Stowe Story Labs Fellowship and Scholarship Program
Stowe’s Fellowships are awarded to outstanding applicants presenting a promising first draft of a compelling narrative TV or film script, demonstrating a collaborative nature, and showing the capacity to do the work to advance the project. Treatments will not be considered for fellowships.
Please review the fellowships available for 2025 Labs and Retreats.
Stowe Story Labs Genre Feature Film Launch Fellowship
AWARDED TO AN OUTSTANDING GENRE FEATURE FILM
The Stowe Story Labs Genre Feature Film Launch Fellowship will be awarded for 2024 programs. The Fellowship will be awarded to an outstanding genre feature film screenwriter presenting a thoughtful and well-crafted story and demonstrating an ability to do the work, commitment to the program, and a collaborative spirit. Genres in consideration are Action, Horror, Thriller, and SciFi. The Fellowship covers the fee to attend a
2024 Stowe Narrative Lab,
Online ongoing mentoring program (4 hour-long sessions), and a
Plus a travel and lodging stipend
This Fellowship provides more than $10,000 in value.
The SAGindie Fellowship Program
AWARDED TO TWO TOP EMERGING FILMMAKERS OF COLOR
SAGindie is proud to sponsor the Stowe Story Labs / SAGindie Fellowship. The Fellowship is awarded annually to two top emerging filmmakers of color. One will cover the fee to attend the August Sidewalk Narrative Lab with a $250 travel/lodging stipend. One will cover the fee to attend either the Vermont or Western Writers’ Retreat with a $250 travel/lodging stipend. As a free resource, SAGindie offers filmmakers clarity and kinship by guiding them through the SAG-AFTRA signatory process, making it even easier to hire professional actors, regardless of budget. SAGindie is made possible by a grant from the Screen Actors Guild-Producers Industry Advancement & Cooperative Fund.
The Fellowship provides more than $3,000 in value.
The Stowe Story Labs/Black List Artist Development Fellowship
AWARDED TO TOP EMERGING SCREENWRITER OR FILMMAKER
The Stowe Story Labs / Black List Artist Development Fellowship will be awarded to one top emerging screenwriter to attend the Stowe Story Labs Narrative Lab in Stowe, Vermont, which will be followed by a longform online writing program (film or TV), or a custom built one-on-one mentoring program, depending on what would be most helpful to the Fellow. The fellowship will cover the fee to attend the Stowe Narrative Lab, a travel/lodging stipend of up to $1,500.
The fellowship provides more than a $5,000 value.
NYX Horror Collective Fellowship
AWARDED TO A WOMAN-IDENTIFYING HORROR WRITER
The Stowe Story Labs / NYX Horror Collective Fellowship is awarded annually to a top woman-identifying horror writer bringing a horror feature or TV pilot to the program. The Fellowship covers the fees for a Narrative Lab. Please apply with a solid first draft of your project. NYX Horror Collective is a community of diverse women creators—inclusive of BIWOC, LGBTQ+, disabled women, and nonbinary folx—who develop, celebrate, and elevate original, women-led horror content for film, TV, and new media. Members are drawn from across the industry and are transforming the genre through stories that explore race, gender, sexuality, mental and chronic illness, body image and more. Joined by award-winning core members Mo Moshaty and Lisa Kroger, Melody Cooper and Kelly Krause are co-founders.
The Fellowship provides more than $3,000 in value.
The Studio Skyfire Fellowship Program
AWARDED TO A TOP EMERGING GENRE WRITER, BRINGING A FEATURE OR TV PILOT
This Stowe Story Labs/Studio Skyfire Fellowship is awarded to a top emerging genre writer, bringing a feature or TV pilot to either the Stowe or Western Writers’ Retreat. The project can be an original work or an adaptation of a manga/comic/novel. The Fellow will receive up to $1,500 in travel and lodging stipends. Writers with a cross-media background are highly encouraged to apply. Studio SKYFIRE LLC is a Hawai’i-based, Stowe Alumnus-driven, entertainment company that specializes in elevated genre, iconic character-driven sagas, and high-octane fairy tales across print, electronic media, film & TV.
The Fellowship provides more than $4,000 in value.
