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Open Call Announced for the 2025 Oxbelly Retreat for Screenwriters and Literary Fiction Writers
Oxbelly Beach Oxbelly announced today an open call for the Oxbelly Retreat’s 2025 edition, to be held June 28 through July 6 at Costa Navarino in Messinia, Greece. Also announced are Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World director Radu Jude as the leader of the Screenwriters Program and The Road to the Country author Chigozie Obioma as leader of the Fiction Writers Program.
The application deadline is January 22, 2025. There is no cost to apply, and all expenses for fellows are covered.
More from the press release:
The Oxbelly Retreat is an annual gathering of international storytellers, dedicated to the exchange of ideas, deepening of craft and broadening of artistic horizons through intercultural dialogue. In 2025, the Oxbelly Retreat includes programs for writers working in film and literary fiction. Every year programs are led by established writers in their respective fields – with the 2025 edition of the Screenwriters program led by Radu Jude (Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World) and the Fiction Writers program led by Chigozie Obioma (The Road to the Country).
The Screenwriters program supports ten writer-directors developing their second feature films who are seeking to strengthen their craft and push the boundaries of their unique cinematic voice. The fellows will workshop their scripts through individualized meetings with experienced advisors and participate in sessions on specific aspects of the creative process.
The Fiction Writers program supports ten emerging fictional prose writers committed to elevating their craft, strengthening their literary voice, and contributing to intercultural dialogues around storytelling. Fellows will engage in workshops and craft sessions led by faculty and guests who are established and acclaimed writers and industry leaders, followed by unstructured time to write in the serene and transformative environment the Messinian scenic landscape offers.
The two programs offer unique tracks for the fellows by day, followed by curated evenings where fellows, advisors and special guests come together for screenings, readings and conversations across disciplines. Special guests can range from established professionals from film and literature as well as creatives with fresh perspectives on storytelling from wide-ranging fields
Past Oxbelly Advisors and Special Guests include Maren Ade, Paul Thomas Anderson, Willem Dafoe, Dee Rees, Barry Jenkins, Mati Diop, Michael Almereyda, Nick Kroll, Lulu Wang, Sue Naegle, Fiammetta Rocco, Rebecca Makkai, Bill Clegg, Charlie Kaufman, Fanny Herrero, Isabella Hammad and Athina Rachel Tsangari, long-time Artistic Director of the Screenwriters & Directors Labs, among others.
