Austin Film Festival is thrilled to partner with Wonder Project | Stand Together to offer a year-long paid fellowship opportunity! See the announcement of the partnership in The Hollywood Reporter.
This unique fellowship will provide the winning feature writer an approximate 40-week paid writing job and the opportunity to develop scripts under the mentorship of the Wonder Project led by Jeremy Latcham, producer of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Guardians of the Galaxy, and more.
The Wonder Project was founded by established leaders from entertainment and technology, and is dedicated to building a trusted brand that serves a vast but underserved audience with courageous stories that restore faith in things worth believing in.
This Fellowship is open to drama or comedy feature length screenplays that capture a sense of wonder, hope, and optimism. The Wonder Project and Stand Together are looking for strong writers to develop high-stakes, brave, and compelling stories with a sense of heart, humor, and spectacle. Themes can be underlying, but all scripts considered should ultimately capture an optimistic lens on the human condition and a deep belief in people. Comparable films include, The Pursuit of Happyness, Field of Dreams, The King’s Speech, Stand and Deliver, Erin Brockovich, Miracle, Father of the Bride, While You Were Sleeping.
Entry Requirements:
- Requires additional $30 entry fee
- In order to be considered for this Award, you must be entered into the Comedy or Drama Feature categories of the 2025 AFF Screenplay Competition
Wonder Project | Stand Together Fellowship winner(s) will receive:
- Wonder Project representatives will read the category’s Semifinalists scripts to determine the Finalists and winner. Pending availability, representatives from Wonder Project will meet with the category finalists at Austin Film Festival’s Writers Conference (October 23rd – 26th) or via zoom beforehand.
- $1000 cash prize and up to $500 in airfare and up to $500 in lodging travel allowance to attend the 2025 Austin Film Festival (October 23rd – October 30th)
- An approximately 40-week employment at a comparable union rate. Employment will be asap following the completion of the competition. In the event there is a co-writer, The Wonder Project will hire as a writing team and the pay will be split amongst them per union guidelines.
- Opportunity to develop concepts and work on scripts overseen by Wonder Project and Stand Together team.
- Option to continue working together after the fellowship per discretion of both parties.
SUBMISSIONS FOR THE WONDER PROJECT | STAND TOGETHER FELLOWSHIP ARE NOW CLOSED