Hi, everyone, I’m James Napoli, the Director of the Screenwriting MFA at the Graduate Program in Creative Writing at Western Colorado University. I checked with Chris, our peerless FilmSchool.org administrator, to see if it was okay for someone like me (the head of the MFA program itself), to post in a thread like this.
His kind response of “why not?” finds me here.
We're a small program, staffed by current industry professionals, that provides exceptionally high levels of engagement to our writers as they pursue their individual life paths as artists.
In fact, to back that up, I meet on Zoom personally with every interested screenwriter (whether they apply or not) to discuss their creative goals and answer any questions they have about our program, so feel free to contact me directly at any time: jnapoli@western.edu, or send a direct message through our Profile Page.
Our focus at Western is on community and the joy of the creative process. No one can promise guaranteed success in the entertainment business. We don’t. But If you’re all about exploring your art, and working your craft to the absolute best place it can be, while learning from faculty and guest speakers who are engaged, right now, in the day-to-day of a writer’s life in the industry, this could be your home. Our one-week July residencies in Colorado are a gathering of all the artists who make up our GPCW—genre fiction writers, nature writers, publishers and poets.
We need artists and storytellers more than ever now, so no matter what you decide about our program, I wish you a thriving and inspired creative path, and thanks so much for taking a moment with this post. Feel free to reach out with any questions.
Click here for our FilmSchool.org Info Page.
His kind response of “why not?” finds me here.
We're a small program, staffed by current industry professionals, that provides exceptionally high levels of engagement to our writers as they pursue their individual life paths as artists.
In fact, to back that up, I meet on Zoom personally with every interested screenwriter (whether they apply or not) to discuss their creative goals and answer any questions they have about our program, so feel free to contact me directly at any time: jnapoli@western.edu, or send a direct message through our Profile Page.
Our focus at Western is on community and the joy of the creative process. No one can promise guaranteed success in the entertainment business. We don’t. But If you’re all about exploring your art, and working your craft to the absolute best place it can be, while learning from faculty and guest speakers who are engaged, right now, in the day-to-day of a writer’s life in the industry, this could be your home. Our one-week July residencies in Colorado are a gathering of all the artists who make up our GPCW—genre fiction writers, nature writers, publishers and poets.
- Our program kicks off in June, and application fees are waived through May 31st.
- Although Federal Financial Aid benefits are changing in July 2026, our June start date means all new students will be eligible under the old limits & rules. You can check this link to learn more:
- (The link also includes information about scholarships.)
We need artists and storytellers more than ever now, so no matter what you decide about our program, I wish you a thriving and inspired creative path, and thanks so much for taking a moment with this post. Feel free to reach out with any questions.
Click here for our FilmSchool.org Info Page.
