TorinoFilmLab ComedyLab
Lab (2027)Prestige 64/100
TorinoFilmLab's comedy feature lab, where screenwriters develop projects alongside stand-ups and performers. Free to apply, 3,000 euro to attend with a project.
Deadlines & fees
- Applications closeNext deadline
Dates and fees checked against the official site 19 Oct 2026.
It costs €3,000 if you get in
That is charged after selection and is separate from any entry fee above. Charged per project for participants with a project. A second participant on the same project, a co-writer or director, costs a further 2,300 euro, so a two-person team pays 5,300 euro. Joining without a project costs 750 euro. VAT is charged if due and is not quantified. The fee covers training, accommodation with breakfast, and some lunches and dinners during the residential workshops; travel and remaining meals are not included. The preliminary workshop in Vienna is free, but pre-selected applicants pay their own travel and accommodation to attend it. Half-fee scholarships are available across TorinoFilmLab programmes for participants from low-capacity countries, underrepresented groups or other proven need.
Key facts
- Formats
- Feature
- Genres
- Comedy
- Eligibility
- Open worldwideNo credit required
- Required materials
- Single PDF, maximum 10 MB, entirely in English, With a project: a video presentation of the team, up to 2 minutes (link), With a project: a one-page synopsis including the ending, Courier New 12, double spaced, With a project: a short treatment, maximum 5 pages, Courier New 12, double spaced, With a project: five funny scenes from the script, at least three with dialogue, With a project: a letter of intent covering your motivation, the project's comedic elements and your own definition of comedy, maximum 2 pages, With a project: a CV for each team member, maximum 2 pages, With a project: artistic concept and audiovisual references, and links to previous work, if any, Without a project: a 2-minute video, a 2-page letter of intent with your own definition of comedy, five funny scenes from a script (writers) or a monologue, sketch or piece you wrote (comedy writers and performers), a CV of up to 2 pages, and links to previous work if any
Open to screenwriters and to comedy writers, performers and comedians from theatre, podcasting, stand-up and improvisation, from anywhere in the world. Either can apply with a comedy feature project or without one. A project team is at most two people: the project representative must be a writer or a comedian, and the second member can be another writer, a comedian or a director, so no director is required. Applicants without a project work on the selected projects and should not expect to develop their own. Projects must be comedies, and adaptations need secured rights. English is the working language and every document must be in English. Full availability for all residential and online workshops and the Meeting Event is required. No prior credits are required: links to previous work are asked for only if you have any.
Prizes
Last edition, one project received the ComedyLab Award of 5,000 euro at the TorinoFilmLab Meeting Event. The 2027 call page names no award, so confirm with TorinoFilmLab before counting on it. What the participation fee buys is training, accommodation including breakfast, and some lunches and dinners during the residential workshops. Travel and remaining meals are borne by participants.
Judging
Applications are assessed by TorinoFilmLab. Up to ten applications are pre-selected for the preliminary workshop (in the 2026 cycle, pre-selected applicants were notified at the beginning of February), and up to four projects are chosen after it. Thomas Pibarot and Alec Von Bargen are listed as Head of Studies and Curator; the 2026 tutors were Philippe Barrière and Laura Piani. No feedback for unsuccessful applicants is published.
The PreList verdict
ComedyLab is TorinoFilmLab's comedy strand, which it bills as the first international lab in Europe dedicated entirely to comedy, and the format is genuinely unusual: screenwriters share the room with stand-ups, improvisers and podcast writers, some bringing a comedy feature and some bringing only themselves. Selected projects go through residential workshops, online sessions and a presentation at the TorinoFilmLab Meeting Event in Turin. If you are writing a comedy feature and want it in front of European industry, very few rooms are built for exactly that.
The honest part is the money. Applying is free and so is the four-day preliminary workshop in Vienna, but you pay your own way there, and it is a selection stage rather than a place on the lab. If your project gets in, participation is 3,000 euro plus VAT if due, and a second team member costs a further 2,300, so a pair pays 5,300 euro. Joining without a project costs 750 euro, up from 500 last edition. The fee covers training, your bed and some meals during the residential weeks, but not travel. Last edition one project won a 5,000 euro award; the 2027 call page does not mention it, so do not budget around it. Half-fee scholarships exist for writers from low-capacity countries, underrepresented groups and others in proven need.
The gates are gentle. No credits are required, a solo writer can apply with a project, and a director is optional, which makes this more open than TorinoFilmLab's ScriptLab. The project must be a comedy feature, everything must be in English, and you need to be free for every workshop from late February to the Meeting Event. Skip it if your comedy is a series, if you cannot give it most of a year, or if the travel alone would stretch you. The 2027 call closes on 30 November 2026 at 4pm CET and will not be extended.
Dylian Salvatore, Founder of The PreList. Updated 19 Oct 2026
Frequently asked questions
What does it cost?
Applying is free, and so is the four-day preliminary workshop in Vienna, though you pay your own travel and accommodation to attend it. If you are selected with a project, participation is 3,000 euro plus VAT if due, and a second team member costs a further 2,300 euro. Joining without a project costs 750 euro. Half-fee scholarships are available for participants from low-capacity countries, underrepresented groups or in proven need.
Can I apply on my own?
Yes. A screenwriter, or a comedy writer or performer, can apply alone, with a comedy feature project or without one. A project team can be up to two people, and the second person can be a writer, a comedian or a director, but no director is required.
Does it have to be a comedy feature?
Yes. ComedyLab works only on comedy feature films. If you apply without a project, you work on the selected projects rather than developing your own.
Is there a prize?
Last edition one project received a 5,000 euro ComedyLab Award. The 2027 call page does not name an award, so ask TorinoFilmLab before treating it as part of the offer.
When can I apply?
Now. The 2027 call closes on Monday 30 November 2026 at 4pm CET and TorinoFilmLab says the deadline is non-extendable. Pre-selected applicants are told at the start of February 2027.
Is your script right for TorinoFilmLab ComedyLab?
Find out free, before you spend anything. Upload your screenplay and The PreList checks whether its format can enter this lab, whether you meet the country rules and any regional limits, and scores the script. Pro adds a written read on how well it fits.
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