EVERY entry receives FREE WRITTEN FEEDBACK!
The WeScreenplay Feature Lab exists to help elevate your craft while also providing access to industry pros who can help you develop the skills needed for a career as a screenwriter. The lab will select 6 winners to participate in a multi-day interactive virtual screenwriting lab that’s like no other.
Writers will participate in group and 1:1 meetings with industry executives, participate in hands-on workshops, and learn from working feature writers. We’re excited to welcome Keynote Mentors Chad & Carey Hayes, the writing and producing duo behind THE CONJURING, ANNABELLE, and writer/producer John Hilary Shepherd (1917, NURSE JACKIE), and Shary Shirazi SVP of Creative Production for TriStar Pictures (THE WOMAN KING, A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD) to this year’s lab.
PLUS, every entry includes free written feedback from our professional readers! It’s a no brainer, submit your script into the WeScreenplay Feature Lab and level up your career!
KEYNOTE MENTORS
Keynote mentors will participate in the Feature lab group sessions and select at least one writer for a one-on-one coaching session, tailored to the selected writer.
Chad & Carey Hayes
Writer, Producer
THE CONJURING franchise, HOUSE OF WAX, ANNABELLE
Identical twin brothers Chad Hayes and Carey W. Hayes have been mainstays of feature film writing since 2005, having written such films as HOUSE OF WAX, WHITE OUT and THE REAPING before creating THE CONJURING Franchise for Warner Brothers. They also wrote the screenplay for 2020’s THE TURNING and are working on projects for Fox, Sony, Mark Gordon’s eOne Entertainment, Universal/Amblin and more.
Shary Shirazi
SVP of Creative Production for TriStar Pictures
THE WOMAN KING, A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Shary Shirazi is Senior Vice President of Creative Production for TriStar Pictures where she has led the development, production and acquisition of several films. Her recent projects include The Woman King, a ground-breaking historical epic directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, Oscar-nominated A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and Happiest Season, a holiday romantic comedy. In 2019, Ms. Shirazi was also recognized in The Hollywood Reporter’s Next Gen List: 35 Rising Executives 35 and Under. She currently manages a robust development slate including adaptations of best-selling books, including The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah and Burial Rights by Hannah Kent, along with musicals such as Guys and Dolls.
John Hilary Shepherd
Producer, Writer
1917, HACKSAW RIDGE, NURSE JACKIE
A graduate of the American Film Institute with an MFA in Screenwriting, producer John Hilary Shepherd is the founder of Flying Rhino Productions. Previously, John spearheaded development for Academy Award-nominated producer Brian Oliver at New Republic Pictures (1917) and Cross Creek Pictures (BLACK SWAN, HACKSAW RIDGE). John is also a WGA Award-nominated writer for his work on the Showtime television series NURSE JACKIE.
INDUSTRY GUESTS
Industry Guests will participate in the 2024 Feature Lab in either group sessions or 1:1 meetings with the winners.
DOORIE LEE, Manager at 42 Management and Production
DOMINIQUE GRUND, Manager at Black Bear Pictures.
GRAND PRIZE WINNERS (6)
Winners will take meetings with development executives, attend a notes session, and learn how to make the most of a client/rep relationship from managers and agents. It’s an exciting, hands-on schedule of events that will help you further your career — all from the comfort of your own home
Additionally, the winners get access to advice from WeScreenplay team, including guidance for drafting query letters, research methods for finding the right representation, and insight for actionable next steps in their careers — all based on the writer’s specific goals.