Interested in using the visual language of film to tell a story? Understand the art of the screenplay in hands-on workshops, panels and seminars located in the relaxed, natural beauty of Southampton. Study with professional screenwriters drawn from the most distinguished film programs in the country, as well as from the rich pool of talent in New York and the Hamptons.
WORKSHOPS
We offer intensive writing workshops, limited to ten
participants, over the five days of the conference. Whether
your primary goal is to develop an idea, create an outline
or revise an existing screenplay, our workshops cover all
aspects of craft. Three graduate credits available to
eligible students. The conference is directed by Annette
Handley Chandler.
This year’s workshop faculty includes:
• Andrew Bienen, Screenwriter, Boys Don’t Cry
• Christina Lazaridi,Screenwriter, Academy Award Nominee, One Day Crossing
• Frank Pugliese, Playwright and Screenwriter, Aven’U Boys
• Susan B. Landau, Producer, Ideal Husband; Cool Runnings
• Malia Scotch Marmo, Screenwriter, Once Around; Hook
• Ken Friedman, Screenwriter, Heart Like a Wheel; White Line Fever
• Paula Brancato, Award-winning Filmmaker, Screenwriter and Poet (National
Screenwriters Award, Faulkner Award, Poetry Guild Award)
• Stephen Molton, Author/Screenwriter, Brothers in Arms: The Kennedys, the
Castros and the Politics of Murder; Deep Blue
• Carol Dysinger, Writer/Editor, Deadline; Rain; Punk; and Santitos
• Peter Riegert, Producer/Writer/Actor, By Courier (writer); King of the Corner
(producer, writer)
Writing workshops are held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Admission is by application only.
Workshop topics include:
• Structure: From Idea to Film Outline
• Keeping the Focus: From Outline to Scenes
• Breaking the Back of Story
• The Art of Adaptation
• The Story: Finding, Enhancing and Serving Your Story
• Writing is Re-Writing: Editing to Strengthen Your Work
ELECTIVES, GUEST SPEAKERS AND SPECIAL EVENTS
Afternoon sessions offer a wide range of electives, including seminars and
presentations by screenwriters on such diverse topics as: Character: What Lies
Beneath; Non-Fiction Writing for Visual Media; Screenwriters’ Toolbox: Three Tools to
Outline Your Story; Storytelling Through Animation.
Our special evening events this year include a faculty panel discussion on screenwriting, a MasterClass/interview with an esteemed writer/director and, a gala at which the prestigious Pakula Prize will be awarded for distinguished contributions to the art of filmmaking. Guests in the past have included Writer/Director Robert Benton, Screenwriter/Producer Kenneth Lonergan, Film Critic Molly Haskell, Producer Celia Costas, and Director Gene Saks.
During free time, participants can visit Atlantic Ocean beaches, enjoy local nature
hikes or explore the charming towns of the Hamptons.