The Law Firm of Stacey A. Davis Fellowship Program
AWARDED TO A WOMAN OVER 40 TO ATTEND THE STOWE SIDEWALK NARRATIVE LAB
The Stowe Story Labs / Law Firm of Stacey A. Davis sponsors a fellowship for women over 40 to attend Stowe Story Labs’ Sidewalk Narrative Lab. The fellowship covers tuition to attend the Lab plus a $250 travel/lodging stipend. This fellowship will be awarded to a woman-identifying emerging screenwriter, filmmaker, and/or creative producer who is over the age of 40. The fellowship seeks to empower women and their stories. Fellowship partner Stacey Davis—Stowe alum and board member—said, “we are grateful to have the opportunity to return with The Law Firm of Stacey A. Davis fellowship for women screenwriters over 40. This underrepresented group has powerful stories to tell, and Stowe’s Sidewalk Narrative Lab is an important part of getting our stories in front of audiences to educate and inspire people of all ages.”
The Fellowship provides more than $3,000 in value.
The Bellem Entertainment Fellowship Program
AWARDED TO TALENTED FILMMAKERS WITH A STRONG, UNIQUE STORY
The Stowe Story Labs / Bellem Entertainment fellowship covers the fee to attend a Stowe Writers’ Retreat plus a $500 travel/lodging stipend. This fellowship is open to all screenwriters with a strong, unique story to tell. Bellem Entertainment is a Stowe Alumni driven film and TV production company. It is Bellem's mission to support creative story-tellers of any age, any race, any gender on their journey to achieve their goals.
The Fellowship provides more than $3,000 in value.
The WGA East Fellowship Program
AWARDED TO TALENTED FILMMAKERS WITH A STRONG, UNIQUE STORY
The Stowe Story Labs / WGA East Fellowship covers the fee to attend a Stowe Narrative Lab. This fellowship is open to all screenwriters with a strong, unique story to tell on the east side of the Mississippi River. Screenwriters of color, LGBTQIA+, PWD, and/or other historically underrepresented voices are encouraged to apply. Travel and lodging is not included.
The Fellowship provides more than $3,000 in value.
The Film Fatales Fellowship Program
AWARDED TO A FILM FATALES MEMBER WHO PRESENTS A COMPELLING, FRESH STORY WITH INTRIGUING, HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED CHARACTERS
The Stowe Story Labs / Film Fatales Fellowship is awarded annually to a Film Fatales member presenting a compelling, fresh story with intriguing, historically underrepresented characters. Filmmakers of color, LGBTQIA+, PWD, and/or other marginalized voices are especially encouraged to apply. This fellowship for writer-directors covers tuition for the Stowe Narrative Lab.
The Fellowship provides more than $3,000 in value.
The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards Fellowship Program
AWARDED TO ONE PAGE QUARTERFINALIST
Now offering the Fellowship for 9 years, the Stowe Story Labs / PAGE International Screenwriting Awards fellowship is awarded annually to a PAGE Quarterfinalist applying to the Labs with an outstanding story idea and meeting all other fellowship expectations. Widely recognized as one of the most important resources for emerging screenwriters, the PAGE International Screenwriting Awards was founded in 2003 by an alliance of Hollywood producers, agents, and development executives to discover the most exciting new scripts by up-and-coming writers from around the world. The Fellowship covers the fees for a Narrative Lab.
The Fellowship provides more than $3,000 in value.
The University of Vermont Fellowship Program
AWARDED TO A UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT FILM AND TELEVISION PROGRAM STUDENT
The Stowe Story Labs / University of Vermont fellowship is open to a University of Vermont Film and Television Program student presenting a compelling story idea and demonstrating talent, skill, and a deep desire to master the craft of screenwriting and filmmaking. The fellowship covers fees to attend the 4-day Stowe Narrative Lab, as well as lodging and meals during their time in Stowe. The fellowship is awarded by the Film and Television Program team.
The Fellowship provides more than $3,000 in value.
Fellowships & Scholarships
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In 2025 Stowe will offer at least twelve full-fee fellowships to its Narrative Labs and Writers Retreats, some through partnerships identified above. Certain sponsored fellowships also cover some costs. Please refer to each individual listing above to learn the details of each partner fellowship awards. Fellowships are awarded to top applicants presenting outstanding stories for film or TV.
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Yes. We offer full and partial scholarships annually to deserving candidates based on need and merit.
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Fellowships are awarded to top applicants presenting outstanding story ideas and scripts for films or television shows. The criteria for specific partner fellowships differ, so please review the requirements below.
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Stowe fellowships and scholarships are awarded through the labs and retreats application process. Applications are now closed for Narrative Labs. We will open applications for Writers’ Retreats in January 2025.
There is no separate application for fellowships or scholarships. You will be asked whether you are interested in a fellowship or other support on your program application. You may suggest a fellowship you think you are particularly well suited for, but it is not required. We certainly focus on fresh points of view and on storytellers facing adversity in life when making scholarship and fellowship awards.