Step onto the international stage
Each year, the Owl trains 16 professional screenwriters to develop a film or TV project that could take their career global. We are looking for audience driven scripts for the international market.
OUR VISION
The Owl workshop & Industry Days was created by the Athens Film Office to help develop film and TV projects with international appeal, and that make the most of the advantages Athens offers to the industry.
It is an annual workshop for screenwriters who have already achieved early-career success with a distributed film or TV show and who are ready to launch their career internationally. The workshop aims to create a bridge for screenwriters working outside global centers of film production to reach some of the most well-funded and commercially successful film producers in the world.
A group of 10 international and 6 Greek film professionals will be selected to participate in the mentoring and networking workshop held October 4-7, in Athens, Greece.
We’re looking for screenwriters from a diverse range of backgrounds and identities who develop audience-driven feature films and TV series, combining artistic vision and commercial potential, and which could be adapted to be produced and/or shot in Greece. Entries are judged by a Selection Committee of experienced film and TV professionals. Judging is based on the writer’s track record and overall quality of the script, originality, writing style and concept marketability.
The variety and versatility of Greece makes it the ideal base for a wide range of productions. With locations from inner-city streets to the classic white sand beaches, a project doesn’t need to be set in Greece to shoot here.
What to expect
1st session is held in Athens October 4-7 at the Electra Rhythm Athens
Screenwriters are invited to participate in the full Owl program in Athens. (για το program μπορείς να βάλεις hyperlink στο tab program) which comprises of
- one-to-one mentorship
- panels from industry experts
- masterclasses from screenwriting experts
- peer to peer review in TV and Film cohorts and
- numerous networking opportunities with Greek and International industry professionals.
2nd session is online in March 2026
Having completed an intensive workshop in Athens, screenwriters will submit a second draft of their Feature Film or TV pilot. In March, they will participate in a group workshop, led by prof. Scott Myers, where each cohort member has read each other’s revised scripts. Screenwriters will benefit from:
- A wider range of critiques, feedback, and suggestions
- In critiquing other scripts, each writer will develop their critical analytical skills
- Encourage group bonding that may help to carry those connections forward
3rd session is held in Athens in October 2026
Upon completion of their final draft, screenwriters are invited to return to Athens and partake in their final Group Session; a conversation with their cohort and prof. Scott Myers about the state of each writer’s revised script. They will also have the opportunity to take a masterclass on pitching and then present their projects in a pitching event in front of a committee at The Owl Industry Days; a two day market event running parallel to the Owl Screenwriting Workshop.
Testimonials
RULES
Who can apply?
The Owl is open to professional film and TV writers of all nationalities who have started building their screenwriting career, and want to expand their work to reach a global audience.
The Owl will confirm credits via IMDb.
The Owl is open to writers both with and without representation.
Applicants must have either:
- at least 1 credit on a feature film released theatrically or on a global streaming platform
- at least 2 episodes of a TV series broadcast on a terrestrial channel or a global streaming platform
What can I submit?
Each applicant may submit 1 TV drama pilot or 1 Feature Film script. Please note that although we welcome supplementary materials (such as a pitch deck, treatment, bible etc) a full script is required for the purposes of the application. Your script can be an original idea or be based on an underlying property. It must have the potential to be adapted to be produced and/or shot in Greece. It could be set in Greece, or aim to shoot Greece for another location.
For clarity, we are not expecting writers to submit a tailor made script for the purpose of the application but to submit a script that is already written and which could be adapted to be shot in Greece. To get the most out of the Owl, your script should be at the first draft stage, though we will consider more developed projects.
You must either:
- hold the copyright to the material
- have permission from the copyright holder to submit and workshop the material
- if based on third party IP, have available proof of chain of title
MENTORS
Scott Myers
Scott Myers has written over thirty movie and TV projects at almost every major Hollywood studio and broadcast network. His screenwriting credits include K-9, Alaska, and Trojan War. Since 2008, Scott has hosted GoIntoTheStory.com, the official screenwriting blog of the Black List and named Best of the Best Scriptwriting Website by Writer’s Digest. Author of The Protagonist’s Journey: An Introduction to Character-Driven Screenwriting and Storytelling (Palgrave Macmillan), Scott is currently an Associate Professor of screenwriting at DePaul University.
Elina Fessa
Screenwriter, director, and co-founder of EXTINT, a multilingual script consulting agency helping filmmakers maximize the international potential of their scripts. Elina collaborates with labs such as Cine Qua Non Lab (Mexico) and Coofilm (Spain), has taught at The Core School, Séptima Ars, and EFTI in Madrid, and served on the selection committee for MFI Script 2 Film Workshops. Her scripts have been selected by prestigious film labs, including Berlinale Script Station and the SGAE Foundation, and her short films have won awards from the DGA. Elina is currently developing two feature films and a series. She holds a B.A. from Yale and an M.F.A. from Columbia.
