Wscripted is celebrating six years of championing underrepresented voices in screenwriting, with this year's list representing a major milestone in connecting diverse talent directly with producers through innovative technology.
Insiders note that landing on the Wscripted Cannes Screenplay List has become increasingly competitive—only 30 projects made the cut from 300 applicants this year, making selection a significant career catalyst for emerging female and non-binary writers.
Fatimah Asghar's When We Were Sisters was selected; she's previously created HBO's Brown Girls and wrote for Ms. Marvel on Disney+. Chloe Abrahams' The Taste of Mango won the British Independent Film Award for Best Debut Documentary plus Audience Award at BFI London Film Festival.
With 300 applicants fighting for just 30 spots, making this list is no small feat—and the success stories are starting to prove it, with former nominees already landing major deals and A-list attachments.
Wscripted dropped its sixth annual Cannes Screenplay List on Tuesday, and the competition was fiercer than ever. The organization received 300 applications for just 30 spots—a staggering rejection rate that underscores how coveted these placements have become in the industry pipeline. The list, presented in partnership with streaming platform MUBI, spotlights screenplays by female and non-binary filmmakers actively seeking producing and financing partners.
This year's headliners read like a who's who of rising talent worth watching. Fatimah Asghar earned her third Wscripted nod for When We Were Sisters—a drama set in the US. If that name sounds familiar, it's because Asghar has already made waves with HBO's Brown Girls web series and contributed writing to Disney+'s Ms.
Marvel. She's not an emerging talent anymore; she's a proven voice carving out serious real estate in television. Her inclusion signals Wscripted isn't just scouting newcomers—it's backing established creators who still need that crucial financing connection.
Then there's Chloe Abrahams, a Sri Lankan-British filmmaker whose first narrative feature Before the Echo Makes a Sound is set entirely in Sri Lanka. This marks her leap from documentary into psychological mystery thriller territory—a bold creative pivot for any director. But Abrahams isn't green: she previously directed The Taste of Mango, which snagged both the British Independent Film Award for Best Debut Documentary and the Audience Award at the BFI London Film Festival.
She's got the hardware to prove she's ready for the jump. Rounding out the trio is Angelique Knights, whose directorial debut feature Ecdysis explores the world of music video models during the height of 2000s music television. Knights already has a Canadian Screen Award under her belt as producer of Bria Mack Gets a Life—now she's stepping into the director's chair for the first time with a psychological drama that promises behind-the-scenes access to an industry few outsiders ever see.
The real headline might be what's happening behind the scenes at Wscripted. Founder Ellie Jamen revealed that after five years of pitching projects during Cannes Film Market, the organization decided to pivot entirely to their new digital platform Wscripted+ for 2026. The goal?
Shorten development timelines and cut out traditional gatekeeping bottlenecks. "We bet on innovative technology to remove barriers so producers can discover the right projects," Jamen said in a statement. Recent success stories suggest the strategy is working: former nominee Jumai Yusuf's Cocoa Doll has already been pre-sold and acquired by international sales agent Fearfolks, while Nathalie Marchak's A Beautiful Journey landed Shailene Woodley as lead star with Anonymous Federation and Gabman producing.
When you can get a three-time Oscar nominee attached to your project, industry players start paying very close attention. With MUBI continuing its commitment to female-directed cinema—including Cannes 2026 Un Certain Regard opener Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma by Jane Schoenbrun—the partnership signals that this isn't charity. It's strategy. And for the 30 screenwriters who made this year's cut, the real drama is just beginning.
