NHMC's Series Scriptwriters Program

2025 Application Window is OPEN!

For any questions, please contact specialevents@nhmc.org

For partnership opportunities, please contact partnerships@nhmc.org

Eligibility

You must be 18 years or older.
You must have access to reliable internet connection to participate in daily video conferencing.
You must apply as an individual. (No writing teams)

*Please note all classes are conducted in Pacific Standard Time.

Submission Rules

The deadline to submit the application is 11:59 p.m. (PST) on MONDAY, MARCH 17, 2025.

Program Dates: 5/27/25 – 7/19/25

This program is virtual, to run Monday-Friday evenings (6-8pm PST), and Saturday mornings (11am-3pm PST) over the course of the 8 weeks. Participation in all meetings is mandatory.
Aspiring Latinx writers with a strong desire to write for streaming & television are encouraged to apply!

APPLY HERE!

Required Application Criteria

Resume (maximum 1 page)

Please submit a current professional resume. Make sure to include any relevant writing experience. However, this is not exclusively a writing resume, do include any experience that you feel enhances what you bring to the table as a writer even if it’s not directly writing-related.

Bio (maximum 200 words)

Think of your Bio and Statement of Purpose as non-fiction writing samples. These are equally as important as your script in giving us a sense of your unique voice. With your bio, think of it as part of what you might say in your elevator pitch about yourself. Tell us a story about who you are beyond what you have included on your resume.

Statement of Purpose (maximum 500 words)

Use this section to answer the following questions: Why do you write? What motivates you to tell those stories? What is your personal connection to your material? Why is writing for the small screen your passion?

List of Writing Samples

Please provide a list of your completed writing samples - title and logline (1-2 sentences max) only. On this list please include reference to any pilots, specs, features, shorts, short stories, published articles, etc, which you’ve written. If any of the work was with a writing partner or team, make note of which items were written as a collaboration. Note: All samples you list should be work you feel is polished enough to be read by execs, showrunners, etc.

Writing Sample

Please submit a properly formatted pilot or spec script. We will accept the following:

1-hour (max 59 pages)
Half-hour (max 35 pages)

Your sample can be any genre including, but not limited to:

Drama
Dramedy
Comedy
Animation

Writing Samples NOT Accepted:

Features
Short Film script
Novels
Plays
Poems
Any other alternative samples

Logline (1-2 sentences)

This is a brief summary of your script that establishes the main character, what obstacles they have to overcome in pursuit of what they want, and gives us a sense of the hook of your story.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I have to be Latino to apply?

A: No, the program is open to people of all races and ethnicities.

Q: Is the NHMC Series Scriptwriters Program open to all ages?

A: No, you must be at least 18 years of age to participate in the program.

Q: How much does it cost to apply?

A: Thanks to our sponsors, the NHMC Series Scriptwriter's Program is a completely free program from the application to the program itself.

Q: Do you have to be a U.S. Citizen to apply to the program?

A: No.

Q: What kind of writing sample should be submitted? Is there a length restriction? Can I submit more than one?

A: Please submit a properly formatted pilot or spec script. We will accept the following:

- 1 hour (max 59 pages)
- Half-hour (max 35 pages)

Your sample can be any genre including, but not limited to:

- Drama
- Dramedy
- Comedy
- Animation

Only ONE writing sample can be submitted.

Q: Will the judges provide feedback on the work that I submit for my application?

A: Due to the amount of applications received, judges are unable to provide feedback on submitted work.

Q: Will you return my application materials that were submitted if I am not accepted?

A: No, any materials submitted will not be returned to the owner.

Al Madrigal Joins National Hispanic Media Coalition In 2024 Series Scriptwriters Program Closing Ceremony

NHMC Celebrates the Next Generation of Latine Storytellers at 2024 Series Script Writers Program Closing Ceremony

National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) recently held a closing ceremony for the successful completion of its 2024 Series Scriptwriters Program, a virtual eight-week intense writers lab that has helped launch the careers of more than 200 Latine writers in its twenty-one-year history.

Comedian, writer, actor, and producer Al Madrigal (Lopez vs. Lopez) greeted this year’s cohort and provided remarks during the special closing ceremony.

“You are all the next generation of storytellers and your stories will speak to people like you who are dying to see themselves on TV, on any screen, because we all know when we see authentic portrayals of our culture, our family, our struggles, our joy, it gives us a sense of belonging. We realize that our stories are worth telling and that we too, deserve to be seen” said Al Madrigal. “When we write stories that show the full complexity of our experiences, our humor, our resilience, our diversity, we change the way the world sees us creating a ripple effect far beyond the screen. We are humanizing our community in ways that help break down barriers of discrimination, ignorance, and misunderstanding”

For more than twenty years, NHMC has cemented the Series Scriptwriters Program as one of the leading writer’s labs in the entertainment industry. The unique eight-week intense writers lab accepts nationwide applications and ten Latine writers from diverse backgrounds are selected to participate. Participants work closely with mentors, meet seasoned writers in the industry, join a community of alum Latine writers, and have the opportunity to connect with agents, managers, and executives in the entertainment industry. By the end of the program, participants will have developed a half-hour or hour-long original series pilot with the opportunity to pitch network executives in NHMC’s network of partners including The Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal, and Netflix.

“One of the ways that we accomplish our mission is through all of you participating in this well-respected writers program in the industry,” said Brenda Victoria Castillo, President and CEO, National Hispanic Media Coalition. Castillo emphasized the importance of uplifting each other in the entertainment industry saying “In your journey, just make sure you are pulling up other Latinos, make sure that when you climb up that you are sending the elevator back down and that you are helping our people.”

This year’s participants included:

Chris Leyva
Crystal Perea
Daniella Tovar
Dylan Correa
Dylon Goris
Gabriela Rodriguez
Maddie Chavez
Mercedes Augusta
Morgan Webber-Ottey
Victor Adame

Alumni of the program have gone on to work on shows that can be viewed on Netflix, Apple TV+, NBCUniversal, Max, Hulu, ViacomCBS, Paramount, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and more.

For more information about the Series Scriptwriters Program visit: https://www.nhmc.org/writers/.

To read the full story from Enchúfate, click here.

About Our Scriptwriters Program

For nearly twenty years, the NHMC Series Scriptwriters Program has helped launch the careers of more than 200 Latinx writers.

Ten diverse Latinx writers nationwide are selected for a eight-week intense writers lab. At the end of the program, these writers will have either a half-hour or hourlong original series pilot, which they will pitch to Industry leaders, beginning with our partners at ABC & NBC. Over the 8-week duration writers work with a professional writing mentor, meet and speak with professional industry writers, and build a community of Latinx writers. The program is officially conducted virtually.

Our writers have worked on shows that can be viewed on Netflix, CW, NBCUniversal, HBOMax, Hulu, ViacomCBS, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and more.