Short Film Lab Finds and Nurtures Future Talent

Embargoed until: 6.30pm Tuesday 5 October 2010

Short Film Lab Finds and Nurtures Future Filmmaking Talent

The Show Me Shorts Film Festival and Script to Screen have announced the names of six up-and-coming screenwriters who will participate in their inaugural Short Film Lab on 6 November. 

Selected from more than 90 applicants from around New Zealand, the participants in the 2010 Short Film Lab are: Sam Bunkall, Simon Hansen, Lauren Jackson, Kelly Joseph, Renae Maihi, and Rose McIver. 

Announcing the successful applicants at the Show Me Shorts programme launch on Tuesday evening, Workshop Manager Emma Blomkamp said, “We were delighted by the large number and quality of applications that came flowing in.”

“This is testament to the huge interest in short film among emerging filmmakers, the great deal of undiscovered talent keen to be part of the New Zealand film industry, and the need to support up-and-coming writers to develop high quality short film scripts.”

During the course of the full-day lab hosted by the University of Auckland, the selected participants will work intensively to develop their ideas for new short films, with help from experienced industry practitioners who have excelled in short filmmaking, including producer Ainsley Gardiner, writer/director Mark Albiston and screenwriter and academic Shuchi Kothari. 

Script to Screen’s Simon Marler, who convened the selection panel that included producer Matt Horrocks, writer/director Tearepa Kahi, and Festival Director Gina Dellabarca, says, “Selecting applicants for the Short Film Lab was no easy task.”

“The chosen six participants demonstrate excellent potential to develop ideas for short films with vision and heart.  We look forward to seeing these ideas crafted into scripts that will form the basis of great short films.”

A joint venture between Script to Screen and Show Me Shorts, the Short Film Lab builds on the success of the workshops held as part of Show Me Shorts Film Festival 2009, and is inspired by labs run by major A-list film festivals such as Sundance.  It has been made possible thanks to support from the New Zealand Film Commission.

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