Submissions for U.S. Features in Development at the 2022 Gotham Week Project Market are now open.
Early Deadline: March 22
Final Deadline: April 5
About
A selection of 20+ fiction feature films at the script stage, U.S. Features in Development offers emerging and established filmmakers the opportunity to introduce new work in development to the Project Market’s attending industry professionals.
Recent alumni include:
Christopher Makoto Yogi’s I Was a Simple Man; Joe Talbot’s The Last Black Man in San Francisco; Isabel Sandoval’s Lingua Franca; Channing Godfrey Peoples’ Miss Juneteenth; Reinaldo Marcus Green’s Monsters and Men; Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight; Christina Choe’s Nancy; Lauren Hadaway’s The Novice; Andrew Semans’ Resurrection; Tayarisha Poe’s Selah and the Spades; Chloé Zhao’s Songs My Brothers Taught Me; Boots Riley’s Sorry to Bother You; Jeremy Hersh’s The Surrogate; Carlo Mirabella-Davis’ Swallow; Nikole Beckwith’s Together Together; Robert Eggers’ The Witch.
Eligibility
— To apply to the Project Market, you must be a member of The Gotham. Use the code GWPM22 for 25% off of your annual membership fee when you join at the Pro or Essential level. Learn more about membership.
— Submissions in development must be completed, feature-length screenplays.
— Films that will be produced in a language other than English are supported, however, submitted scripts must be translated to English.
— Submitted screenplays must be registered with the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA).
— Filmmakers must be U.S.-based, meaning U.S. citizens or living and working in the U.S.
Timeline
— Early Submission Deadline: March 22
— Final Submission Deadline: April 5
— Submission Notifications: mid-July
— 2022 Gotham Week Project Market: September 18 – 23
Application Materials
A complete submission to U.S. Features in Development will include the following materials:
— active Gotham Membership
— paid submission fee ($45 Early Deadline; $60 Final Deadline)
— logline
— synopsis
— project summary
— artistic statement
— personal statement
— screenplay
— WGA registration
In addition, the application requires information on the project’s financial information (financing in place, if any, and total budget) as well as the team behind the project.
Please note that you will not be able to save and return to your application file. Before beginning the application process, we strongly encourage filmmakers to prepare their application materials beforehand for a seamless application process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I am an American producer/filmmaker working overseas. May I still apply?
A: Yes. U.S. Features in Development submissions are open to any U.S.-based filmmakers, meaning any U.S. citizen or anyone working and living in the U.S.
Q: I submitted my screenplay last year. May I apply with the same script?
A: For projects that have been submitted during a previous year, we ask that the script be substantially revised in the last year. If it’s simply the same draft of a script that was submitted last year, or revisions have been minor, we recommend not applying again.
Q: May I submit more than one project?
A: Yes. Filmmakers may submit more than one project, but are encouraged to prioritize a single project moving forward. Please note, if you wish to submit more than one project, you must complete separate applications and will pay a submission fee for each project submitted.
Q: I have a completed feature-length screenplay, but it’s not the final draft. Am I still eligible to submit?
A: Yes, you are still eligible. Submitted screenplays do not need to be the final draft. Early drafts of a script are considered and, in past years, have been invited to participate at the Project Market with the hopes of introducing the filmmaker to development support opportunities.
Q: Is there a minimum or maximum length for submitted scripts?
A: Typically, scripts are between 90-120 pages, however, there is no length requirement, and scripts longer or shorter than that will be considered.
Q: Are adaptations eligible to apply?
A: Yes. Adaptations of existing material will be considered, so long as the applicant demonstrates having secured rights to the material.
Q: Is there a benefit to applying before the Early Deadline?
A: Yes. Applicants submitting by the Early Deadline pay a $45 submission fee. Applicants submitting by the Final Deadline pay a $60 submission fee.