Calling all scriptwriters

IF you fancy yourself as a scriptwriter, then you need to take note! Following the success of the inaugural scriptwriting residency, Realness is calling for submissions for the 2017 edition.

Realness is a pioneering residency that provides filmmakers with the opportunity to hone and develop their creative scriptwriting skills. It serves to address the need for promising African film projects to be supported in their development phase so that they can realistically compete in global film markets.

This year, five filmmakers spent six weeks at the Nirox Artists’ Residency in the Cradle of Humankind under the mentorship of script consultants Selina Ukwuoma and Nadja Dumouchel. They also attended the Durban FilmMart and Talent Campus at the Durban International Film Festival.

“The success of this residency is not only evident in the encouraging feedback from the participants, who welcomed the opportunity to be in a quiet headspace to tap into their creative sources, but it is also evident in the numerous awards they have received and the progress made following the residency,” explained Elias Ribeiro, Creative Director of Realness.

The submission window opened on 28 November and closes on 31 January 2017. Applicants must submit one PDF dossier containing a motivation for wanting to participate in Realness (one page), a synopsis of the proposed feature project (one page), a narrative treatment of the proposed feature project (six pages), a draft of the screenplay (if available), a writer’s note of intention (one page), a short biography (one paragraph) and two links to samples of previously produced work, uploaded to vimeo. If selected, residents will be required to donate one copy of their previous work to the Nirox film library.

The call is open to screenwriters from across the African continent and selection will be based on artistic merit. Realness will hold no legal claim over the work once the residency is completed.

All submitted material must be in English. A committee appointed by the Realness team and their partners will read the project entries and conduct interviews with a shortlist of candidates in April. The Realness selection will be announced at an event hosted by the pavilion Les Cinemas du Monde in Cannes, 2017.

Dossiers must be submitted to realness@urucumedia.com. For further information and to download the application form go to www.urucumedia.com/realness.