"Winning the Fast Track Fellowship completely and immediately changed my life. Not only did I gain affirmation and access to the industry, I was offered representation before I [had my first meeting.]" ~ Sean Collins-Smith (staffed on reboot of Field Of Dreams)
Looking for representation or to connect with working writers, directors and producers? Get on the Fast Track!
For eighteen seasons, the ISA Fast Track Fellowship has been the premier screenwriting fellowship for writers on the rise. Fast Track Fellows have signed with major agencies like CAA, Paradigm and ICM. Many have been introduced to and then signed with management companies or had their scripts optioned, leading to development deals.
Two ISA Fast Track Fellows meet with eight top level writers, producers, agents, managers and executives during a whirlwind week of career acceleration with guidance from an ISA Development Executive. Fellows are then accepted onto the ISA Development Slate for a minimum of one year. Throughout the year, ISA development executives champion and pitch these writers and their projects to our industry partners actively looking for material to produce.
Seven Category Selections will receive $500 cash each, be evaluated for acceptance onto the ISA Development Slate and go on to be considered for the two Fast Track Fellowships. We are looking for the freshest, most original, and most personal writing in all of these categories:
Action/Adventure
Comedy
Drama
Historical/Biographical
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Suspense (Mystery, Crime, Horror, Thriller)
Spec Scripts ----> NOW ACCEPTING SPECS!
Please note: We define a spec script as an episode based on an existing television show. If your script is not based on existing IP, please submit to the television category.
This season's mentors include:
Pen Densham (Producer/Writer)
Oscar-nominated Pen, produced and wrote multiple features, including Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, Exec Produced revivals of the Outer Limits and The Twilight Zone. And has a best selling book, Riding the Alligator.
Elissa Karasik (Producer/Writer)
Elissa co-wrote and produced AppleTV’s LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY with Lee Eisenberg, co-wrote THE MARVELS and co-Produced AppleTV’s WECRASHED and Marvel/Disney+ series, LOKI. She's worked on features with Netflix, DreamWorks, WB and Imagine.
Matt Wayne (Producer/Writer)
Matt Wayne has written and story-edited many animated shows, including Cannon Busters, Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms, Justice League Unlimited, Ben 10: Omniverse, Teen Titans Go! and Hello Kitty: Supercute Adventures. Emmy nominee!
Jake Wagner (President/Producer) Alibi Prod.
Jake began his career as a manager at Energy Entertainment, then FilmEngine, Benderspink, Good Fear and now has started his own management firm Alibi. Jake enjoys working with writers, who have fresh, original stories to tell.
Najeeb Khuda (CEO, Producer/Manager)
Najeeb has over a decade of experience in the industry working for various major studios before starting his production and literary management company. He has produced several features such as The Calm Beyond and Assassin.
Niceole Levy (Producer/Writer)
After growing up in the middle of the Mojave, Niceole escaped to Los Angeles. Niceole has written on Cloak & Dagger, S.W.A.T, and The Recruit and also co-wrote a feature, The Banker, for AppleTV+.
Cherry Chevapravatdumrong (Producer/Writer)
This year marks Cherry’s feature film debut, collaborating and co-creating with writer/producer Teresa Hsiao, director Adele Lim (Crazy Rich Asians), and Seth Rogen’s Point Grey Pictures for Joy Ride.
Diane Drake (Producer/Writer)
Diane’s produced original screenplays include ONLY YOU and WHAT WOMEN WANT, the second highest grossing romantic comedy of all time. Prior to becoming a screenwriter, Diane was the VP of Creative Affairs for Oscar-winner Sydney Pollack.
Past mentors have included:
Chuck Hayward - Writer / Producer (Ted Lasso, Dear White People, WandaVision)
Damien Chazelle - Oscar Winner, Writer and Director (LA LA Land, Whiplash, Babylon)
Gabrielle Utsey - Manager, HBO Max, Original Drama Series
Ian Sheppard - Head Of Development at Laika, LLC
Darcy Donelan - VP, Development & Production at Voltage Pictures
All applicants will be invited to participate in a live online class with Fast Track Mentor Pen Densham (writer of Robin Hood Prince of Thieves and exec. producer of revivals of The Outer Limits and The Twilight Zone) titled "Creating, Pitching and Writing Your Way To Success".
2 Fast Track Fellows Receive
• 8 general meetings with studio / development executives & literary reps (Fast Track Week: May 6-10, 2024)
• Opportunity to pitch at a live pitch panel
• A pitch practice session
• Pre Fast Track Week prep session with Suzanne Gundersen, Inner Story Consultant
• Year-long script development and guidance
• Acceptance onto the ISA Development Slate
• A 12-Month ISAConnect Membership
• Fellowship announcements to media outlets
• Selected from 7 Top Category Selections
7 Category Selections Receive
• $500 cash each
• Consideration for acceptance onto the ISA Development Slate
• 1-Year Tracking Board Membership
• Selected from Semi-Finalists
Top 50 Receive
• The Craft Course in Screenwriting
• A 3-Month ISAConnect Membership
• Consideration for the 7 Top Category Selections
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There is no faster path to breaking in than getting on the Fast Track. The ISA Development team works tirelessly to promote Fast Track Fellows and their scripts, and as a result, many fellows have signed with top agents, managers and/or had their scripts optioned or purchased.
"Since being named Fast Track Fellow I've got representation with CAA, been hired to rewrite two features Once Upon A Time in Africa and Be A Good Boy. I have also been hired by Gaumont TV to develop a TV show, The White Rhino. More to come but that is what's been signed." ~ Peres Owino
"Since the Fast Track Fellowship I signed with a manager, Matt Prater at Citizen Skull Productions (CSP) who are super pro-active and all about getting their clients out there and noticed. Working with CSP, we’ve come up with a strategy on getting my Fast Track Fellowship winning script TUNDRA KILL out to production companies and have attached a director to my contained horror script THE PIT, which has already garnered interest from a production entity well known in the horror field. All of this happened within the last month, I can’t wait to see what next month brings." ~ Kevin Bachar
"Winning the Fast-Track Fellowship completely and immediately changed my life. Not only did I gain affirmation and access to the industry, I was offered representation before I even landed in L.A. for the fellowship itself. Without winning, I may have never moved to Los Angeles. Now, two years later, I'm on the west coast, I'm with 3 Arts, I've taken dozens of generals, and we're about to go out with a kick-ass pilot for a limited series that's based on an incredible true story. All of my success up to now can, in some way, be connected back to winning that fellowship. It changed everything." ~ Sean Collins-Smith