THE WRITERS LAB CANADA 2026

Presented by

Firecracker Department & Female Eye Film Festival

The Writers Lab (TWL),

now celebrating its tenth year, is the only program in the world devoted exclusively to script and career development for women and nonbinary writers over the age of 40. The New York-based not-for-profit contest and incubator is supported by Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman.

www.twlstories.org

Firecracker Department

is a hit podcast and a vibrant international community of women and nonbinary artists empowering each other to take creative action by building platforms for our voices and stories. Working together to go further and change the world!

www.firecrackerdepartment.com

Female Eye Film Festival (FeFF)

is a competitive international women directors’ film festival established in 2001, as a not-for-profit organization. Voted “Top 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” by MovieMaker Magazine for 12 consecutive years (2013–2024).

www.thefemaleeyefilmfestival.com

The Writers Lab Canada (TWL Canada) Intensive

is devoted to script development for Canadian women and nonbinary film and TV writers 40 years of age and over.

During this four-day, in-person Intensive in Toronto, a small group of selected writers will engage in individual script work, one-on-one mentor meetings and group sessions aimed to develop their scripts and elevate their craft.

Overview

The Intensive is open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents who are women and nonbinary script writers 40 years of age or over.
All scripts must be in English and submitted WITHOUT the writer’s name and contact information, in order to maintain anonymity in the judging process.
Submitted scripts must be professionally formatted.
Narrative scripts only: feature film screenplays (80 to 120 pages), half-hour TV pilots (22 to 44 pages) and one-hour TV pilots (45 to 75 pages).
TWL Canada Intensive Application Fee: $70-$90 USD
If accepted, TWL Canada Intensive Fee: $1650 CAD
ONLY 8 in-person participants will be selected.
Scripts will be submitted via FilmFreeway. You will need to create a free account in advance.
Submit here: TWLCanada