Screening your short movie in Cannes: what's the deal?

How to screen a short movie in Cannes

There are lots of events for short movies in Cannes. But every year someone decides they want to organise their own screening outside of the Short Film Corner. But before talking about how you might do this, you have to consider why. There is practically no real market for short movies as a separate entity. So the monetary returns are negligible at best. If you want to go through the expense and work of organizing a screening at the busiest market in the world, first be sure you know what outcome you want. The only one I am comfortable with is the goal of getting people interested in you and your next movie project. So make sure you have a great next project up your sleeve.

German World Premieres at 30th Warsaw fest

14 German films and co-productions will be shown at the 'A' festival in Warsaw this year. AGNIESZKA by Tomasz E. Rudzik (Kordes & Kordes Film Süd, Arri Film & TV - photo) will have its world premiere in the 1-2 Competition for first and second films, and the same goes for WHEN UNDER FIRE - SHOOT BACK! by Marc Wiese (Engstfeld Filmproduktion) in the Documentary Competition. KAFKA'S THE BURROW by Jochen Alexander Freydank (Mephisto Film) will have its European premiere in the Free Spirits Competition for "innovative and rebellious films".

2 scriptwriting events in Berlin

Quick news about two scriptwritng events in Berlin over the next few days: 

 
The "Short form" seminar with Thomas Frick places the emphasis on short films and commercials. In an information event , you will learn about our Full-time programs from August 2014.

The workshop will deal mostly with the basics of the screenwriting craft and the dramaturgy of short narrative structures such as commercials and short films. Parallel to the mediation of the theoretical foundations, each participant will develop his or her own, reference-enabled script in practical writing and film exercise.

New: The short form
Instructor: Thomas Frick
27-29/06/14 - Friday from 19: 00 to 21:30 - Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm - Sunday from 10.00 to 16.00
Price €249
Berlin


INVITATION TO THE EVENT INFO!
Training for authors of film & TV
The dramaturge and lecturer training
Writing for daily SOAPs & telenovelas

 If you are interested in participating in a full-time film / TV Academy programmes of the master school from August 2014, an information event is being held on Monday, the 30/06/14 at 6 pm in the seminar room master school film / TV Academy, Zossener str 41, 10961 Berlin: 

 
You can get to know the organisers personally during a question session.

The full-time programmes are based on three pillars:
1. the comprehensive mediation of the dramaturgical know-how teachers experienced over 10 years of practice
2. own material development of participants with individual advice by the instructors
3. a strong and honest market reference by working with production companies, additional industry guests, the pitching the finished script.

To participate in the information event, send a message to info@film-tv-autor.de .

Formore information about script training in Berlin, visit Master Schül Drehbuch. 

THOMAS BIDEGAIN TO GIVE MASTERCLASS AT BRUSSELS FILM FEST

Thomas Bidegain

The 10th edition of the Brussels Film Festival is about to kick off on June 8, 2012. The festival has historically favoured first films from European directors. This year's event will have special Polish, Italian, Spanish and Walloon (the French-speaking half of Belgium) evenings.

The festival also has a series of masterclasses lined up that include Peter Aalbaek, the producer of Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg (director of "The Hunt"), Jean-Michel Bernard (Michel Gondry's composer) and directors Peter Greenaway and Lucas Belvaux. Scriptwriters should block June 10, as Thomas Bidegain, writer of two exceptional films at this year's Cannes - "De Rouille et d'Os" (Rust & Bone) by Jacques Audiard and "A perdre la raison" by Joachim Lafosse, will be giving a 4-hour masterclass from 2pm at the Flagey centre.

The official competition features 12 European films competing for a total amount of €45,500, among which €10,000 for the Golden Iris Award for best film. The jury is composed of Frédéric Fonteyne (director), Tania Garbarski (actress), Peter Greenaway (director), Edouard Molinaro (director), Koen Mortier (director), Mireille Perrier (actress) and Bernard Yerles (actor).

For details, visit Brussels Film Festival.  List of films in competition.

Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network) to talk in London

"The themes of [The Social Network] are as old as storytelling itself: loyalty, friendship, power, money, envy, social status, jealousy. It’s a story that if Aeschylus were alive today, he’d have written; Shakespeare would have written; Paddy Chayefsky would have written. Fortunately for me, none of those people were available, so I got to write it."

Aaron Sorkin is the award-winning scriptwriter of "A Few Good Men" and "The West Wing". He'll be at a special screening of "The Social Network" in London on January 20. The Script Factory says a few seats might be available on the night. If you're in London, break legs to get one at The Script Factory.

Mark Burton (Madagascar, Wallace & Gromit) to talk in Brussels

Last minute: The Belgian writers group ASA has invited scriptwriter Mark Burton to talk about his work on "Madagascar" on February 11 in Brussels. A screening of "Madagascar" at 1pm will be followed by a lengthy discussion about the characters and structure. Burton also wrote "Wallace & Gromit - The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" and dialogues for "Chicken Run".

Sounds like a fantastic opportunity to me.

Date Feb 11 from 1pm. Maison des Auteurs, Rue du Prince Royal 87, 1050 Brussels

€20 for students and members of the ASA and Scenaristengilde, €40 for non-members. Bookings (obligatory): newsletter@associationscenaristes.be

Kathyrn Bigelow and Mark Boal in London

Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker" is picking up pretty breathless reviews. She'll be in London with her screenwriter Mark Boal to talk about it, courtesy of The Script Factory and The Screen on the Green.

A preview plus conversation with Kathryn Bigelow & screenwriter Mark Boal August 18
Screen on the Green
83 Upper Street
London N1 0NP

Details at The Script Factory.

Screenwriting conference in Dublin in June

The Jameson Dublin Film Festival is organising a major scriptwriting conference in June, that will bring together four very different writers: Shane Black (Lethal Weapon), Shane Meadows and Paul Fraser (A Room for Romeo Brass, SomersTown), Eran Kolirin (The Band's Visit) and Conor McPherson (The Eclipse). Other guests are planned. Dates June 4 & 5. "Give Me Direction" will be an opportunity to champion great and original writing for the screen and to deepen the Irish Film Board’s engagement in addressing industry concerns. The conference will follow an informal, mixed format of sessions and interviews: plus a rehearsed read-through and a preview screening.

For more details, visit the JDIFF.

12th international scriptwriters festival in France

The French town of Bourges will host the 12th International Scriptwriters festival, between March 25 and 29. The event is popular, featuring round tables, a writing competition, workshops (with a focus on writing for TV), audience-friendly events that include the analysis of popular films and events around animation and documentaries. All events are in French.

Find more details here.

William Friedkin masterclass in London

You might have to move fast on this one. William Friedkin is the writer/director/producer of landmark films such as "The French Connection" and "The Exorcist", both of which redefined their genres and provoked considerable outrage at the time. Since then, he has also produced "Cruising" and "To Live and Die in L.A." and is now active in TV and opera.

In an event organised by The Script Factory, he will be interviewed live by Mark Kermode following a screening of "The French Connection" on October 21 at 8pm at the Screen on the Green in Islington, London. Tickets priced £10 are on sale from Screen on The Green box office on 08700 664777.

Brussels festival celebrates first and second films

The sixth Brussels Film Festival is about to kick off, with its usual focus on first and second films from directors across Europe. The festival is opened and closed by "Melodrama Habibi/Une chanson dans la tête" by Hani Tamba and "Tricks" by Andrzej Jakimowski respectively (and a world and a Belgian premiere respectively too). Films to look out for include Germany's "The Stranger in Me", France's "57 000 km entre nous" and Russia's "Everybody Dies but Me".

The festival also features a special section devoted to rare movies, and an interesting selection of free outdoor screenings on the freshly-renovated Place Flagey in Ixelles. For film-makers there is a pitch competition (now closed) and a film workshop. Dates: June 28-July 6. For details in English, French and Dutch visit the Brussels Film Festival.

