Circle of Confusion Opens Applications for 2023 Writers Discovery Fellowship
Circle of Confusion, the talent management and production company that serves high-profile clientele like “Reservations Dogs” co-creator and showrunner Sterling Harjo and “Devotion” director J.D. Dillard, has opened submissions for the third iteration of its Writers Discovery Fellowship.
The program, which launched in 2020, annually selects six to eight amateur writers with no prior experience in the film or television industry to nurture on their career path in Hollywood. The six-month fellowship pairs each fellow with an industry mentor, ranging from literary managers at Circle of Confusion to professionals in business and script development across the cinematic landscape.
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To apply, writers must submit a draft of a long-form television pilot script. Submissions are free, and due no later than Jan. 6, 2023. If selected, fellows will then spend the first four months of the program, which is set to begin in May 2023, developing their script with their industry mentor and receiving feedback from the fellowship’s Advisory Board, as well as experiencing informational panels, guest speakers and workshops with film and television veterans.
By the end of the term, writers will have a refined script along with an extensive network of industry contacts to pitch to. Fellows will also receive a stipend from ITV Studios America to be allocated toward producing the pilots they wrote.
The fellowship aims to be a direct pipeline into the industry for aspiring filmmakers, with alumni who left the program and found representation with WME, Industry and Circle of Confusion shortly thereafter, in addition to securing jobs on running series.
“The first two years of the fellowship have been exhilarating for both the mentors and the Fellows and we are excited to continue and expand this incredible program now and into the coming years,” said Circle of Confusion partner Lawrence Mattis. “True to Circle of Confusion’s mission, we have discovered and nurtured some truly unique, diverse and compelling voices thru this fellowship, and we can’t wait to introduce more of these talented creators to the Hollywood community.”
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