Storylines Lab
SL
The call for applicants for our 2025 Storylines Lab is open!
About the lab
The Storylines Lab is designed for narrative feature film projects at an early stage of development, from early concept to treatment stage. The lab is held virtually through online sessions and has a duration of two weeks.
The lab gives independent filmmakers from around the world the opportunity to work intensively on the creative development of their projects in an environment structured to foster professional collaboration and high-quality project development.
The lab is facilitated by a professional in the field with long-standing experience. In addition to the guidance provided by the facilitator through workshop sessions and one-on-one meetings, the lab offers the participants the opportunity to workshop their projects with other international filmmakers, be part of a community of like-minded artists, and access the Cine Qua Non Lab film professional network.
By the end of the lab, participants will have created a portfolio of:
- Short treatment/Main story points
- Character profiles
- Synopsis
Language
The Storylines Lab is held in English. All applicants must have a good knowledge of English.
Dates
The 2025 Storylines Lab will be held virtually through online sessions and will have a duration of 15 consecutive days, with a 2-day follow-up session.
The lab sessions will take place between April 1st and June 5th, 2025. The follow-up session will be held in June/July 2025.
Eligibility
Professional writers or writer/directors developing a narrative feature film are eligible to apply. Only one person per project will be accepted to the lab. This lab is also open to former Cine Qua Non Lab participants who are interested in workshopping a new project, as well as to seasoned professionals.
Application materials
- Online application
- A current résumé or CV including educational background, work experience and credits in the film industry [in English]
- A synopsis of the story (up to 3 pages, using a 12-point Courier font) [in English]
Application deadline
The application deadline for the 2025 Storylines Lab is January 10th, 2025 at 11:59 pm (Mexico City time).
Participation fee
There is a non-refundable application fee of 40 USD.
The fee for attending the lab is 1,500 USD. This fee is required upon acceptance to the lab. In case of cancellation more than 15 days prior to the starting date of the lab, there is a 50% refund of the attendance fee. There is no refund in case of cancellation less than 15 days prior to the starting date.
Giving back
Participants must give official recognition to Cine Qua Non Lab in the future production of their work, by including an acknowledgement and the Cine Qua Non Lab logo in any published rendition of the script, in the project’s website or when applying for additional development labs and funding for the same project, as well as mentioning Cine Qua Non Lab’s support in any interview or article about their project. In addition, once completed, films that have been supported by Cine Qua Non Lab must indicate that support both in the opening and closing credits, by displaying the Cine Qua Non Lab logo and the caption “Developed with the support of Cine Qua Non Lab”. Participants are also required to give recognition to the lab facilitator with an on-screen credit of script consultant.
Selection process
All applications are read and evaluated by a jury panel comprised of film professionals. Applicants short-listed for consideration in the final round of evaluations may be interviewed by video conference.
For further information, please address inquiries to [email protected].
