Manish
Mundra’s film production company, Drishyam, in partnership with Sundance
Institute, is organising Dhrishyam – Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab 2015
to be held in Goa April 12-16. The Lab is inviting applications
as a part of its Open Submission Process. The deadline for submission of
scripts is March 5, 2015.
The Lab is for filmmakers making
their first or second narrative feature; we will consider co-writers,
writer/directors, or writer/director teams, and the scripts should be
independent in terms of story and spirit and also in terms of budget.
The Drishyam Sundance
Screenwriters Lab will provide an opportunity for writers to develop their work
under the guidance of accomplished international advisors in an environment
that encourages storytelling at the highest level.
In order to apply, filmmakers
must submit a complete draft of a screenplay as well as supporting materials
(cover letter, artistic statement, bio, synopsis, and directing sample if
applicable). Interest and inquires
should be directed to drishyamsundancelab@sundance.org
Srinivasan Narayanan, the former
Festival Director of Mumbai Film Festival, MAMI who will be heading this
initiative says, “With our rich tradition of storytelling, the effort is to
hone the skills, open new perspectives in narration and usher in the
international idiom in film making to our own tales. To goal is to help Indian
films and film makers to find their rightful place in the global space.”
Manish Mundra, the chairman of
Drishyam says, “The idea behind Drishyam’s collaboration with the Sundance
Screenwriters Lab in India, is to promote and nurture the new breed of young
and talented writers and directors and give them an opportunity to be mentored
by the finest International filmmakers. “
“The lab will be very beneficial
for Indian Cinema in the long run. It goes well with our idea of promoting
content driven cinema. Films like Margarita with a Straw, Umreeka and Masaan
have come out of Sundance Screenwriters Lab.”
Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Institute is a global
nonprofit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981.Through its artistic
development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, composers and
playwrights, the Institute seeks to discover and support independent film and
theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce
audiences to their new work. The Institute promotes independent storytelling to
inform, inspire, and unite diverse populations around the globe. Sundance Institute has nurtured such
projects as Born into Brothels, Trouble the Water, Son of Babylon, Umreeka, An
Inconvenient Truth, Spring Awakening, I Am My Own Wife, Light in the Piazza and
Angels in America.
Drishyam is a company established
by Manish Mundra, which is focused on actively working towards contributing to
the development of Indian independent cinema. The company has already invested
in films that are being recognised internationally, and is in the process of
finalizing more projects for the upcoming year. The journey started with the
film Ankhon Dekhi directed by Rajat Kapoor. The film was one of the
best-reviewed films in India in 2014 and was critically acclaimed for its
simplicity, philosophy, ensemble cast and acting. The two projects that
followed Ankhon Dekhi won great accolades as well - Umrika, directed by Prasant
Nair won the Audience Choice Award at Sundance Film Festival 2015 and Dhanak
directed by Nagesh Kuknoor won the Grand Prix award and Crystal Bear Special
Mention at Berlinale 2015 – Generation Kplus. Committed to its cause of
developing and nurturing film talent in India, the company has also partnered
with the Sundance Institute to set up a Screenwriters' Lab in India.
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