Reel Sisters New Orleans Scriptwriting Retreat

“New Orleans makes it possible to live your life with your heart open” — Nina Simone

“Where every street sings a story” — Anonymous

Reel Sisters New Orleans Scriptwriting Retreat

A MEDITATION ON RESILIENCE

July 30-Aug. 2, 2026

Registration: $725, plus Eventbrite fees ($650 before 6/30/26, Code: NOLA2026)

Master Class & Retreat Registration: $850 ($775 before 5/5/26, Code: BIGEASY2026)

Bring A Pal Discount: $1,200 ($600 per pal) or $1,325 with Master Class ($725 per pal)

Eligibility + Application: Writers must submit a synopsis (1 page maximum) and short sample of their screenplay (10 pages maximum) with a short bio (2-3 sentences). At the end of the retreat, several screenwriters will have an opportunity to showcase an excerpt of their work at a staged reading hosted by Reel Sisters and BRIC in the fall. Writing teams are welcome. Slots are limited, Register ASAP!

Our writing retreat will be held in several different venues! Our venues and schedule will be announced shortly!

NOPSI HOTEL is the official hotel for Reel Sisters Screenwrit Retreat! Rooms are $115 per night, plus taxes! You must book your room by 6/30/26 to receive discount.

Last summer, our retreat was held in Harlem where we wrote in the historic Langston Hughes House! This summer we're heading south for another writing experience!

Revise and write your screenplay in New Orleans — a city that has captivated musicians and artists worldwide. Reel Sisters is offering our second scriptwriting retreat in the Big Easy! Our New Orleans Retreat will offer you a chance to work passionately while enjoying moments to explore an enchanting city best known for its music and food. NOLA writers will experience a unique “staycation” and serve as hosts to visiting filmmakers.

Resilience is the theme for this summer’s retreat as New Orleans represents the epitome of renewal and restoration.

From the opening night dinner at Willie Mae’s to writing sessions at the Contemporary Arts Center, you will enjoy moments to feed your creativity and spirit. Highlights of our retreat include a Treme Walking Tour that will tap into New Orleans rich history as a cultural icon that has defined America’s musical traditions.

Once experienced, New Orleans stays in your soul forever — it is a source of inspiration that fuels your muse. Let our retreat be the place where your characters come alive and your journey to revise your script begins.

Award-winning producer/director/writer Jennica Carmona will lead you in your goal to refine and prepare your script for production.

Goals & Outcomes

Leave our retreat with script notes, a working elevator pitch and a network of professional accountability partners who will support you in completing your final script for tv, film or digital media. Have an opportunity to be one of four writers selected for a staged table reading of your work presented by Reel Sisters & BRIC in fall 2026.

• Work collectively with seasoned professionals to revise a script for professional production consideration for a major film, tv or streaming outlet.

• One on One script coverage and consultation with our instructor (Value: $250)

• Peer to Peer script note sessions

• Opportunity to enroll in Reel Sisters + BRIC’s 8 session Master Class for half price ($125)!

• Shared meal & social gatherings to create a nurturing environment and opportunity to bond with professional filmmakers in the field. Eat at Harlem’s famous Melba’s restaurant!

• Write in a cultural mecca that continues to inspire artists worldwide!

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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