week remote Feature Campus and Writers Room US$2,650 each. Twelve or more named fellowships (US$3,000 to over US$10,000) plus full and partial scholarships can cover fees. Stowe Launch, the year-long development programme, is free if selected.
Judging
Rolling admissions from a single programme application via Submittable, capped by slots (about 20 per retreat, 12 per remote programme). Applications are reviewed by humans; Stowe states it does not use AI to review scripts or applications. Fellowship recipients are chosen from the same applicant pool.
The PreList verdict
Stowe is a year-round development ecosystem rather than a single lab: four-day narrative labs in Vermont, writers' retreats in Ireland and Croatia, and twelve-week remote programmes including Feature Campus and The Writers Room, led by co-founder David Pope with visiting guests. More than a dozen named fellowships worth US$3,000 to over US$10,000, plus full and partial scholarships, can cover fees and add stipends, and you flag your interest in them on the same application.
The honest part: it is tuition-based, and the sticker prices are real money. The four-day Narrative Lab is US$2,750, each twelve-week remote programme US$2,650, remote retreats US$1,800 and the Connemara or Croatia retreats 4,250 euros all-inclusive. Without a fellowship this is a purchase rather than a prize, and you should decide in advance whether you would still go at list price. Selection weighs a strong story idea, a good writing sample and, stated explicitly, a collaborative nature.
Apply if you want sustained development alongside mentors and you will genuinely pursue the fellowship route rather than paying full freight. Feature Campus and The Writers Room close on 2 September 2026 or when the programmes fill, whichever comes first, with sessions running from 26 October. The Screen Ireland fellowship attached to the Connemara retreat closes earlier, on 12 August 2026.
Dylian Salvatore, Founder of The PreList · Updated 7 Sept 2026
Frequently asked questions
What is open right now?
Feature Campus and The Writers Room close on 2 September 2026, or when the programme fills, whichever comes first, with sessions from 26 October. The Fis Eireann/Screen Ireland fellowship for the Connemara retreat closes on 12 August 2026.
What does it cost?
The four-day Narrative Lab is US$2,750, the twelve-week Feature Campus and Writers Room are US$2,650 each, remote retreats US$1,800, and the Connemara and Croatia retreats 4,250 euros all-inclusive.
Can the cost be covered?
Yes. More than a dozen named fellowships worth US$3,000 to over US$10,000, plus full and partial scholarships, can cover fees and add stipends. You indicate interest on the same application form.
Is your script right for Stowe Story Labs?
Upload your screenplay and The PreList scores how well it fits this lab: genre, format, eligibility and readiness, before you spend anything.
Similar competitions
All labs
Sundance Institute Episodic Storytelling Lab
Lab · 2026
Closed for this cycle
Applications for the 2027 Episodic Lab and Intensive closed on 25 August 2026 (window 13 July to 25 August, 50 US dollar fee). Decisions go out by email around mid February 2027; the in-person Lab runs 15 to 20 April 2027 and the virtual Intensive 27 to 28 July 2027. One exception: an original series eligible for the Sloan Science Grant can still be submitted with a waiver code until 14 December 2026. Sundance says the next season opens in summer 2027.
Sundance's independent TV lab: develop an original pilot with mentorship and industry access.
TV PilotActionAdventure+18
Checked 2 days ago
Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab
Lab · 2027
Closed for this cycle
Applications for the January 2027 lab closed on 12 May 2026 (US$45 fee). The next Development Track window is expected to open in April 2027.
Sundance's flagship January lab: five days developing your first or second feature with world-class advisors.
FeatureActionAdventure+18
Checked 55 days ago
PAGE International Screenwriting Awards
Contest · 2026
Closed for this cycle
The 2026 contest closed on 8 May 2026 and winners are announced on 15 October. PAGE publishes its opening date in advance and states that entries for the 2027 competition open on 1 December 2026. This is the most reliable calendar of any major contest we carry: it has opened on 1 December in every one of the last four cycles, run a ladder on the 15th of January, February, March and April, and announced quarter-finalists on 15 July, semi-finalists on 15 August, finalists on 15 September and winners on 15 October, unchanged year after year. The only moving part is the final tier, which has fallen between 8 and 20 May. Fees have risen once in four years. If you enter one contest on a diary reminder, this is the one to set it for.
Long-running US contest with a $25K Grand Prize and 10 genre categories across feature, short, and TV pilots.
FeatureTV PilotShortActionFantasy+15
Checked 29 days ago
Screamfest Screenplay Competition
Contest · 2026
Closed for this cycle
Screenplay entries for the 2026 festival closed on 15 June (fees ran $42 to $77 by deadline). The 2027 window has not been announced.
Horror feature contest at LA's Screamfest, with a $1,000 grand prize, industry reads and opt-in feedback.
FeatureHorrorThriller
Checked 29 days ago
The Next Brilliant Career
Programme · 2026
Closed for this cycle
Applications closed on 18 August 2026 (Netflix gave 11.59pm; most state agency portals cut off at the end of 17 August). Selected writers are notified on 28 September, the Sydney pitch day is 6 October, resubmissions are due 6 November and final feedback arrives by 1 December 2026. Netflix has announced no second round.
Netflix ANZ, the Australian Writers' Guild and all eight screen agencies fly eight writers to Sydney to pitch. Free, and you keep every right.
FeatureTV Pilot
Checked 2 days ago
Raindance Script Competition
Contest · 2027
7 Dec 2026
A London institution with a 10,000 pound production fund for shorts, and no ownership or option claimed.
FeatureShortTV Pilot
Checked 29 days ago
For organisers
Run Stowe Story Labs? You are welcome to use this badge on your own site. It links back to this listing, where writers see dates and fees checked against your official site.
<a href="https://www.theprelist.io/competitions/stowe-story-labs"><img src="https://www.theprelist.io/badges/listed-on-theprelist.svg" alt="Stowe Story Labs is listed on The PreList" width="190" height="36" /></a>On a dark background, swap the image for /badges/listed-on-theprelist-light.svg. Using the badge makes no difference to your listing, ranking or verdict. Those stay editorial.