In 2023 we expanded the Lab to include an intensive, in-person Retreat and an in-person Pitch Day (for which 1497 will cover 50% of travel costs and 100% of accommodation costs). We are excited to be able to accept applications from writers around the globe! However, though US citizenship is not a requirement for the Lab, we do not currently have capacity to assist with Visas, vaccinations, and/or other legal travel documents and requirements. Our Lab eligibility requirements state that applicants must be able to be in the United States for the duration of the Lab.

We recognize that the situation with US “border security” is fraught and fluid right now. For any international (and/or non-U.S.-citizen) applicant that is selected as a Mentee and otherwise would be eligible to be in the United States for the duration of the Lab but currently does not feel safe traveling to the United States, we hear you and we empathize. Though the choice to travel and participate in the Lab fully is entirely yours, we will offer a virtual participation option ONLY for those selected international Mentees that request a hardship waiver due to the political climate surrounding international visits to the United States.

Mostly! For Mentees who are not local to the city in which the Lab Retreat is taking place, 1497 will reimburse 50% of travel costs (round trip, economy class) and cover 100% of all accommodations, food, and certain other costs from the moment they land at the airport to attend the Lab to the moment they arrive back at the airport after the Lab ends. For Mentees local who are local to the city in which the Lab Retreat is taking place, 1497 will reimburse mileage at the standard business mileage reimbursement rate set by the IRS (72.5 cents/mile in 2026) and cover 100% of all accommodations, food, and certain other costs from the moment they arrive at the Lab Retreat to the moment it ends. The same goes for the in-person “Meet the Mentees” event in the spring following the Lab Retreat.

Definitely, as long as at least one member of the team is eligible to be in the United States for the duration of the Lab and is 18 years of age or older. 1497 will cover 50% of travel costs and 100% of on-the-ground accommodation for one member of the writing team. We will do our best to cover the travel expenses and accommodations for additional writing team members on a case-by-case basis.

Yes! And kudos to you for having multiple projects ready! Just make sure to complete a separate submission on FilmFreeway for each distinct screenplay you'd like to submit. NOTE: this may mean paying additional submission fees if you're submitting after our No Fee Deadline, and you may NOT submit the same project multiple times.

No. The screenplay you apply with will be used to match you to your Mentor Pod, among other things. Be sure the screenplay you apply with is the one you want to develop during the Lab.

Great question! Our Lab is designed to get your script into a solid, production-ready state and provide you with tools and resources to go into production - that is, we want to see these stories get made so we can enjoy them on the big screen. That means, unfortunately, being realistic about acknowledging the limitations of the American film industry, even as we work to push those limits and challenge the gatekeepers who created them in the first place. We want to support all the stories you want to tell, while ensuring you have the best chance at success. $5 million is a reasonable budget for someone's first, second, and even third feature film.

Of course. Unlike many Labs, which require accepted filmmakers to pay for the privilege of attending, the 1497 Features Lab covers the majority of the costs for Mentees to attend. We view it as a way to reduce economic barriers to this level of access, and it's one way we give back to our community. In return for participation in the 1497 Features Lab, we ask Lab Alums whose projects are developed in the 1497 Features Lab and subsequently produced to continue that spirit of giving back by contributing to our mission and supporting new generations of emerging filmmakers. This Producer's fee is tied to the budget on a sliding scale:

If the Project is produced for a gross budget equal to or less than $1,500,000, no contribution is due to 1497.
If the Project is produced for a gross budget between $1,500,001 and $3,000,000, the Owner will make a contribution to 1497 in an amount of $4,500.
If the project is produced for a gross budget between $3,000,001 and $5,000,000, the Owner will make a contribution to 1497 in an amount of $7,000.
If the project is produced for a gross budget that is equal to or exceeds $5,000,001, the Owner will make a contribution to 1497 in an amount of $9,500.
All payments are due within 10 business days of the start of principal photography. Any revenue that is designated to 1497 is directly allocated to the 1497 Features Lab and is used on an annual basis to provide critical support for the Lab and Mentees. Your ability to give back really makes a difference.
Additionally, 1497 will receive a credit line and logo placement in the film’s end titles, stating “This film was supported by the 1497 Features Lab.”

Not at all. In line with 1497's mission, the goal of this Lab is to empower and uplift screenwriters to write whatever stories they may want to write, and then introduce them to the American film industry. So while the script doesn’t need to be about America specifically, keep in mind that 1497’s mission is to target the American film market, which will be the likely audience.

