NM Film Office, Stowe Story Labs collaborate again on screenwriters program

The New Mexico Film Office continues its community outreach with another training fellowship for screenwriters.

For the third year, the film office is teaming up with Stowe Story Labs for “New Voices • New Mexico,” which is a professional development and skills training program for emerging New Mexican screenwriters.

“We've collaborated with Stowe for the past three years, and the program has been incredibly successful,” said Amber Dodson, New Mexico Film Office director. “Artists consistently report feeling significantly more advanced in their work after participating. This program is a springboard in teaching how to write a script, produce the project, and finish it in New Mexico, fostering our goal of New Mexico becoming a holistic film and TV ecosystem.”

A grant through the New Mexico Film Office covers the programming cost for the New Mexico resident screenwriters who are chosen to participate. The deadline for applications is April 8.

According to Dodson, the three-part program is delivered over six months and offers participants rare, direct access to industry professionals currently working at a high level in film and television through roundtable pitching sessions, in-conversation interviews, Q&A panels, and one-on-one script note and development meetings.

The 2024 series begins in June with the Online Writing Program, a four-month, weekly, long-form program led by Stowe Story Labs Co-founder and screenwriter David Pope. These sessions are structured writing time, one-on-one meetings, and technique training on building stories from a character-centered approach.

In July, artists will participate in the Online Narrative Lab, a three-day program focused on imparting foundational industry knowledge. The curriculum includes skills seminars and instructional content on story structure, character, and theme; creating and practicing a pitching strategy with industry mentors; elements of creative production such as casting, adaptation, finance, and distribution; and peer-to-peer script note sessions. The lab is facilitated by David Rocchio, Stowe Story Labs founder and director.

Following the Lab and online writing program, participants will share their well-developed script with three different industry mentors in one-on-one script note meetings at the four-day, in-person November Writers’ Retreat in Santa Fe.

In addition to the individualized mentor meetings, programming includes in-conversation interviews and Q&A panels with mentors and other established filmmakers, peer-to-peer script note sessions, writing exercises, and instructional content, shared meals and social time with peers and mentors (designed to help form professional relationships in this collaborative industry), and project advancement planning.

This year, the retreat will include an optional site visit to an active production or film set for writers to learn more about how their words translate to screen.

By the end of the program, participants will have a market-ready project and a strong sample of their voice, which can be used to secure representation and apply for professional writing jobs. They will be admitted into Stowe’s alumni network of more than 1,000 emerging artists, which offers an array of ongoing programming, one-on-one mentoring, networking opportunities, industry information, chances to collaborate, and community activities at Stowe events.

“We are so proud to be partnering with the New Mexico Film Office to offer this program,” Roccio said. “New Mexico’s dedication to developing its industry and nurturing its talent base is inspiring, and we love being a part of it.”