The mission of the Catalyst Workshop is to provide a means for scientists and engineers to become more knowledgeable about the initiation of motion picture, television and digital media projects. The Catalyst Workshop encourages those scientists and engineers interested in working in entertainment to learn how to find the stories in their work.

Participants in the Workshop become more informed about the business and craft of writing movies, learning everything from conceiving a story to selling the finished script. National attention from such diverse media as NPR, The Los Angeles Times, Science Journal and Wired Magazine has furthered this unique Workshop's success. This will be the fourth iteration of the AFI Catalyst Workshop.

The need for Hollywood to produce entertainment with "better science" has been pointed out in many forums. However, in order to accomplish the goal of producing scripts with better science stories, an increase in the number of science-literate writers is necessary. The AFI Catalyst Workshop accomplishes this by pairing each of the selected participants with an AFI screenwriting alumnus, and teaches scientists how to collaborate and maximize their existing skill sets within the film and television profession.

The 2009 AFI Catalyst Workshop will accept up to 12 scientists into the 5-day intensive November 9-13, 2009.

What you will receive: Comprehensive classroom instruction from AFI faculty and industry professionals. Experience of collaborating with a trained screenwriter. Finished first draft of a screenplay based on your story. First draft of screenplay will receive professional reader's coverage.

For more information please contact Chris Schwartz.

Interested? Click here to apply

Catalyst Success Stories


Click here to read about Catalyst Workshop participant Valerie Weiss' feature film directorial debut.

Click here to read about Catalyst Workshop participant Bogdan Marcu's debut novel, Hard Thrust.