NFDC Screenwriters’ Lab, Locarno: Day Two - Bikas Mishra
What do you do with the script you’ve written? You will need a director, if you don’t want to direct it yourself and a producer to realize your cinematic dream.
Pitching is the first step towards finding prospective collaborators. How do you convince people that your script is worth partnering with? To address this question, we had Ido Abram, Director of Communications, Eye Film Institute, Netherlands for a daylong session.
The first session began with Ido introducing us to the concept of ‘pitching’ and later in the day each one of us pitched our scripts to him.
The session with Ido was a very interesting and rewarding exercise. The good thing is that he is also going to be in Goa during to the Film Bazaar to help us work further on our pitches.
Screenwriters Lab isn’t just about discussing scripts! One great thing about the lab is the opportunity that it throws open to meet and make friends with filmmaking community from all over the world. Today we were invited for a lunch hosted for the participants of Open Door, the industry program of the Locarno Film Festival. And in the evening we went for the industry cocktail. At such places you see smiling faces with glasses of wine all around you and you just need to say “hello” to strike a conversation. The person standing next to you could be the most celebrated filmmaker from Kazakhstan or a renowned Scandinavian distributor.
We met lots of people, exchanged smiles and business cards. And this was one of the things that Ido “taught” us in his session today. Go out, meet people, make friends and don’t forget to exchange business cards because the friend that you made at the festival could be your possible partner in the next project. That’s called business with pleasure!
NFDC Screenwriters’ Lab, Locarno: Day One - Bikas Mishra..
It was a classroom where art students normally discuss form and structure with paint-brush. Well, we were here to discuss nothing much different; only our medium was cinema!
It took not more than a few minutes to turn this classroom into a cozy place to tell our stories. The workshop was to begin with our personal presentations, where we first talk about ourselves in the context of our stories. This was followed by narrating our stories.
Later in the day, we had an interaction with a delegation of filmmakers from central Asian countries.
The day came to a perfect end at the Piazza Grande, the grand open air theatre of the festival. The film was “Cyrus” by Duplas brothers starring John C. Reilly.
Call for entries for Screenwriters’ Lab 2010 is now closed.
The following scripts have been selected for Screenwriters’ Lab 2010:
In This World/ Ben Rekhi
D End/ Shlok Sharma
Shab/ Onir
Lovely Insane/ Vasan Bala
Untitled - Seema’s Story/ Madhvi Purohit
Four Colors/ Bikas Mishra
Screenwriters’ Lab 2010
An initiative organized by National Film Development Corporation of India in association with Binger Filmlab, Netherlands and Locarno International Film Festival, Switzerland.
Call for entries start from 16th April, 2010 and end on 17 May, 2010.
Click To Download Application Form.
Lab Advisors for 2010 edition
Marten Rabarts, Artistic Director, Binger Filmlab
New Zealander Marten Rabarts entered the film industry in the mid-80’s in New York as an assistant editor on the Oscar winning short Molly’s Pilgrim. Several years of working freelance in production, including for LA’s Propaganda Films, brought him into the PolyGram Filmed Entertainment group. He moved to London in 1990, where he worked as a TV Sales Manager for ‘Manifesto’, the international sales arm of the PolyGram group. In ‘92 Marten moved laterally within PFE to work as an Associate Producer at Working Title Films, working with among others Sarah Radclyffe, Tim Bevan and Alison Owen, on films including Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Derek Jarman’s Edward II. He then developed and series-produced the film collection Red Hot On Film, a collection of TV dramas dealing with the AIDS/HIV pandemic, and Idrissa Ouedraogo’s Afrique Mon Afrique, all made with the support of international broadcasters including BBC, PBS, VPRO, ARTE and TVE, which premiered at the 95 Berlin Film Festival in Panorama. He also created the documentary Andres Serrano-A History of sex written and co-directed with Dutch Film-maker Brigit Hillenius. Marten Rabarts has been resident in the Netherlands since the Mid-90’s, and has been Head of Studies at the Binger Film Institute since 2001.
Ido Abram, Director of Communications,
EYE Film Institute, Netherlands
Previously the Director, Binger Filmlab, Netherlands and prior to that with the International Film Festival Rotterdam as CineMart Director and Head of Public Relations and Industry Affairs, Ido is the Director of Communications. EYE Film Institute, Netherlands. In addition, he is a consultant to the Producers Network of the Cannes Film Festival, a consultant to the Hong Kong Asian Film Financing Forum and advisor to the Dutch Film Fund, and a consultant to Film Bazaar India.
Philippa Campbell
Philippa Campbell is one of the most acclaimed producers from New Zealand. Her credits include a.o. RAIN, NO. 2, BLACK SHEEP and RUBBINGS FROM A LIVE MAN.
For further details on the Screenwriters’ Lab please write to: writers@nfdcindia.com
Rules and Regulations
i. Two Sessions Compulsory
The sessions in 2010 will run from August 7– 9 at the Locarno International Film Festival, Switzerland and from November 23 – 26 at Film Bazaar Goa, India. Participants will have to be available to travel on the eve of August 6th onward. Participants must attend both sessions, must have a valid passport and visa and must be able to travel to Switzerland.
ii. Costs of the Lab
The lab will provide accommodation for participants in Switzerland and Goa, as well as accreditation to the Locarno International Film Festival and the Goa Film Bazaar.
The lab will provide economy air tickets originating from either Mumbai or Delhi for travel to the workshop. Participants will have to apply, secure and pay for their own visas as well as their travel insurance. The organizers will not be responsible for the above if additional charges are incurred.
Film Bazaar reserves the rights to amend any rules and regulations stated above.
