The Pacific Screenwriting Program (PSP) has created a new program intended to aid in the development of B.C.-owned IP and create opportunities for emerging screenwriters in the province.

The program, called Develop BC, will also support B.C. showrunners at the early stages of scripted series project development and encourage the creation of more small-scale development rooms.

Four weeks worth of funding is available in the program’s pilot phase, according to a news release. The PSP will support one-to-two week development rooms, funding between two and four showrunners or executive producers and their projects with two emerging writers each. The showrunner and writers must be B.C.-based, and the writers’ room itself must take place in-person in the province.

The emerging writers must have no more than two credits with either or both of the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) and the Writers Guild of America. The development rooms must be held between Feb. 3 to May 30, 2025.

The emerging writers are required to be engaged as story editors on WGC contracts and will earn $1,500 per week, minus any writer deductions remitted to the WGC, according to program guidelines.

Applications will open on Jan. 6, 2025, and will be accepted on an ongoing basis pending funding availability. An online info session will take place on Dec. 2.

“Buyers are increasingly looking for projects to be quite well developed before they commit to them,” said PSP executive director Camilla Tibbs (pictured) in a statement. “By covering the fees of two emerging writers to work with a showrunner on their project, we enable the showrunner to further develop a series and better demonstrate its viability.”

The PSP’s other programs include the Scripted Series Lab, the Indigenous Screenwriters Lab, Story Department Internships and the Vancouver Scripted Summit.

Image courtesy of Pender PR