The Black List and WIF’s schemes for new writers
The Black List, along with Women in Film Los Angeles, has launched a new scheme for female screenwriters and another for writers developing young-adult scripts.
The Black List and Women in Film Los Angeles keep their long-running partnership active through structured labs that give emerging writers practical access to development resources and industry contacts. The programs focus on writers who have not yet secured representation or staffed writing positions, and they emphasize skill-building over publicity stunts.
Evolution of the Episodic Lab
The Episodic TV Lab now runs as an annual four-week in-person program in Los Angeles with twice-weekly sessions. Participants work on script development, pitching workshops, and a mock writers’ room before presenting material in roundtables with executives. Every cohort member automatically becomes a Women in Film Fellow, which extends access to year-long support, networking events, and professional resources. The 2026 cycle is supported by the Golden Globe Foundation and ShivHans Pictures.
Current Black List Lab Offerings
Beyond the Episodic Lab, The Black List operates two additional feature-focused programs each year. The Writers Lab targets writers developing studio-system feature scripts. The Projects Lab is designed for writers who intend to direct their own material. Both 2026 cohorts meet in person from October 12 through 16 in Los Angeles, giving participants concentrated time with mentors and feedback on finished drafts.
Additional Fellowships and Grants
The Black List has added targeted monetary fellowships that supply direct funding alongside mentorship. The 2026 Black List Parenthood Writers Fellowship awards four writers a $15,000 grant each for screenplays or pilots that examine shifting cultural narratives around parenthood. These fellowships sit alongside the original emphasis on financial support for writers working in specific genres or subject areas.
Impact and Alumni Outcomes
The 2026 Episodic Lab cohort was announced in March after applications closed on November 3, 2025. Participants receive focused training in pitching to agencies and networks, with the explicit goal of moving material into active development. Past cycles have produced writers who later secured staffing positions or option agreements, though outcomes vary by individual project and market conditions.
Eligibility for the Episodic Lab now includes writers of underrepresented genders, including women, non-binary, gender-nonconforming, and trans writers. The four-week schedule replaces earlier shorter formats and includes master classes with established writers and executives. No individual instructor names for the current cycle have been released publicly.
Application windows for the 2026 Episodic Lab ran from October 1 through November 3, 2025. The former streaming sponsor go90 is no longer operating, so recent cycles have focused on direct presentations to agencies and production companies without an attached acquisition partner. The partnership between The Black List and Women in Film Los Angeles continues to prioritize practical skill development and sustained career support for writers who remain outside traditional staffing pipelines.
