Introduced in 2021, Black Writers in Focus was a paid, ten-week fellowship program for Black student screenwriters that ran virtually over the summer. Partnering with the Writers Guild Foundation and Rideback (IT, THE LEGO MOVIE, AVATAR), the program was created in the wake of the George Floyd protests—a moment of significant cultural reckoning in America’s history as a nation.

Vetted by a rigorous committee of all Black readers, four talented students spent ten weeks over the summer fine-tuning a writing sample with a personalized mentor, attending panels and classes with industry leaders, and learning from the best by shadowing in a writers' room. As a fellowship that paid students to develop their craft—receiving a $6000 stipend to support a full-time writing commitment over 10 weeks—it was the first program of its kind.

Over the course of three years, Black Writers in Focus welcomed 9 fellows, supported by industry panelists like Barry Jenkins (MOONLIGHT), Chloe Zhao (NOMADLAND), and The Daniels (EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE).

Black Writers in Focus hosted its last cohort in 2023, with the best parts of the program being consolidated into The Diverso Fellowship.