Jaco Van Dormael to talk in Brussels

One of the most promising writer/directors in Europe some ten years ago was Jaco Van Dormael, who made a huge splash with "Toto le héros" in 1991, followed by "Le huitième jour" in 1996. Rumours about his upcoming "Mr Nobody" have been extravagent to say the least, saying it covers "time" and is the most expensive Belgian film ever made.

This Tuesday June 10 he will put the rumours to rest or confirm them when he talks to the French-speaking Belgian writier's group ASA in Brussels.

For details, visit ASA.

Jaco Van Dormael on Amazon UK

Terry George premiere and masterclass in Belfast

Oscar-nominated writer and director (and who has excelled in both roles) Terry George will premiere his new film "Reservation Road" at the 8th Belfast Film Festival and will also run one of the masterclasses at the event. George is best known for "In the Name of the Father" and "Hotel Rwanda". His masterclass on April 11 will "examine the similarities and differences in writing for TV, Film and the internet, the art of characterization and the subjects of plot, structure and dialogue". He will also take part in a Q&A session after his film's projection.

For more details, visit the Belfast Film Festival site.

"Taxi" director to talk at French screenwriter fest

Love 'em or hate 'em, the "Taxi" franchise is one of France's most successful over the past ten years, boasting over 24 million viewers. This year's guest of honour at the 11th International Screen Writer's festival in Bourges, France (27-30 March) is Gérard Krawczyk. His César-nominated short films will be showcased, as well as the features "Je hais les acteurs", "Fanfan la tulipe" and "La vie est à nous". They provide an opportunity to host meetings based on the unusual pairing of auteur and action.

The event also features premieres, round tables and other activities such as a pitching forum and special activities focused on animation. For details, visit Scenario au long court.

Award-winning writers to speak at Screenwiters festival

Britain's Screenwriters Festival will be held this year July 1-3 in Cheltenham. The guest speaker line up so far includes Christopher Hampton, Oscar winning writer of 'Dangerous Liaisons' and the 2008 Oscar-nominated 'Atonement', and Kay Mellor producer and BAFTA award winning writer of such well known series' such as 'Band of Gold', 'Playing the Field', 'Fat Friends' and 'The Chase'.

The programme for the 2008 Festival will be up on the website on Friday 14th March 2008. The festival also has a pitch contest. See the details on their website.

French scriptwriters march to support the WGA

Although the legal, artistic and business environments are very different in the US and Europe, most international writers' guilds have given their support to the WGA strike. The French writers' union UGS is going one step further and organising a demo opposite the Tour Eiffel (the Espalanade du Trocadéro) in Paris on Wednesday November 28 at 4pm. They will notably organise a family photo of "creators" that includes writers, actors, producers and directors (looks to me like a pretty good networking opportunity!).

The specifics of the debate between producers and writers in the US are not the same as those in Europe, but one area is very similar: the proportion of revenue generated by online sales. There is already a massive migration towards online viewing. This will only increase over the coming few years. So it is important that the writers of the films and shows be entitled to a fair share of this important new revenue stream.

As a reminder, Screenplay Europe is not promoting any online movie or TV show downloading until this issue is clarified.

Visit the UGS.

Ronald Harwood to talk about adaptations in London

Oscar-winning scriptwriter Ronald Harwood ("The Pianist", "Oliver Twist" and "The Dresser") will be talking at a special event organised by The Script Factory and BFI on December 6 in London. A very large proportion of major films are adaptations, and Harwood's speciality is specifically the adaptation of novels and plays to the screen. His upcoming releases include "Love in the Time of Cholera" and "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly".

Harwood has written a fascinating book on the subject already. If you're interested in the discussion, I strongly recommend you see at least "The Pianist" and "Oliver Twist" as he will most likely talk about elements from both tales.

Ronald Harwood on Adaptation
Thursday 6 Dec at 6.20pm
NFT3, BFI Southbank

Tickets are on sale now costing £8.60 (full) £6.25 (concs) from bfi.

Random thoughts about scripts

The Belgian writers' group ASA held a round table recently to try and define what a movie script is, with a view to being better able to present the writers' case in discussions with other bodies. To cut to the chase, the definition was never agreed on but the discussion itself turned out to be fascinating.

