Missouri is full of interesting people, beautiful scenery and a rich history.
Now going into its 10th year, the Missouri Stories Scriptwriting Fellowship is an international competition for screenplays and television pilot scripts with storylines set in Missouri. The contest was modeled after the Sundance Screenwriters Lab.
“The fellowship itself was a great experience. To have the luxury to put my day job on hold for a few days to immerse myself in screenwriting and storytelling with other writers who were as passionate as I am was reinvigorating,” says Scott Huebscher, who came all the way from Sydney, Australia for the fellowship. “It got me thinking about my story in new ways and gave my writing a much needed shot of adrenaline.”
Writers do not have to be from Missouri to submit their scripts to the Missouri Stories Scriptwriting Fellowship, but all scripts must be based in Missouri. The scripts are read and scored by a group of more than 40 Missouri-connected industry judges who pick three winners. However, each writer receives feedback from the judges, whether their script is selected as a winner or not.
“The art form of film is powerful, you can reach so many people,” said Andrea Sporcic Klund, director of the Missouri Film Office. “It’s a cultural exchange, as well. You’re showing the way we do things in Missouri, the way Missouri looks, and sharing that with the world.”
The three winners will be awarded an all-expense-paid trip to a concentrated fellowship experience in spring of 2024, dependent on the winners’ schedules. Submission deadlines for the competition are Nov. 5 (early), Nov. 19 (regular) and Nov. 26 (late). Winners will be notified in January. Access the 2023 submission form, sample scripts, Missouri Stories workshop recordings and more at www.MoFilm.org/MoStories.
