WRITERS DAY
Slamdance ‘26 / Writers Day – February 21st, 2026
in collaboration with Heidi Hornbacher and PageCraft
A full day dedicated to craft, career, and candid conversations about the business of writing.
From story structure and sharp dialogue to breakout paths and the realities of writing in today’s industry, this day brings together working writers and filmmakers to share tools, insight, and real-world experience. Join us to sharpen your craft, connect with fellow storytellers, and stay for a writer mixer and evening film programming.
Discussions will be on a wide range of subjects and approaches from those already deeply committed to the NonDē movement including, but not limited to Ami Vora, Jake S. Weisman, Jon Stahl, Dan Siccles, Annalisa Shoemaker, Avi Setton. Jon Reiss, Courtney Romano, Richard Rushfield, Franklin Leonard, Lela Meadow-Connor, Keith Ochwat, Ted Hope, and Donny Broussard.
Program Schedule
10:00 AM – Bulletproof Your Story Structure
If your structure is broken, all the witty dialogue and killer visuals in the world can’t save you. Learning how structural elements function to escalate narrative tension and create audience investment can help diagnose where your script is stuck. Whether you’re ready to develop a new idea or stumped by notes on a current draft, this session can help you knock your script out of the park.
11:45 – Writing Dialogue That Doesn’t Suck
New tools to elevate your dialogue so your script stands out. We’ll cover how to get away from “On The Nose” dialogue and how to craft a deeper voice. We will look at the origins of strong dialogue in character work and story structure, scene structure that facilitates strong dialogue, character emotions vs audience emotions, and how to make exposition work for story momentum.
2:00 PM – Trailblazers, Breakouts & Breakthroughs
Newly minted feature writer/directors join us for a freewheeling discussion. Newly minted feature writer/directors join us for a freewheeling discussion on their projects, how they broke through, what they’ve learned, what they’d do differently, and what they’re doing next.
Moderator: Heidi Hornbacher of PageCraft
Andrew Kightlinger – Slamdance alum & grand prize winner, writer/director Lost on a Mountain in Maine, Tater Tot & Patton
Jessica Liu – writer/director, first feature 2026 Better Life
Nitzan Mager – writer/director, 2026 Sundance premiere first feature Run Amok
3:45 PM – State of the Industry Panel Screenwriting for the 2026 Landscape
Join us for a frank discussion with a group of working screenwriters on what they’ve learned since the strikes, what they’re working on now, how they see things shifting in the coming year(s) and how writers are withstanding or using AI. We’ll look at how writers are breaking in and finding ways to thrive despite all the news out there. Q&A to follow.
Moderator: Heidi Hornbacher of PageCraft
Jeff Howard – Emmy-winning writer / showrunner, Marvel’s Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur, Phineas and Ferb, Planes, Tinkerbell
Pam Ribon – writer, My Year of Dicks, Moana, Ralph Breaks the Internet
Daniel Casey – Slamdance alum, writer F9: The Fast Saga, Kin, Drone
Jami O’Brien – Producer, Industry, NOS4A2, Fear the Walking Dead, Hell On Wheels
Mixer to follow