Brendan Fitzgerald
Brendan Fitzgerald is a 20-year veteran of the international television business on both the production and distribution sides. He has structured innovative strategic partnerships between content suppliers, producers, broadcasters, and distributors across a wide variety of cultures, resulting in some 3,000 scripted episodes produced in more than 15 countries.
Isabelle Degeorges
Isabelle Degeorges is a renowned French producer and President of Gaumont Television France since 2013. A graduate of the Sorbonne, she began her career in 2001 at Images et Compagnie (Lagardère), producing a wide range of scripted content. In 2011, she joined Gaumont to launch its French television division. Known for crafting local stories with global appeal, she has produced major successes such as Lupin (Netflix) starring Omar Sy and Becoming Karl Lagerfeld (Disney+) with Daniel Brühl. As Vice President of USPA, she plays a key role in shaping the French audiovisual sector. In 2025, she received the Series Mania “Woman in Series” award, honoring her 25-year career and industry impact.
Maria Kivinen
Maria Kivinen manages international sales and co-productions of Nordic drama series, documentaries, remakes, kids & youth programmes, music & performing arts globally to her wide network of clients of TV and Streaming platforms she has built over her twelve year career at Yle, the Finnish Broadcasting Company. In addition to this, Kivinen is RADA trained dramaturg. Kivinen also produced her debut play, The Idealist, at the Tara Arts Theatre London and Brighton Fringe Festival by her company at the time, Odd Stumble. Kivinen has expertise of selling and financing TV and film content globally creatively and commercially. Over the years Kivinen has built a network of clients from all major TV and streaming platforms around the World.
Larry Bass
Since 1999, Larry Bass has built Shinawil into a leading Irish production company behind hits like Dancing With The Stars, The Voice of Ireland, and MasterChef Ireland. Expanding into scripted drama, Shinawil has developed series with international partners, supported by Screen Ireland and major broadcasters. Notable projects include Miss Scarlet & The Duke (PBS), The Catch (Channel 5), Clean Sweep (RTE/Sundance Now), Maryland (ITV), and Doll Factory (Paramount+). Feature films include The Miracle Club, which premiered at Tribeca 2023, and The Lighterkeeper, now in post-production. In 2024, Borderline, a crime drama, launched on MGM+, Roku, and ZDF.
Michael Colleary
During his career he’s worked for all major Hollywood studios and TV networks. His produced credits include Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, the family comedy Firehouse Dog; and the TV series Professionals. Michael won a Saturn Award for co-writing (with Mike Werb) the John Woo-directed action thriller Face/Off, which the New York Times deemed “one of the best 1000 movies ever made.” Michael has also taught screenwriting in the MFA program at UCLA, at Story Academy in Gotland, and at Hollins University.
Matti Halonen
Matti Halonen (Nymphs, Bordertown, Estonia) has been 35 years in the professional film and drama business. He has produced several feature films and over 100 hours of high-end drama, with production airing on Netflix, Amazon prime, and HBO.
Brendan Foley
Brendan is an award-winning Northern Irish Writer-EP, with international co-pro experience in TV, features and bestselling books. Past work with CW, WB Discovery, Lionsgate, Sony, BBC, CBC, NBC, AMC, Viaplay, Acorn, Universal, Elisa, SBS. Most recently: 2025 Sherlock and Daughter starring David Thewlis; two seasons of hit series The Man Who Died for Elisa, AMC/Acorn; Cold Courage for Viaplay, AMC+, Britbox and Lionsgate. Previous indie feature films for Sony, Nordisk and Lionsgate include multi-award winner Johnny Was and The Riddle, Books include Amazon UK bestseller Under the Wire for Random House. Formerly a freelance international features journalist in 77 countries.
Shelly Goldstein
Shelly Goldstein’s first play, COMING ATTRACTIONS, ran for almost two years in Chicago. Legendary Hollywood producer Garry Marshall saw it and hired her as a sitcom writer at Paramount. Since then she’s written hundreds of hours of television, including the Emmy-winning PBS special, CHICAGO VOICES and Sheryl Lee Ralph’s DIVAS SIMPLY SINGING. She’s a senior writer on 2025’s SHERLOCK & DAUGHTER, starring David Thewlis. Shelly has written for top talent including Stephen Colbert, Steve Martin, Lily Tomlin, Sharon Stone, Hugh Jackman, Samuel L. Jackson & Yoko Ono. She is a proud past winner of the New Yorker’s iconic Cartoon Caption Contest.
Julia Berg
Julia has worked in development for producer James Wilson on projects for filmmakers Jonathan Glazer and Lynne Ramsay and for Maven Pictures (Executive Producers of ‘American Honey’), collaborating with partners such as the BFI, Film4, the BBC and Screen Australia. In 2018, Julia started working independently with new talent around the UK to hone skills in writing and connect the new talent to the market. In 2021, Julia was brought on board as a Development/New Writers Consultant to Bruce Goodison and Kate Cook´s Indefinite Films to bring new and emerging writers to their slate, working with Channel 4 to create a new writers residency for a potential C4 4-part TV series.
