To register, click here !

Project Write, the Shenandoah Valley Writing Project, SU’s Department of Media and Communication, and Alamo Drafthouse Cinema are teaming up to bring a day of screenwriting and production workshops to the area for the FOURTH year!

Winchester native Christopher C. Rogers, whose credits include Paper Girls and Halt and Catch Fire, will speak at 9 a.m. To learn more about him, read his bio and our interview with him here.

Other established filmmakers and screenwriters will be part of the instruction, including Shenandoah University faculty Kelley Crowley and Paul DiFranco. This year, participants will choose a two-hour breakout session in the afternoon to experience hands-on learning in scriptwriting and other media fields, such as documentaries, virtual reality, and esports. Click here for session descriptions!

The conference for students in grades 8-12 and their teachers will be held Saturday, April 1, from 9 am until 2 pm in person at Shenandoah University. The keynote speaker presentation will be available live online.

We are holding this year’s Conference on Saturday, April 1, 2023,  in conjunction with the Virginia Emerging Filmmakers Festival, presented by The Film Studio at Shenandoah, held April 1. All screenings for VEFF will be held on Saturday so that Young Screenwriters’ Conference attendees may attend for free (with paid YSC registration)! The Festival is open to films by students in high school and college. Visit the Film Freeway site for more details to enter by the Januray 15 Early Bird Deadline or March 12 Final Deadline!

Thanks to grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and Marion Park Lewis Foundation for Arts and additional funding from the Nora Roberts Foundation, we are able to offer this conference for an especially low price of $15.

To register, click here !

Why Screenwriting?

• Video is everywhere.
• Media literacy is a must.
• What better way to understand the genre than by immersing in the writing and production?
• Project-based learning lends itself to film production.
• Many schools are adding film programs and the conference is designed to complement them.

Tentative Schedule

9-11:00 a.m. Breakout Sessions
11 am.-12 p.m. Lunch
12-2:00 p.m. Keynote Speaker

REGISTRATION COST is $15 for students. Advisers can attend for FREE. If you register and pay before March 1, you’ll receive a Young Screenwriters’ Conference t-shirt.

Due to our planning of events relying on accurate numbers of participants, refunds are NOT available after March 15. In emergency situations, we will consider a partial refund on a case-by-case basis. We will allow LATE registrations through the morning of the event.

If you are organizing a group trip, please let us know to expect your registrations by emailing youngwriters@projectwrite.org. We’re excited to have all young screenwriters!

Special Circumstances:

• Shenandoah University students and faculty are always welcome to attend for free.
• Laurel Ridge Community College and other undergraduates are welcome to attend for the $15 registration fee.

Ready to register? Click here now!

For more updates as the day draws near, bookmark this page at Project Write, Inc.. follow us online @ProjectWrite on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or email our main office and ask to be added to our Young Screenwriters’ Conference mailing list.

Any questions can be directed to our main office at youngwriters@projectwrite.org

We look forward to writing with you!

Other costs:

Additional tickets for Emerging Filmmakers’ Festival and the keynote speaker’s showing can be reserved during the registration process. Bring money to purchase dinner at the Alamo!

Please note that you must attend the showing in-person and follow any mask & social distancing policies for Alamo Drafthouse.

Accommodations:

Out-of-area guests may wish to take advantage of the Young Screenwriters’ Conference Group Rate at Comfort Inn & Suites 195 Kernstown Commons Boulevard, Winchester, VA, 22602, US

To register, click here!

Past Conferences

Previous Guests:

The inaugural keynote speaker was comic creator and screenwriter Joe Kelly, known for BEN 10, I KILL GIANTS, and his contributions to reinvigorating the Deadpool comics. Comic creator, screenwriter, and animation director Dash Shaw joined us in 2020 with his animated film MY ENTIRE HIGH SCHOOL SINKING INTO THE SEA. Rebekah McKendry, a Winchester, Va., native, was the 2022 keynote speaker. She is a screenwriter, director, and producer, and shared her experience writing about the industry. Check out this interview between one of our Project Write creators and McKendry!