Episodic Program

Episodic

Program

The Sundance Institute Episodic Program provides artists with the tools and training to develop their original series and pilot script. Offering one of the few training grounds for independent voices, the program is designed to help creators move their projects and careers forward.

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Our Lab is a destination where bold writers develop expansive worlds and unconventional characters for audiences who crave transformative TV.”

Jandiz Estrada Cardoso

Program Director

Pitch Parlor Recap

Episodic Program Calendar

The Sundance Institute Episodic Lab is a six-day program that offers writers the opportunity to workshop a pilot script, while developing their writing. Working with accomplished showrunners, Fellows will participate in one-on-one story meetings, craft workshops, and simulated writers’ rooms. Together, these meetings provide an elevated creative strategy for artists to advance their projects. Still have questions about the Episodic Lab? Read our FAQ

Upcoming Events

Location Details

Dates

Submissions Window

FilmFreeway.com

Closed

Episodic Lab

Location TBD

Early November, 2023

Events

Location Details

Dates

Pitch Parlor

Beverly Hills, CA

Mar 9, 2023

Featured Projects

P-Valley

Katori Hall, Showrunner
Episodic Lab 2014

When darkness descends upon Chucalissa, errybody and they mama must fight tooth and talon to survive.

Available on STARZ

Outer Range

Heather Rae, Executive Producer

Episodic Lab 2014

A rancher fighting for his land and family discovers an unfathomable mystery at the edge of Wyoming’s wilderness.

Stream on Amazon Prime Video

The Underground Railroad

Berry Jenkins, Screenwriter / Executive Producer

Episodic Lab 2014

The Underground Railroad chronicles Cora Randall’s desperate bid for freedom in the Antebellum South after escaping a Georgia plantation she discovers no mere metaphor, but an actual railroad beneath the Southern soil.

Stream on Amazon Prime Video

Continuum of Support

A unique attribute of Sundance Institute Labs is the high touch mentoring and support our Fellows receive long after the Lab has completed. This allows Fellows to fully realize the potential of their work, hone their skills in a dynamic and supportive environment, and position themselves for the best possible outcomes for their projects. This includes ongoing creative and strategic advice from the Episodic team and Advisors in addition to targeted introductions to agents and managers.

Annual Pitch Parlor More >

Year-round Gatherings More >

Episodic Advancement Fund More >

Spring Intensive More >

Support for the Sundance Institute Episodic Program

As of September 2022

The Sundance Institute Episodic Program is made possible by Founding Supporters Lyn and Norman Lear and Cindy Harrell Horn and Alan Horn. Leadership Supporters are AMC+, Starz, MGM+, MRC Television, Netflix, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, The Florence and Harry Sloan Foundation, and NBCUniversal.

Photo Gallery

A look inside our Episodic Program Labs and Intensives

Application	The 2023 Episodic Lab application is currently closed. The 2024 Episodic Lab application will open in February 2024.
Dates	Fall 2023
Size of Lab	8–10 projects per lab
Eligibility	Applicants must be 18 years of age or older at time of application. The project must be the applicant’s original creation or adapted from optioned source material. The project must be written in the English language, but it does not need to be intended to be fully produced in English. The project should be new, or if previously submitted, it must be materially different from any and all versions previously submitted to Sundance Institute. Projects may not be already produced, sold to a third party, or distributed online or otherwise. Applicants cannot have sold an episodic project (pilot or pitch) to a studio or network in the past that has been shot. The project shall not infringe the copyright or any other proprietary right of another individual or entity. The creator/applicant is responsible for all rights pertaining to the project.
The Application Process	Applicants are required to submit an original pilot script, their bio, a series logline, a series overview, their personal statement, a thematic statement, additional creative questions, and (optional) links to samples of previous work, along with a $40 nonrefundable processing fee. For further details on the application process, please see our FAQ section below.
Description	The Sundance Institute Episodic Lab is a six-day program that offers writers the opportunity to workshop a pilot script, while developing their writing and pitching skills. Working with accomplished showrunners, non-writing creative producers, and executives, the Fellows participate in one-on-one story meetings, craft workshops, and simulated writers rooms, which together provide an elevated creative strategy for their material from key industry players in positions to advance their projects and careers.

Episodic Program

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Pitch Parlor Recap

Episodic Program Calendar

Featured Projects

P-Valley

Outer Range

The Underground Railroad

Continuum of Support

Support for the Sundance Institute Episodic Program

Photo Gallery

Apply

Attend

Explore

Support

About Sundance

Contact Us

Spring Intensive

Year-round Gatherings

Annual Pitch Parlor

Episodic Advancement Fund

Still have questions about the Episodic Lab? Read our FAQ

Episodic Lab

Endowment Support