WAVES Film Bazaar has opened applications for the Screenwriters’ Lab 2026, its flagship script development programme for Indian feature film writers. Organised by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) under the WAVES Film Bazaar banner, the lab is designed to help screenwriters strengthen their projects through intensive mentorship from acclaimed international script consultants and industry experts.

The programme is open exclusively to feature-length fiction projects. Applicants must be Indian passport holders residing in India or Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders and are required to submit a complete screenplay. Partial or incomplete scripts will not be considered.

Selected participants will work across three development sessions. The first five-day residential session is scheduled for the end of August 2026, followed by an online session in mid-October. A second five-day residential session will take place from November 15 to 20, immediately before NFDC Film Bazaar, which is scheduled from November 20 to 24, 2026. Alongside script development, participants receive training in pitching and presenting their projects to producers, financiers and international industry delegates.

Applications require a complete screenplay, CV, logline, a 100-150 word synopsis, a five-page treatment, links to previous work, the first five pages of the script, and a writer’s statement outlining the motivation behind the project, development goals, intended audience and expectations from the lab.

The early bird deadline is July 28, 2026, with an application fee of ₹8,000. The final deadline is August 4, 2026, with a fee of ₹9,000. All applications close at 11:59 pm IST, and the fee is non-refundable.

Established in 2007, the Screenwriters’ Lab has played a significant role in the development of numerous Indian independent films that have gone on to premiere at major international festivals and secure theatrical releases.

Key dates

  • Early bird deadline: July 28, 2026 (₹8,000)
  • Final deadline: August 4, 2026 (₹9,000)
  • Session 1: End of August 2026 (tentative)
  • Session 2: Mid-October 2026 (online)
  • Session 3: November 15-20, 2026
  • NFDC WAVES Film Bazaar: November 20-24, 2026