Whistler Film Festival Screenwriters Lab

Deadlines & fees

Dates and fees checked against the official site 12 Sept 2026.

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.

Frequently asked questions