Screenwriting Courses and Events - Registration Closing Soon!
Jan8
Advisor Studio
2:00PM - 3:00PM (PST)
Writing a Great Screenplay and Building a Career with John August
With: John August and Erica Elson
Writing a Great Screenplay and Building a Career with John August
January 8, 2026
2:00PM - 3:00PM (PST)
2:00PM - 3:00PM (PST)
With: John August and Erica Elson
In this interactive 60-minute session, August, a frequent advisor at the Sundance Institute Screenwriting Lab, will share indispensable industry insights through both an independent and studio lens. Whether you’re an aspiring screenwriter ready to launch your career or a seasoned professional seeking to gain new industry insights, join us for a presentation that illuminates the path to a successful screenwriting career.
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.
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).
Live Online Course
Rewriting Your Screenplay and Crafting Your Pitch
Rewriting Your Screenplay and Crafting Your Pitch
Advanced
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.
Self-Paced Course
Screenwriting: From Outline to First Draft of Your Screenplay
Instructor: Deborah Goodwin
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).
Recently Added Screenwriting Courses and Events
Spotlight
Spotlight: Finding What Makes a Story Sing with Dana Fox (WICKED: FOR GOOD)
With: Dana Fox and Katherine Street
Spotlight: Finding What Makes a Story Sing with Dana Fox (WICKED: FOR GOOD)
With: Dana Fox and Katherine Street
Join Sundance Collab for an exclusive Spotlight Event with prolific screenwriter and executive producer Dana Fox (How to Be Single, Cruella, Home Before Dark, Wicked) as she talks about her writing journey in film and television, and co-writing the epic two-part musical film Wicked and Wicked: For Good based on the hit novel and Broadway musical.
Course Bundle
Screenwriting: From Idea to Screenplay
Includes 2 courses: Screenwriting: Core Elements, Screenwriting: From Outline to First Draft of Your Screenplay
Screenwriting: From Idea to Screenplay
Beginner to Intermediate
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).
Insider Session
Insider Session: Applying to the Sundance Institute Native Lab
With: Isabella Dionne Madrigal and 3 more
Insider Session: Applying to the Sundance Institute Native Lab
With: Isabella Dionne Madrigal, Jared Lank, Adam Piron and Erica Elson
Jan8
Advisor Studio
2:00PM - 3:00PM (PST)
Writing a Great Screenplay and Building a Career with John August
With: John August and Erica Elson
Writing a Great Screenplay and Building a Career with John August
January 8, 2026
2:00PM - 3:00PM (PST)
2:00PM - 3:00PM (PST)
With: John August and Erica Elson
In this interactive 60-minute session, August, a frequent advisor at the Sundance Institute Screenwriting Lab, will share indispensable industry insights through both an independent and studio lens. Whether you’re an aspiring screenwriter ready to launch your career or a seasoned professional seeking to gain new industry insights, join us for a presentation that illuminates the path to a successful screenwriting career.
Creating the Horror in Your Screenplay (On Demand)
Beginner to Intermediate
Instructor: Owen Egerton
Ready to write a horror screenplay that gets under your audience's skin? Learn to craft truly terrifying and unforgettable horror stories in this comprehensive, self-paced course taught by celebrated horror screenwriter Owen Egerton. In this course, you'll go beyond cheap jump scares to discover the core principles of cinematic horror. Through bite-sized video lessons you can watch at your own pace, Owen will guide you through writing exercises that build your story from the ground up, helping you develop compelling characters, build suspense, and create scares that are both original and deeply unsettling.
Advisor Studio
Advisor Studio: A Guide to High-Speed, Low-Budget Film Production
With: Miguel Silveira and 2 more
Advisor Studio: A Guide to High-Speed, Low-Budget Film Production
With: Miguel Silveira, Missy Hernandez and Erica Elson
On Demand Course
Developing the Narrative Foundation of Your Screenplay (On Demand)
Instructor: David Schwab and 6 more
Developing the Narrative Foundation of Your Screenplay (On Demand)
Beginner to Intermediate
With: David Schwab, Destin Daniel Cretton, Howard Rodman, Mira Nair, Sterlin Harjo, Tamara Jenkins and Trey Ellis
The challenge of writing a feature-length screenplay isn’t starting - it’s choosing the right idea and then sustaining dramatic tension for two hours. The story demands a central dramatic problem powerful enough to drive the entire script, and finding the perfect conflict is often the hardest part of the journey. In this On Demand course, veteran screenwriter David Schwab provides the essential process for testing your ideas and building narratives that truly last.
