Final Draft

  • You've just finished your first draft. You've cut your teeth in creating something entirely out of your own mind. You're proud of your creativity and the effort it's taken to get to this point. You're on the precipice of a relentless pursuit of taking the words off the page and making magic. But you stop yourself and wonder..."How do I take a general meeting? How do I get repped? How do I pitch my story?"

    Introducing our newest program, wherein writers will work on taking their feature or pilot script to its final draft. Participants will refine and iterate their stories, improve scenes, and pitch their projects — getting primed to take the next step in building their careers. Are you ready to bring your project past the finish line?

    Applications are now closed.

  • All applicants will need to apply with a completed first draft of the feature/pilot script that they hope to refine over the course of the program. Applicants must be available for a 1.5 hour weekly virtual meeting over the 12-week period. Additionally, applicants should expect to read their peers’ work for about 1-2 hours each week.

  • Applications open: July 29th, 2024

    Applications close: August 9th, 2024

    Selections announced: September 2, 2024

    Program start date: Week of September 9th, 2023

    Program end date: Week of December 2nd, 2024

    12 week workshop; 1 meeting per week, 1.5 hours in length.

  • All projects developed in Final Draft must be a feature or pilot. Participants will work together to refine their scripts, learn how to pitch projects, and leverage their projects to pursue their professional goals.

FAQs

  • You do not have to be South Asian or of South Asian descent to apply, but your application must show a willingness to uplift South Asian stories. If you’re for the mission of uplifting South Asian art, then you belong in the room.

  • While you may apply with an idea for a feature film, we recommend writing in the room be either a short film or television pilot format. We recommend writers with an interest in developing a feature to approach the room as a way to work on a proof-of-concept short film, outline, or first act for their project.

  • You do not need any formal writing experience to apply to The Writer’s Room. We do expect writers to have access to screenwriting software (free programs are available) and a basic understanding of screenplay format prior to the start of the rooms.

  • You do not need to live in the US to apply, but if selected, you must be available for the weekly meetings. Please keep this in mind when providing weekly availability in your application.

  • Yes, you may still apply again for Cycle 5, but please understand that your application will be objectively reviewed as with all other applicants. No preference or special treatment will be given to past writers.

 

Meet the Team

 
 

Shuchi Dwivedi

Room Lead

Shuchi Dwivedi is a history major, criminal lawyer, and screenwriting graduate from the American Film Institute Conservatory. She is a recipient of an American Association of University Women (AAUW) International Fellowship and an AFI scholarship. She is a winner of the IFFLA Launchpad Pitch Competition, a Rickshaw alum, and has interned at GRANDVIEW and UNTITLED ENTERTAINMENT.

 In 2022, Dwivedi completed co-writing her first feature film, which was commissioned by Kunal Kapoor Productions in India. She has previously assisted Hussain and Abbas Dalal in their writers’ room, where she worked on adapting an Emmy Award-winning French comedy-drama series, Call My Agent: Bollywood.

As an artist, she is drawn to the female experience and the absurdities of modern-day life. She believes laughter is an antidote to fear and aspires to create a braver world through her stories.