Marc Lorber
Residing in London as a dual US/UK citizen, Marc Lober works with diverse media enterprises with mandates to build or simply improve upon their local/regional if not also international: content creation/development and physical productions, acquisitions, and/or co-production capabilities. As one of the most experienced international multi-genre creative content and programming executives, and an Emmy and International Emmy-nominated and Bafta-Award winning Executive Producer; skilled in conception, acquisition, development, sales, strategic partnerships and co-productions, direct physical production and management/financial oversight, of both scripted and unscripted projects; formats and originals.
Tina Gharavi
Tina Gharavi is a visionary filmmaker and BAFTA-nominated storyteller redefining outsider narratives. Born in Tehran and raised in the U.S. and Europe, she fuses bold artistry with raw authenticity. Her breakout feature, I Am Nasrine (2012), earned a BAFTA nod for its powerful portrayal of exile. Gharavi’s fearless work spans Netflix’s Queen Cleopatra and her upcoming third feature, Virginia Woolf’s Night & Day starring Tim Spall, Lily Allen and Haley Bennett. Founder of Bridge + Tunnel Productions and a professor at Newcastle University, she champions underrepresented voices but in her spare time she dreams of beekeeping in Iran. Represented by Independent Talent in the UK and Gersh in Los Angeles, Gharavi divides her time between the UK and Paris.
Kjartan Thor Thordarson
A seasoned media executive, I began my career in Marketing and Sales Management for the music industry in Iceland, representing Sony Music and Warner Music. I later transitioned into production, co-founding Wiz-Art (now STORM), a leader in digital content. I launched PoppTV, Iceland’s first 24-hour music TV station, and founded VYRE, a UK-based content management company. I’ve held executive roles at Sagafilm and 2AM Films, overseeing international investments and Nordic expansion. With deep expertise in content creation, business development, and media innovation, I’ve played key roles in shaping the digital and broadcast landscape in both Iceland and the broader Nordic region.
F.A.Q.
Who can apply
The Owl is a workshop geared towards writers only. Producers are welcome to join us in Athens for the pitching event and B2B meetings.
Unfortunately we cannot accommodate writing teams at this stage.
Yes, writers with or without representation are welcome to apply; provided they have a proven track record of their work.
Absolutely! We got some incredible applications in the past and unfortunately we are only able to accommodate few screenwriters each year. Please feel free to re-apply with the same project.
Submissions and selection
- Click on the APPLICATION FORM.
- You will be re-routed to The Owl Screenwriting Workshop page on the Coverfly website. (Coverfly hosts this contest and you will need a free Coverfly account to submit. You will be able to restrict Coverfly contact to correspondence from The Owl if you wish.)
- When prompted, upload your script as a PDF labeled with the PROJECT TITLE ONLY. DO NOT include the name of the screenwriter ANYWHERE on the PDF.
- Please note that although we welcome supplementary materials (such as a pitch deck, treatment, bible etc) a full script (TV pilot or Feature Film) is required for the purposes of the application.
- Complete all fields of the application and click the green SUBMIT box.
- Choose one of the options for our contest and add it to your cart.
- After you finalize payment and submission, you will receive a confirmation from Coverfly that you have successfully entered The Owl Screenwriting Workshop contest.
We use application fees to pay our independent readers, who carefully evaluate hundreds of scripts, through multiple rounds. The Athens Film Office covers the cost of the lab programme as well as accommodation and meals in Athens for the successful applicants.
The Owl will select eight (8) TV drama pilot scripts and eight (8) feature film scripts.
All scripts are carefully assessed by independent readers through multiple rounds of evaluation. Shortlisted applicants will have an interview with a panel of judges.
Certainly, you are welcome to apply with more than one project – though please note that each project should be submitted as a separate application as it will be assessed separately.
No; only one copy of the script will be accepted.
Yes, as long as you can show that the entity holding the option has granted permission to workshop the material.
We welcome creativity regardless of the project’s theme or genre. We will prioritize projects that can be produced/shot in Greece. Greece offers a wide variety of locations, so a project does not necessarily have to be set in Greece to be produced/shot here.
Unfortunately, because of the large number of applications, we are unable to provide feedback if your project is not selected.
PITCHING AND THE OWL AWARDS
Yes, all The Owl participants will have the chance to participate in the Industry Days and get the chance to pitch their projects in front of a group of industry professionals and invited guests.
Each year a selection committee composed of Greek and International industry experts awards the Best Feature Film and the Best TV Pilot.
Costs
The Owl will cover participant’s accommodation, food and local experiences during the workshop. Participants are expected to cover their own travel to Athens.
inquiries
Phone
- +30 210 3426842
Address
- Athens Film Office is located at the Serafio Athletic & Community Complex - Pireos 160, Athina 118 54
