The Screenplay Readers Scholarship for Diverse Voices in Cinema

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The film industry has taken steps towards more diverse representation in film development and production, but the mainstream studio system still has a long way to go.

We believe that the emotional and cultural power of the art of cinema is only magnified by the inclusion of diverse voices and viewpoints, and the viewpoints our industry is lacking the most are those of diverse backgrounds.

As college can be an expensive endeavor for many of these potential new, diverse voices and their families, Screenplay Readers is proud to award a bi-annual scholarship award of $2,500.00 to individuals attending or planning to attend a 2-year or 4-year college, or trade or graduate school in the immediate future.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Candidate come from a diverse background or life experience (cultural, societal, gender identification, financial, religious, etc.)
  • Candidate does not need to be a film major or enrolled in any sort of film school curriculum. The goal of this scholarship is to promote scholars from all disciplines and majors, in order to bring new perspectives and a more rich, varied palette of knowledge, experience, and wisdom to the film industry.
  • Candidate may be of any age.
  • Candidate must be planning to attend any 2- or 4-year college or university, or any grad school, or any trade school or art school
  • Candidate must write 100 words, telling your story, as detailed below.
  • Candidate must compose a 2-page short film screenplay, as detailed below.

Requirement: Your Autobiography (in 100 Words or Fewer)

Write who you are, or where you came from, or something fascinating that made or makes you who you are. The only rule: you only have 100 words to work with.

Requirement: Your Short Script

Write a 1-2 page screenplay for a short film. It can be about anything you want, but we’re going to judge it on one criteria and one criteria only: originality of voice. 2 pages maximum. No minimum.

Scholarship Announcement Dates

Screenplay Readers will award the scholarship to the most promising new voice, based on the 100-word story and the 1-2 page short script. Winners will be notified via email July 1 and December 15th of each calendar year. Mail your submission to support@screenplayreaders.com

Screenplay Readers