Posted Thursday, August 06, 2026
2026 Black List Parenthood Writers Fellowship
The Black List is thrilled to announce that it has partnered with the Van Leer Foundation, Equimundo, The Human Safety Net, and the American Institute for Boys and Men to launch the 2026 Black List Parenthood Writers Fellowship.
The Parenthood Fellowship will support four writers in developing compelling, evidence-informed film or television scripts about parenthood as a transformative human experience. Scripts must focus on the beginning of life, stories about pregnancy and becoming a parent and how the transition into motherhood and fatherhood reshapes who we are - especially during the rollercoaster of the first 5 years. Each writer will receive a $15,000 grant, creative mentorship, and expert input, with the goal of shifting cultural narratives and inspiring broader recognition of parenthood’s human and societal value.
During the Fellowship, each recipient will be paired with an experienced creative mentor to support their rewrite, with whom they will meet three times. The writers will also be connected with a panel of experts who will provide the latest science and evidence on parenthood cutting across neuroscience, biology, psychology, anthropology and more to counter misconceptions and outdated tropes on parents and parenting. A cohort mentor will convene the writers monthly as a group for additional feedback and programming.
Fellows will have six (6) months to complete a revision of their script. The latter half of the Fellowship will focus on pitch development and industry education. At the end of the Fellowship, each recipient will provide a revised version of their script and will be invited to attend the 2027 Lights! Camera! Impact! Storyteller Gathering during the Venice Film Festival with their pitches. Lights! Camera! Impact! is an annual forum celebrating the power of storytelling hosted by The Human Safety Net in the heart of San Marco Piazza in Venice.
To be considered for the fellowship, writers must submit a completed feature-length screenplay or television pilot with strong parenthood themes. The script must be submitted in English; if the script is a translation, please indicate the original language it was written in and/or what language it will be produced in.
In order to submit, the writer’s project must be hosted on www.blcklst.com and have at least one Black List reader evaluation attached to their project. Writers can use existing reader evaluations and/or purchase a new evaluation. During the submission process, writers will also be asked to briefly explain why parenthood is an important theme in their work and how it resonates in their script.
Fifty (50) fee waivers are available for eligible projects. Writers can apply for a waiver on the program submission page. Receiving a waiver will allow a writer to submit a project for consideration at no cost to themselves. Waiver distribution will be prioritized by both demonstration of financial need and the underrepresented subject matter of the project. Writers will be asked to provide a brief explanation for why they need a waiver upon application. Waivers are only available for new projects that have not yet been hosted on the Black List website. Waivers will be approved at the partners and the Black List’s discretion.
Each fellowship recipient will retain complete ownership of their work.