Announcing Our FilmLab Writer’s Room
FilmLab, an educational program of Willamette Writers, is proud to announce the 2024 FilmLab Educational Writer’s Room.
Congratulations to our Writer’s Room participants:
Azrael Torres
Carissa Jean Mares
Christopher Cramer
Court Ross
Damayanti Wallace
Derek Deems
Genevieve Sage
Michael Meyers
Alternate: Wendy Wagner
Runner-Up: Noah Hale
Runner-Up: Tammy Lynne Stoner
The FilmLab Writer’s Room will be drafting a script in the Writer’s Room which will be read by SAG-AFTRA at the Willamette Writers Conference on Saturday, August 3 at 8PM.
The script will go into production in the fall with the guidance of Martin Vavra from Galaxy Sailor Productions and Eva Moss of Catalyst Film Collective.
Congratulations to our Writer’s Room for their hard work, dedication, and skill. We look forward to writing with you!
Congratulations, writers!
FilmLab meets once a month to talk shop – find out more at our Events Calendar.
Upcoming Film Workshops
2024 FilmLab Educational Writer’s Room Information
This year, Willamette Writers is excited to offer an in-person educational opportunity for aspiring screenwriters. Eight writers will be selected by a panel of judges to participate in a two-day in-person writer’s room in Portland, Oregon. They will work with Grant Rosenberg, an experienced showrunner, producer, and screenwriter, to create a series of short, scripted vignettes. They will then collaborate on the final script, which will be performed by SAG-AFTRA actors at the Willamette Writers Conference in August. This script will move into production in 2025.
About the Writer’s Room
Eight writers will participate in the writer’s room.
In the writer’s room, they will develop the specifics of the script concept and flesh out the characters (including determining their story arcs). As a group, they will outline the stories. Finally, the writers will be paired up to collaborate on a three-page script, which they will have three weeks to complete.
The final scripts will be performed by SAG-AFTRA actors at the Willamette Writers Conference in Portland on August 3, 2024.
Submission Details
Submissions open on Submittable on March 18, 2024 and are now closed. Submissions are free for Willamette Writers members, and $4.00 for guests. Writers submit an 8-page sample of their work to be considered. Submissions should emphasize character and dialogue and be presented in script format as a PDF. One submission only.
This is an educational opportunity, and participation is key!
Writers who submit but are not accepted will be invited to participate as viewers of the in-person writer’s room.
2022 FilmLab participants cannot submit their work but are invited to join the room as viewers. Press the button below to submit your work!
Timeline
- Applications open: March 18, 2024
- Applications close: April 28, 2024
- Writers’ Room Announcement: May 13, 2024
- Writer’s Room Dates: June 22 & 23, 2024
- Willamette Writers Conference: July 31 – August 4, 2024
How do you know if FilmLab is right for you?
FilmLabTV is an educational experience aimed at helping writers learn to pitch their ideas, find their voice in the Writer’s Room, and hear their work read by professionals in a formal setting. The goal is to get you the experience you need to take that next step in your writing career. If this sounds like what you need, submit your work.
History of FilmLab
FiLMLaB started in 2012 during the Willamette Writers Conference. The lab grew out of a desire to expand upon and promote the growing film industry in Portland, Oregon.
The Script to Screen Competition was the focus of FiLMLaB in past years. Writers submit a script, which is judged by industry professionals in Portland for the first round, then sent to our judges in LA for the final round. The winning script is then produced by Willamette Writers, and is premiered at the Willamette Writers Conference the first week of August.
Proudly Supported By
Companies and Organizations
Catalyst Film Collective
Regional Arts and Culture Council
Gearhead Production Rentals
Deep Sea Pictures
Koerner Camera
Galaxy Sailor Productions
Canby Film Festival
Klamath Film Festival
Individuals
FJ Pratt
Phil Anderson
Alexandra Keister
Eric Macy
Jade Harris
Efrem Peter
Heidi DuBose
Kameron Gates
Glenn McCumber
Jessi Walters
Raquel Mansell
Randall Jahnson
Stefen Feuerhardt, Attorney at Law
Amy Souza
Kate Ristau
Donations
Nicholas Restaurant
Off the Waffle
Crater Lake Soda
Xylem Cider
Ecliptic Brewing
New Cascadia
Hot Lips Pizza
Nossa Familia Coffee
Heathman Hotel