FOR SCREENWRITERS

The Blank Page is Your Stage.

Define your voice and forge the scripts that drive original cinema.

Screenwriting Courses and Events - Registration Closing Soon!
Register by 5/4
Self-Paced Course

Screenwriting: From Outline to First Draft of Your Screenplay

Instructor: Deborah Goodwin
$595

Screenwriting: From Outline to First Draft of Your Screenplay

Intermediate
Instructor: Deborah Goodwin
You’ve got a great idea for a movie and fleshed out an outline for your screenplay. Now, it’s time to start writing that script that gets past gatekeepers and grabs your reader’s attention — whether it’s an assistant, an agent, an executive, a financier, or the talent you want on screen. In this course you will move from outline to completing a first draft of your screenplay (90-120 pages).
$595
May13
Live Online Event
12:00PM - 1:00PM (PDT)

The Sundance Institute Founder Series: Robert Redford’s Impact on Conservationism and Climate Storytelling

With: Jill Tidman and 3 more
FREE

The Sundance Institute Founder Series: Robert Redford’s Impact on Conservationism and Climate Storytelling

May 13, 2026
12:00PM - 1:00PM (PDT)
With: Jill Tidman, Paula DuPré Pesmen, Louie Psihoyos and Erica Elson
In this session, you will hear from a panel of environmental filmmakers as they discuss Redford’s impact on their careers, why climate storytelling is more important and empowering than ever, and how all filmmakers can incorporate climate themes and social impact into their work.
FREE
Register by 5/26
Self-Paced Course

Screenwriting: Core Elements

Instructor: Trey Ellis
$375

Screenwriting: Core Elements

Beginner to Intermediate
Instructor: Trey Ellis
Learn the core elements of writing a screenplay for a feature film, with an accomplished screenwriter as your guide. In this self-paced course, you will develop a new script idea into an outline that can be used to write your first draft.
$375
May28
Advisor Studio
1:00PM - 2:00PM (PDT)

Games as a Narrative Medium

With: Nic Yulo and Erica Elson
$10

Games as a Narrative Medium

May 28, 2026
1:00PM - 2:00PM (PDT)
With: Nic Yulo and Erica Elson
Join us to learn how narrative design serves as the framework in video games, directing the player's journey and maintaining sustained engagement. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to learn more about this dynamic storytelling format!
$10
Register by 5/31
Live Online Course

Rewriting Your Screenplay and Crafting Your Pitch

Instructor: Q Terah Jackson and Lee Moss
$750

Rewriting Your Screenplay and Crafting Your Pitch

Advanced
With: Q Terah Jackson and Lee Moss
Looking for support to polish your script and prepare your pitch? Revise your feature film screenplay with an accomplished screenwriter as your guide. In this live online, nine-week course designed for aspiring and experienced screenwriters, a Sundance Collab Instructor will offer a comprehensive approach to refining your script and preparing to pitch it to industry professionals.
$750
Register by 6/1
Self-Paced Course

Crafting Your Short Film Screenplay

Instructor: Asher Jelinsky
$375

Crafting Your Short Film Screenplay

Beginner to Intermediate
Instructor: Asher Jelinsky
Short films are a great way to showcase your voice, talent, and storytelling skill. In this eight-week self-paced online course, you will learn the fundamentals of screenwriting and develop your original story idea into a short screenplay with accomplished filmmakers as your guides. Designated homework assignments are reviewed by a Sundance Advisor and designed to move you closer to your completed short screenplay (5-15 pages).
$375
Curated Screenwriting Bundles
Register by 5/18
Course Bundle

Core Filmmaking Foundations

Includes 3 courses:

  • Directing: Core Elements
  • Film Producing: Core Elements
  • Screenwriting: Core Elements

Get started with your filmmaking journey by gaining the skills essential to making a movie from start to finish. In this three-course bundle, you will learn more about creating a compelling story, actualizing your vision on screen, and tools to navigate the logistics of making a feature film.

$950
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Register by 5/18
Course Bundle

Short Film: Script to Screen

Includes 3 courses:

  • Crafting Your Short Film Screenplay
  • Directing: Core Elements
  • Film Producing: Core Elements

Make your next short film with a solid foundation. For multi-hyphenate creatives, this three-course bundle will give you a deeper understanding of the key roles to make your next production a success.

$950
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Register by 5/26
Course Bundle

Screenwriting: From Idea to Screenplay

Includes 2 courses:

  • Screenwriting: Core Elements
  • Screenwriting: From Outline to First Draft of Your Screenplay

You’ve got a great idea for a movie. Now, it’s time to start writing that script. In this sequence of courses, you will learn a set of tools and go from idea to outline to completing a first draft of your original screenplay (<120 pages).

$725
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Event Bundle

Finding & Shaping Your Screenplay's Story

Includes 4 items:

  • Master Class: Finding Your Screenplay's Story with David Schwab, Mira Nair, Tamara Jenkins and Destin Daniel Cretton
  • Advisor Studio: Sheldon Candis (LUV) on Finding Your Voice and Visual Style
  • Advisor Studio: Trey Ellis (THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN) on Building Your Storytelling Toolbox
  • Conversations from the Sundance Institute Labs | Building Characters, Emotion and Story with J.R. Cole (BLACK PANTHER) & more

In this curated collection from our video library, you'll hear from multiple writers, including Mira Nair (Salaam Bombay!), Tamara Jenkins (The Savages) and Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings). Among others, these writers offer their perspectives and strategies for finding their stories, developing their characters and honing their artistic voices.

$48
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Event Bundle

Writing for Animation

Includes 3 items:

  • Master Class: Writing for Animation with Julia Cho (Turning Red)
  • Spotlight: Pushing Boundaries in Episodic Animation: A Conversation with ARCANE Creators Christian Linke & Alex Yee
  • Spotlight: Creating Your Artistic Process with Morgan Neville (PIECE BY PIECE)

Much more than a visual style, animation is a powerful and dynamic language for storytelling. In this video bundle, award-winning creators share how to bring animated worlds to life through writing, collaboration, and personal voice. From crafting emotionally resonant scripts with Julia Cho (Turning Red) to exploring creative processes with Morgan Neville and expanding the limits of animated TV, these Spotlights and Master Class offer inspiration and tools for storytellers working in animation and beyond.

$40
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