FilmLab, The Timberline Review and the Kay Snow Awards are run by volunteers at Willamette Writers, the largest writers organization in the Pacific Northwest. Writers of all genres and at all stages of their careers come to our meetings, annual conference, and workshops to connect with their community, develop their craft, and advance their career.
Across the state of Oregon, you will find a tightly knit community of writers who love working together to tell our stories and build our scenes: on paper, on the screen, and in front of the mic.
Need help writing a novel or short story, memoir or screenplay? Sharing expertise? Meeting other writers? Join us today. Be a Willamette Writer.
2026 FilmLab Writer's Room Guidelines
Once again, Willamette Writers is excited to offer an in-person educational opportunity for aspiring screenwriters. Eight writers will be selected by a panel of judges to participate in a two-day in-person writer’s room in Portland, Oregon. They will work with Grant Rosenberg, an experienced showrunner, producer, and screenwriter, to collaborate on a script. As a group, the writers will develop the concept, flesh out the characters, and outline the story before breaking into pairs to draft the script, which will be performed by SAG-AFTRA actors at the Willamette Writers Conference in August. This script will move into production in 2027.
About the Writer’s Room
Eight writers will participate in the writer’s room.
In the writer’s room, they will develop the specifics of the script concept and flesh out the characters and the overall story arc. The writers will then be paired up to collaborate on a script, which they will have three weeks to complete.
Submission Details
Submissions open on Submittable on March 16, 2026. Submissions are free for Willamette Writers members, and $10.00 for guests. Writers must submit an 10-page (no more) sample of their work to be considered. No title page, and no identifying information on script pages. Submissions should emphasize character and dialogue and be presented in script format as a PDF.
This is an educational opportunity, and participation is key!
Writers who submit but are not accepted will be invited to participate as viewers of the in-person writer’s room. Previous Writer's Room participants are not eligible to submit their work, but are invited to join the room as viewers as well.
Timeline
Applications open: March 16, 2026 Applications close: April 24, 2026 Writers' Room Announcement: May 11, 2026 Portland Writer's Room Dates: June 20 & 21, 2026 Willamette Writers Conference: August 1, 2026
How do you know if FilmLab is right for you?
FilmLab is an educational experience aimed at helping writers learn to pitch their ideas, find their voice in the Writer’s Room, and hear their work read by professionals in a formal setting. The goal is to get you the experience you need to take that next step in your writing career. If this sounds like what you need, submit your work. We encourage writers from underrepresented communities to apply. We look forward to reading your submissions.
About the Contest
FilmLab began in 2012 at the Willamette Writers Conference as part of an effort to support and grow the film industry in Portland, Oregon. In earlier years, FilmLab focused on the Script to Screen Competition, in which submitted scripts were judged by industry professionals in Portland and Los Angeles, with the winning script produced by Willamette Writers and premiered at the conference. The program is now focused on providing an educational experience for screenwriters, allowing them to see their work developed from the Writer’s Room to the screen. For more than 60 years, Willamette Writers has helped writers build community, develop their craft, and advance their careers.
2026 FilmLab Writer's Room Guidelines
Once again, Willamette Writers is excited to offer an in-person educational opportunity for aspiring screenwriters. Eight writers will be selected by a panel of judges to participate in a two-day in-person writer’s room in Portland, Oregon. They will work with Grant Rosenberg, an experienced showrunner, producer, and screenwriter, to collaborate on a script. As a group, the writers will develop the concept, flesh out the characters, and outline the story before breaking into pairs to draft the script, which will be performed by SAG-AFTRA actors at the Willamette Writers Conference in August. This script will move into production in 2027.
About the Writer’s Room
Eight writers will participate in the writer’s room.
In the writer’s room, they will develop the specifics of the script concept and flesh out the characters and the overall story arc. The writers will then be paired up to collaborate on a script, which they will have three weeks to complete.
Submission Details
Submissions open on Submittable on March 16, 2026. Submissions are free for Willamette Writers members, and $10.00 for guests. Writers must submit an 10-page (no more) sample of their work to be considered. No title page, and no identifying information on script pages. Submissions should emphasize character and dialogue and be presented in script format as a PDF.
This is an educational opportunity, and participation is key!
Writers who submit but are not accepted will be invited to participate as viewers of the in-person writer’s room. Previous Writer's Room participants are not eligible to submit their work, but are invited to join the room as viewers as well.
Timeline
Applications open: March 16, 2026 Applications close: April 24, 2026 Writers' Room Announcement: May 11, 2026 Portland Writer's Room Dates: June 20 & 21, 2026 Willamette Writers Conference: August 1, 2026
How do you know if FilmLab is right for you?
FilmLab is an educational experience aimed at helping writers learn to pitch their ideas, find their voice in the Writer’s Room, and hear their work read by professionals in a formal setting. The goal is to get you the experience you need to take that next step in your writing career. If this sounds like what you need, submit your work. We encourage writers from underrepresented communities to apply. We look forward to reading your submissions.
About the Contest
FilmLab began in 2012 at the Willamette Writers Conference as part of an effort to support and grow the film industry in Portland, Oregon. In earlier years, FilmLab focused on the Script to Screen Competition, in which submitted scripts were judged by industry professionals in Portland and Los Angeles, with the winning script produced by Willamette Writers and premiered at the conference. The program is now focused on providing an educational experience for screenwriters, allowing them to see their work developed from the Writer’s Room to the screen. For more than 60 years, Willamette Writers has helped writers build community, develop their craft, and advance their careers.
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