Only if that’s the story you want to tell! Our mission is to challenge South Asians’ historical exclusion from and underrepresentation in the American film and media industry, which has happened both in front of and behind the camera. In fact, we'd like to expand what America views as a "South Asian Story." We want all screenwriters to be able to write whatever they want, about whomever they want, in whatever genre they want! As long as your project helps our mission to change South Asian representation in the American film and media industry, we want to hear about it!

Yes. However, we are hoping to launch more initiatives in the future to support and further our mission. Subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to hear about future programming.

FilmFreeway is a submission platform to enter film festivals and creative contests. Its searchable database makes it easy to discover and apply to thousands of programs all over the world, and we’re proud to accept entries for our 1497 Features Lab exclusively on FilmFreeway. If you don't have a FilmFreeway account, it is free to sign up for one and take advantage of its offerings, including applying for our Features Lab. Check out their website for more information on the benefits of joining FilmFreeway.

You will need to create a “Script Project” on FilmFreeway and complete all the relevant details, including basic project information (title, synopsis, any website or socials, etc.), applicant contact information, script specifications (writer(s)’ name(s), genre, number of pages, etc.). Once you save your “Script Project,” you’ll be redirected to the project page to upload a script file - make sure this is a full draft of your screenplay uploaded as a PDF. You’ll have to create a separate “Script Project” for every screenplay you’d like to submit for consideration.

When you submit a “Script Project” to the 1497 Features Lab, you will need to include a few additional items specific to our application: demographic information, a logline (max 50 words), an artistic statement (max 500 words - including relevant bio, experience, and why this story is important to you), and a response to the question “How does this project change South Asian representation in the American film industry?” (max 500 words - note that we view change in front of and behind the camera as equally important). We also welcome uploading supplemental files (like a letter of recommendation, a link sheet to past work, or any additional information about yourself and your screenplay) in the “Files & Attachments” section of your project page. Note that submitting these supplemental files (or not) will not impact your overall score, and they will not be included in the blinded Round 1 review. Finally, you'll be asked to confirm that your draft is complete and ready for development through the Lab, that you've done your due diligence to protect your intellectual property, and that - if selected as a Finalist or if you are one of the 3 Mentees - you are willing and able to commit to the application and Lab timeline, listed on FilmFreeway and on our website. The application fee (for applications submitted after the No Fee Deadline) can be paid directly through FilmFreeway.

Nope! In fact, we recommend NOT including a cover page to support our blind review process!

To ensure a smooth application review process, we require a full draft to be submitted to have a completed application. Feel free to let our Selection Committees know where you are in your writing process by uploading a supplemental file in the “Files & Attachments” section of your project page.

For the first round of review, the Selection Committee members who are scoring the applications will only receive access to your artistic statement, logline, synopsis, and script with the title page removed. All other identifying information (including name, contact information, and nationality) will be removed from your application, making it effectively “blind.” The applications will then be read and scored on a rubric by at least two Round 1 Selection Committee members, who are working professionals in the film industry. We follow this blind review process to do our best to remove unconscious bias from the scoring process. The top scorers will move on to the semi-final round, in which the identifying features are restored before applications are reviewed by the Round 2 Selection Committee.

The ten finalists’ scripts will be read by eight people, five of whom will be Round 3 Selection Committee members (people who read and give feedback to scripts for a living), and the other three of whom are part of Team 1497. Everyone will score your full script on a rubric and provide written feedback. After the Mentees are announced and if you are one of our 10 Finalists, you will receive about six paragraphs of feedback (one from each Round 3 Selection Committee member who read/reviewed your script and one from 1497 collectively), regardless of whether or not you are named one of the the Mentees. We hope this feedback will at least support the next draft of your script's development!

Yes of course - it’s yours! Please read the 1497 Features Lab Terms and Submission Agreement for more information. If accepted to the Lab as one of the three Mentees, there is an additional Agreement to sign, and it includes an NDA to further protect your work.

1497 is currently following the definition of “South Asia” as laid out by the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), The World Bank, and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), among others, which all recognize Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka as, collectively, South Asia. However, we at 1497 acknowledge that geographical definitions are inherently political, and in many cases are drawn as the result of conflict by those who colonized and occupied South Asia. For this reason, we consider our definition of the countries that comprise South Asia to be a living definition; it will evolve as our own knowledge and understanding grows. We are currently consulting scholars of South Asia, including at UC Berkeley, to help us navigate our efforts in de-colonizing the definition of South Asia and we aim to partner with a historian or scholar full time to guide us on this journey. As such we also have an “Other” option in our application, which allows an applicant to specify a different country or region that we should consider including in our definition of South Asia. We will learn and grow by listening.

Yes! The 1497 Features Lab is an annual program. Subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to hear when applications open for future Labs and other initiatives.

Features Lab FAQs