NHMC's Series Scriptwriters Program

National Hispanic Media Coalition Announces Its Annual

Series Scriptwriters Program Cohort

This Latino Heritage Month, Latine voices will be amplified through building community, the legacy of storytelling, and industry opportunities

The National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) announced its latest cohort of participants exclusively with Variety for its 2026 Series Scriptwriters Program (SSP) cohort.

This year's cohort kicked off their program by hearing words of celebration and encouragement from Barbara Muschietti last night, producer of the blockbuster hits It (2017), It: Chapter Two (2019), The Flash (2023) and the acclaimed HBO Original Series It: Welcome to Derry. Barbara shared with the cohort this evening, “You know, we all live in this country that sometimes distracts us or makes it difficult to really be in touch with who you are, because sometimes it's just easier to blend in. But that's not the essence of who we are. So I think part of being Latino and part of being in this incredible program is to dig deep into who you are…”

Talented Latine writers from all over the country have been selected through a rigorous selection process to begin an eight-week long intensive with industry professionals to guide them and hone their talent. Writers will meet daily to develop an original half-hour or hour-long pilot for television. Writers will meet with expert writers, and hiring talent along their journey, concluding scripts reviewed by development entertainment executives including those from NBCUniversal and The Walt Disney Company.

For 24 years, the NHMC Series Scriptwriters Program has been a powerful launchpad for Latine storytellers, supporting 200+ writers' understanding of the entertainment industry and providing free tools from end-to-end to fill a much needed gap. One of the key needs many Latino writers seek is community, and the SSP drives this point home from the beginning of the program. NHMC celebrates its success by highlighting the many alumni who have taken their lessons, and uplifted their fellow Latino writers as a result.

NHMC President and CEO Brenda Castillo summed up the overall feeling of the night, “To all of the incredible writers who are joining us, this is a moment for all of them to celebrate becoming a part of a family. NHMC’s message is simple: connect, collaborate, and create, and there is perhaps no better place to embody that message than right here. The true power of writing is to bring people together, to start conversations, and to make us feel something deeply. And that is what this program has been doing for more than two decades.”

Alumni of the program have proceeded to work on some of today’s most prominent shows including AMC’s Interview with the Vampire, CBS’ Matlock, NBC’s Chicago Fire, and Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest, the upcoming reboot of Bewitched.

Partners of the NHMC SSP program include Comcast NBCUniversal Telemundo, The Walt Disney Company, Netflix, Golden Globes Foundation, the Los Angeles County Arts & Culture, Google, Every Page Foundation, Motion Pictures Association, the California Community Foundation, T-Mobile, the Writers Guild of America West, and Wrapbook.

The cohort of participants for the 2026 Series Scriptwriters Program includes:

Alix Mendoza
Angelica López
Brandon Burkhart
Francis Fuster
Gisella Bustillos
Iris Almaraz
Johanna Rosario
Matthew Gonzalez
Michael Gonzalez
Sergio Garcia Bennet
Zan Poka

For full biographies and headshots of this year’s participants, please click on the following link: [LINK]

Eligibility

You must be 18 years or older
You must have access to reliable internet connection to participate in daily video conferencing
Entertainment industry experience is not required
Writing teams cannot apply

The Series Scriptwriters Program is fully virtual, running Monday - Friday evenings, and Saturday mornings during Pacific Standard Time over 8 weeks. With the estimated hours being Monday - Friday: 6-8pm PST / 9-11pm EST & Saturday: 11-3pm PST / 2-6pm EST.

The deadline to submit your application is 11:59 p.m. (PST) on Monday, July 27, 2026.

For more information, visit our website at https://www.nhmc.org/writers/

Questions can be sent via email to specialevents@nhmc.org

Interested in partnership opportunities? All interests should be sent to partnerships@nhmc.org

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
Horror
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.

Historic Emmy Winner Frida Perez Headlines NHMC Event

Photo from left to right: Sibia Millan, Christina Ingraldi, Grasie Mercedes, Kari Mote, Michelle De la Rosa Driscoll, Janet Quinonez, Ariana Padilla, Kat Castañeda, Akaylah Ellison, Ann Valdes, and guest speaker Frida Perez

Frida Perez, First Latina Emmy Winner for Comedy Writing, Keynote Speaker at NHMC’s 2025 Scriptwriters Program Closing Ceremony

National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) recently held a closing ceremony for the successful completion of its 2025 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-plus year history.

Coming off of a recent historical Emmy win, as the first Latina to receive Outstanding Comedy Series honors, Dominican-American writer Frida Perez joined the ceremony to provide some uplifting words to the 2025 cohort sharing, “[Writing] is such a collaborative medium, so I would really emphasize trying to make the experience of telling stories a really fulfilling and enriching one. I worked hard, I had my voice and perspective, but I wouldn't be where I am today had I not been promoted, elevated, and supported. You all have such distinct backgrounds and personalities, and I really am so excited to see that on screen.”

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. During the closing ceremony, network executives and partners of the program listen to the pitches the writers have developed. Partners include The Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal, Netflix, T-Mobile, Golden Globe Foundation, Google, Motion Picture Association, and the Writers Guild of America West.

President & CEO of NHMC, Brenda Victoria Castillo, emphasized the importance of this year's writers being present in this industry, stating: “At a time like this, the ultimate achievement is to protect a free society so that your stories, your creations, can be free and live forever. It is us who tell the stories, us who should write and control the narrative, and speak truth. The reason I'm so elated to be here among you, the writers, is that this is where we all fit in. You are those storytellers.”

This year’s participants included:

Akaylah Ellison
Ann Valdes
Ariana Padilla
Christina Ingraldi
Grasie Mercedes
Janet Quinonez
Kari Mote
Kat Castañeda
Michelle De la Rosa Driscoll
Sibia Millan

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

To read the full coverage on Caló News.

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.