Spotlight
Spotlight: Mastering Performance with Writer/Director Joachim Trier (SENTIMENTAL VALUE)
With: Joachim Trier and Erica Elson
Spotlight: Mastering Performance with Writer/Director Joachim Trier (SENTIMENTAL VALUE)
With: Joachim Trier and Erica Elson
Spotlight
Spotlight: Revolutionizing the Musical Genre with Bill Condon (KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN)
With: Bill Condon and Katherine Street
Spotlight: Revolutionizing the Musical Genre with Bill Condon (KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN)
With: Bill Condon and Katherine Street
Advisor Studio
Advisor Studio: Crafting Bone-Chilling Horror Beat Sheets with Beth Bruckner O’Brien
With: Beth Bruckner O’Brien and Soheil Rezayazdi
Advisor Studio: Crafting Bone-Chilling Horror Beat Sheets with Beth Bruckner O’Brien
With: Beth Bruckner O’Brien and Soheil Rezayazdi
Master Class
Master Class: Harnessing AI as a Tool in Animated Storytelling
With: Michaela Ternasky-Holland and Katherine Street
Master Class: Harnessing AI as a Tool in Animated Storytelling
With: Michaela Ternasky-Holland and Katherine Street
Advisor Studio
Advisor Studio: Writing Action That Works As Drama with Javier Grillo-Marxuach
With: Javier Grillo-Marxuach and Soheil Rezayazdi
Advisor Studio: Writing Action That Works As Drama with Javier Grillo-Marxuach
With: Javier Grillo-Marxuach and Soheil Rezayazdi
Spotlight
Spotlight: Devising the Dark Comedy of TWINLESS with James Sweeney
With: James Sweeney and Erica Elson
Spotlight: Devising the Dark Comedy of TWINLESS with James Sweeney
With: James Sweeney and Erica Elson
Event Recording
Toward Trans Possibilities: Transgender Storytelling with Nava Mau
With: Nava Mau and Moi Santos
Toward Trans Possibilities: Transgender Storytelling with Nava Mau
With: Nava Mau and Moi Santos
Advisor Studio
Advisor Studio: When the Personal Story Becomes Powerful Cinema with River Gallo (PONYBOI)
With: River Gallo and Katherine Street
Advisor Studio: When the Personal Story Becomes Powerful Cinema with River Gallo (PONYBOI)
With: River Gallo and Katherine Street
Spotlight
Spotlight: A Conversation with Master of Horror Eli Roth | Presented by WeShort
With: Alex Loprieno and Eli Roth
Spotlight: A Conversation with Master of Horror Eli Roth | Presented by WeShort
With: Alex Loprieno and Eli Roth
Spotlight
Spotlight: Reimagining THE WEDDING BANQUET with Andrew Ahn
With: Andrew Ahn and Katherine Street
Spotlight: Reimagining THE WEDDING BANQUET with Andrew Ahn
With: Andrew Ahn and Katherine Street
Introduction to Screenwriting
Beginner
Instructor: Michael Urban
Every great film begins with a powerful idea and a unique voice - but writing a screenplay takes craft, clarity, and creativity. If you’ve ever wanted to tell your story in screenplay form, this beginner-friendly course is a great first step.
Guided by an experienced screenwriter, you'll explore the essential elements through real-world examples from successful feature-length screenplays. Over four weeks, you'll learn how to shape your story, develop compelling characters, build a strong thematic core, and master the tools of the trade—from beat sheets and outlines to treatments and screenplay formatting. If you are new to screenwriting, this introductory course will provide you with the practical skills to get started on your feature film screenplay.