Script doctor and writer Luc Janssens set the ball rolling by suggesting that the script is a "technical document used to make a film". But others found that belittled the craft and artistry of storytelling. Inevitably, the question of structure came up. And just as inevitably, the claim that structure is somehow an American idea was made (something I have always thought was strange - like David Lean or Hitchcock didn't use structure). Director Harry Kümel ("Malpertuis", "Eline Vere" and opera) rightly jumped in to point out that a lot of the early analysis of drama was done by a Frenchman. Janssens added a long list of writers stretching back to Shakespeare that used the 3-act structure.

Kümel was critical of the current reliance of the European movie sector on public support. "It's not with subsidies and commissions that that we'll create new European cinema. I dream of a European cinema that complements America's."

But how do you judge a film and its performance? Kümel: "A film must be seen by the number of people it is intended for." That's actually a neat definition if you think about it. An art-house drama could never compete with the tent-pole summer movies. But that does not mean that it is operating in a vacuum. There are still yardsticks for analysing its performance.

"...like becoming a doctor..."

On to writing itself: "It takes years, that's the problem," according to Janssens. "Scriptwriting is like becoming a doctor - it takes about the same amount of time to become a good one. It's not because you learn the rules that you are a writer... We looked at the number of schools and courses that are available in Europe for the moment and found over 300. But in my opinion, only a very few of them - including London and Rome - are worth anything." The problem is one of commitment, with many film-making courses not devoting enough time to the script.

Another question that cropped up was: "Who exactly is the author of the script?" Some writers complained about being considered as luxury typists by directors. The habit of directors and even producers demanding shares of the authors' rights was also discussed. "I don't accept that," said Janssens. "When I finish a script, I've done 80% of the directors job."

More about Luc Janssens

French TV writers come together

Anyone near the south of France that is interested in TV series (and the writing thereof!) should check out "Scénaristes en série", an annual get-together that was started by 10 French series writers and is becoming more international. The idea is for writers, producers, actors and distributors to get together in a series of debates and masterclasses. They promise to show the best-in-class series from Spain, the UK, Germany and Canada.

It will be held at the Palais des Congrès in Aix-les-Bains (Rhône-Alpes, if my memory serves me well), October 18-21. Contact: Tel : 01 48 03 18 25 (in France) or visit Scenaristes en Série. There are several regional airports in the area, plus a special TGV train leaving from Paris! How's that for style?

Macedonian-Polish action spec wins the first Central European Pitch Forum

I mentioned this event a few months back. Here is an extract from the (enthusiastic) press release concerning the winners. Nice to see a genre film picking up the main prize.

+++

Veteran Macedonian-born Swiss writer-director Mitko Panov took first prize and 5 thousand euro along with it at the closing event of the 2007 Fade In Central European Pitch Forum, the continent’s first story market, for his Balkan-set drama-actioner Witness.

The 2 thousand euro-worth special jury prize went to Paolo Poti from Italy for his drama screenplay "The God of the Hills", while the award for the best Eastern European screenplay was given to Hungarian writer team Péter Gál and Csaba Tóth for their chiller "Weekend". Young Hungarian director István Madarász got the Best Pitch award for the presentation of his unique action thriller "Loop". The lavish awards ceremony and networking dinner, attended by a hundred-plus film professionals from all across Europe, closed a very intense three days in Pécs in the south of Hungary. Beautiful weather was kind to the organizers, as the picture-perfect city—a European Cultural Capital-to-be in 2010—showed its most stunning faces to attendees of its international film festival Moveast and its flagship event pitch forum. 13 screenwriters from all over Europe showed up with 11 projects. Their screenplays were all written on spec—meaning the authors developed them on their own volition—so the writers arrived in the hope of selling their screen stories to the attending producers.

To find out more (and maybe present something next year), visit Fade In.

On the photo: president of the Federation of Screenwriters in Europe Christina Kallas listening to award-winning Polish director Kryzstof Zanusi. Photo by Laszlo Simara.