Urucu Media, under the mentorship of Berlinale Talents, in partnership with Nirox,
Durban Filmmart, Restless Talent Management, The French Institute in South Africa
and Institute Français’s Cinemas du Monde, proudly presents REALNESS, a
screenwriters residency for a new generation of African cinema.
From June to August 2016, five screenwriters will be invited to attend a seven-week
residency to develop a new draft of their original feature screenplays. The aim of
REALNESS is to provide the necessary time, space and support to help the
continent’s best emerging writing talents hone their unique cinematic vision.
Week 1
The residency will kick off on 16 June 2016 with an introductory week at Durban
Filmmart, Africa’s top co-production market. Residents will have the opportunity to
immerse themselves in films, attend seminars and present their projects to industry
professionals for feedback. Each resident will prepare a public presentation of their
project at the end of the week.
Week 2 to 6
Residents will be transported to the Nirox artists residency in the Cradle of
Humankind, where they will spend six weeks working in a tranquil and nurturing
living environment. During the first week, top international script consultants will
conduct workshops and one-on-one sessions with the residents. Thereafter,
residents will work at their own pace, with ongoing support in the form of
workgroups with fellow writers, curated film screenings, producer-led case studies
and discussions with visiting industry speakers.
Week 7
In the final week, residents will have a debriefing and follow up Skype-sessions
with their consultants. After leaving the residency, writers will be invited to submit
a new draft of their screenplay by 30 September 2016. The most promising project
to emerge from REALNESS will be invited and funded to participate in the
prestigious La Fabrique des Cinemas du Monde in Cannes, 2017.
REALNESS recognises the real-life demands of most writers and that taking time to
develop a screenplay is not always economically viable. To this end, residents will
receive a stipend of R15 000 and all food and accommodation expenses will be
covered for the duration of their stay. Please note that residents will be responsible
for their own travel costs to and from the residency. We will assist in efforts to
obtain sponsorship from country culture desks, embassies & other interested
institutions.
While the residency will be conducted in English, REALNESS facilitators are also able
to do the training in French and/or Portuguese if participants are from Francophone
or Lusophone African countries.
Submissions
Please note, the submission window is from 1 November 2015 to 31 January 2016
(or until 120 applications have been received, whichever comes first)
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 treatment of the proposed feature project (six pages)
• a draft of the screenplay
• a writer’s note of intention (one page)
• a short biography (one paragraph)
• 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 Urucu and
their partners will read the project entries and conduct interviews with a shortlist of
candidates early in March 2016. The REALNESS selection will be announced at an
event hosted by the pavilion Les Cinemas du Monde in Cannes, 2016.
Please submit dossiers to realness@urucumedia.com
