Whistler Film Festival Screenwriters Lab
Lab · 2026Prestige 66/100Feedback included
Three-phase Canadian development lab ending in market-ready pitch. 55 dollars to apply, 2,950 Canadian plus GST to attend.
Deadlines & fees
Closed for this cycle
The 2026 cycle is complete and its six participants announced. Applications closed on 25 May 2026. No 2027 window has been announced.
Dates and fees checked against the official site 8 Aug 2026.
It costs CA$2,950 if you get in
That is charged after selection and is separate from any entry fee above. Charged per participant, and GST is added on top rather than included, so the gross payable is higher than the headline; Whistler does not publish the rate. Due on acceptance. The fee covers instruction and mentorship across all three phases plus a complimentary Industry Pass to the December festival and some meals during the in-person intensive. It does NOT cover accommodation, airfare, ground transportation, meals generally or incidentals: the Squamish intensive is in person but not residential, so participants arrange and fund their own stay. There are no scholarships, discounts or grants, and no instalment plan; the festival offers discounted partner hotel rates and will provide a letter of support for applications to provincial funding bodies. The separate application fee of 55 dollars plus GST is written without a currency marker on the source page, unlike the tuition which is explicitly Canadian.
Key facts
- Formats
- Feature
- Page limit
- 120 pages
- Eligibility
- 18+
- Open to
- Canada
- Required materials
- Completed feature screenplay, first drafts accepted, 120 pages maximum · Synopsis of 250 to 500 words · At least one industry connection letter of reference including contact information, as a PDF (mandatory) · Optional CV or biography and further letters of recommendation · Online portal only; no email submissions and no late applications
Open only to Canadian screenwriters over 18 who are Canadian citizens or have landed immigrant status and reside full-time in Canada. Feature-length narrative screenplays of 120 pages maximum, ideally 90 to 120, in any genre. No credits are required: first features and previously produced writers are equally eligible. Projects with or without a director or producer attached are eligible, as are those with financing or distribution attached. Applicants must demonstrate ownership of or an option on the underlying rights and the screenplay. Co-written scripts are eligible but only one writer attends. Alumni may reapply with a new project, and a previously entered script only after a significant page-one rewrite. Participants must commit to attending all three phases in full, and the project cannot enter any further development outside the lab until it concludes in December. In return, participants must carry the credit "Developed with the support of the Whistler Film Festival Screenwriters Lab"; the festival takes no ownership of the script.
Prizes
No cash award, prize or stipend of any kind. Participants receive instruction and mentorship across all three phases, one complimentary non-transferable Industry Pass to the Whistler Film Festival and Content Summit, early access to partner hotel discounts, and some meals during the in-person intensive.
Judging
Selected by a jury of key industry decision makers, who are not named. The 2026 faculty were Ruth Atkinson as lab advisor, mentor and facilitator, Dennis Foon as lead mentor and Mayumi Yoshida as mentor, with Shelly Quade and Kirsten Andrews running the programme. Mentors are assigned rather than chosen. Up to six participants are selected, down from twelve in 2025. Script and application feedback is given only to accepted participants. A mandatory industry connection letter of reference is part of the application.
The PreList verdict
A properly structured Canadian development lab: an in-person intensive in Squamish, two months of one-to-one online mentorship, then a five-day business immersion aimed squarely at making you pitchable, ending with an Industry Pass to the Whistler festival and one-to-one market meetings. Sponsored by Telefilm Canada and Creative BC, run by a registered Canadian charity with a public alumni roster going back to 2014. No credits are required at all, so a first feature is as welcome as a produced one.
The honest part: it costs 2,950 Canadian dollars per participant and GST is added on top, not included, and Whistler does not publish the rate so you cannot work out the gross from the page. On top of that the Squamish intensive is in person but not residential, so accommodation, airfare, ground transport and most meals are yours. There are no scholarships, discounts or grants of any kind and no instalment plan, though the festival will write you a letter of support for a provincial funding application. There is also no cash award, so this is purely a cost. One more constraint worth reading twice: your project cannot enter any further development outside the lab until it finishes in December.
Only for Canadians. You must be a citizen or landed immigrant residing full-time in Canada, which rules out most readers here. If you are eligible, the 2026 cohort was cut from twelve places to six, so it is tighter than it looks. The 2026 cycle is complete and no 2027 window is announced yet.
Dylian Salvatore, Founder of The PreList · Updated 9 Aug 2026
Frequently asked questions
What does it cost in total?
The application is 55 dollars plus GST, and tuition is 2,950 Canadian dollars plus GST per participant if you are accepted. GST is added rather than included and the rate is not published, so the gross is higher than either headline. Accommodation, airfare, ground transport and most meals are extra, since the Squamish intensive is in person but not residential.
Can I apply from outside Canada?
No. It is open only to Canadian citizens or landed immigrants who reside full-time in Canada and are over 18.
Do I need credits or an attached producer?
Neither. First features are explicitly welcome alongside produced writers, and projects with or without a director or producer attached are eligible. You do need to own or hold an option on the underlying rights, and one mandatory industry connection letter of reference.
Is there any funding help?
Not from Whistler: they state they have no scholarships, discounts or grants. They do offer discounted partner hotel rates and will provide a letter of support if you apply to a provincial funding body for travel or tuition.
Is your script right for Whistler Film Festival Screenwriters 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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