RTÉ and Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland's award-winning scripted series Storyland will return for 2026 - with a focus on original scripted comedy.
Storyland has become an invaluable springboard for Irish writing, directing, producing, and acting talent throughout the island of Ireland to develop their careers.
This year Storyland will focus on developing emerging scripted comedy writers, performers, producers, directors and editors. Our final Storyland films will be broadcast on RTÉ as well as RTÉ Player.
We are seeking to commission 8 scripts, working closely with script writers and producers on their development. Writers from the worlds of television, film, theatre, standup comedy and beyond are being sought, whether they have written for television or film before or not.
Of the eight scripts developed, three single scripted comedies of 25 minutes duration will be commissioned for production.
Storyland is committed to ensuring diversity and an equal gender balance across all key creative positions and to being inclusive when considering the make-up of each team.
Key dates for Storyland
Deadline for Entry: Friday 13th March 12 noon, 2026
Announce 8 x Finalists: 17th April 2026
Announce 3 x Commissions: 15th May 2026
Programme Delivery: October 2026
How to Submit
Producers are asked in the first instance to submit their ideas through the following email address storyland2026@rte.ie
The following information must be provided
Cover Page
Synopsis
Writer’s Note
Producer’s Note
Writer and Producer CVs
All proposals must be submitted via email before Friday 13th March 12 noon, 2026 (Strict Deadline).
Storyland 2026 - FAQs
Who makes the submission?
The submission must be made by a registered production company.
Where do I submit my proposal?
Using the cover sheet provided by RTÉ, please submit your application to:
Storyland2026@rte.ie
In the Header please put:
STORYLAND 2026 SUBMISSION, (NAME OF PRODUCTION), (NAME OF PRODUCTION COMPANY), (NAME OF PRODUCER), (DATE)
Click here for Cover Sheet for applications
Do I have to have a producer?
Yes, each submission needs to come through a registered production company.
Where do I find a producer?
Screen Ireland has a wealth of information about filming in Ireland including links to various organisations: https://www.screenireland.ie/ such as Screen Producers Ireland: www.screenproducersireland.com who have an extensive list of production companies in Ireland. The Irish Writers Guild: www.script.ie also have helpful information on their website.
Do producers need to be experienced?
Storyland is an opportunity for producers, writers and directors to work in a safe, more innovative and daring space. Its remit is talent development, and we take everybody's experience into account when assessing the dramas. It is not essential that producers have made dramas before. We take into consideration the experience, passion, and conviction of the team as a whole.
Can a producer make more than one submission to Storyland?
Producers aren't restricted to only one submission, but we will need to be assured that they can manage more than one project in the timeframe available. If you are making more than one submission, each one must be submitted separately.
Can you have two producers?
Yes, if you can creatively justify it and if it works within the budget. If two producers are attached to a single project one producer must be named as the lead producer.
Is it possible that a writer / producer submit?
Yes, but the submission must be made through a production company.
Can I submit if I have already submitted and/or been a finalist?
Yes, you can submit with a new project.
Do all my team need to be Irish?
No, but we would like your project to explore contemporary Irish life and society.
Can you work with a writer team?
Yes, if the budget allows! But do bear in mind that many scripted comedies have one primary voice and one point of view that authors it.
Can a writer submit make more than one submission to Storyland?
There are no restrictions on how many ideas a writer can submit but each must be submitted through a production company.
How much does the writer get paid?
That’s for the producer and the writer to decide in both the development and commission stages.
Can I have key creatives attached eg. Cast, D.O.P, Designer etc.?
Yes.
How are Directors hired?
Directors can be hired by Production Companies when their project is commissioned.
Is there a theme for Storyland?
This year the focus for Storyland is comedy. We are looking for fresh comedy voices and original, out-and-out funny stories. Storyland gave us comedy classics like Hardy Bucks - so we're looking for proposals with funny, relatable characters and precints with comedy at its heart.
If the script exists as a blog or in another format eg. prose, article, essay, graphic novel etc. is it eligible for submission?
A script born out of a pre-existing format would be acceptable for submission, but it still needs to be able to work as a scripted comedy. When you submit you can reference the original, but you will need all rights cleared and a plan for the adaptation outlined.
Do you accept existing recorded material?
Due to the large number of submissions, we will only be accepting written material according to the checklist supplied on the cover sheet. If you proceed to the interview phase, then you are welcome to present using pre-recorded material.
Do you need to include sample scenes?
If the writer is an uncredtied, emerging voice - or if the idea is something completely original - it would be useful to include one or two sample scenes to indicate the writer’s voice and tone of the piece. We ask that you submit no more than three scenes.
Allow your scenes to help us understand the story and highlight where the comedy is coming from. Ideally also leaving us curious to what happens next or by giving us a strong sense of the central characters and tone of comedy. Your scenes are a vital part of your pitch and allow us to gauge your writer's ability to tell a story.
How extensive should the outline be?
The outline is a description of what happens in the story and who the principal characters are. There are no hard and fast rules as to how long the outline should be, we need enough to give a sense of the story but do not need minute details. As above, this is a way we can assess your ability to tell your story and engage us as your potential audience. As well as illustrating your story, your outline should communicate the tone and style of your project. We will be reading a vast number of these, so it is advisable to keep it succinct, but also provocative and compelling. Show us your world and make us want to know more. For the initial submission the outline should be no more than two pages.
Is Storyland open to the diaspora?
If a story is set abroad, and relatable, that’s acceptable, but it will have to work within the parameters of the budget and factor in transport, location costs and any potential travel restrictions.
What is the duration?
The duration of each Storyland drama is twenty-five minutes plus or minus 30 seconds.
Can the 25 minutes break into episodes?
No, Storyland will commission three separate, standalone twenty-five-minute dramas.
Does it have to be a closed story?
Storyland will have up to eight projects going into development and up to three commissioned single comedies. How the story concludes is up to you but, if it is part of an ongoing story, it must be able to stand up as a complete story on its own. It’s up to you if you think the idea has possibility to endure, but the drama must be able to work as a standalone.
Where do the dramas play?
The dramas play on RTÉ in 2026. They will also be released on the RTÉ Player.
If the piece were to travel, could it be translated or subtitled?
If you wish to create a subtitled version of your film this will need to be factored into the production schedule and budget. Storyland will not provide additional resources for this.
Do we produce in other languages?
If the story needs to be told in a language other than English (but matches the submission criteria for Storyland 2026) it would not be an obstacle to submission. We will need English language submissions in terms of all the documents submitted and English Language subtitles for the produced drama.
Will there be a network set up to connect writers and producers?
Social networks that facilitate connections between their users, such as LinkedIn or Facebook, are open to anyone to join. RTÉ and Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland have official accounts, and these are run corporately. Storyland isn't setting up a specific LinkedIn or Facebook page as we haven't got the resources to properly administrate them.
If it’s a writing team and one person is from outside of Ireland, but the other is Irish, can we enter?
Yes.
Are NI writers eligible and can projects be filmed in the North of Ireland?
Yes.
Can applications be submitted as co-pros?
Yes.
