Call for entries: Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab 2015

If you’ve been dreaming of holding the Oscar for Best Screenplay in your hands and thanking your mum, your dad, God and the kid who bullied you in school in your acceptance speech, here’s something that could set you off in that direction. Ok, the Oscars might be a bit of a stretch, but the Drishyam/Sundance Institute Screenwriters’ Lab might be the first step in the direction of turning the idea in your head into a real film. All you need to do is get your screenwriting act together by 5th March. For all those who are interested in script writing, Drishyam/ Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab 2015 will be held in Goa from 12-16 April and will provide an opportunity for aspiring writers to discuss their work with and learn from international advisors. Those interested in applying will have to submit a complete draft of a screenplay as well as cover letter, artistic statement, bio, synopsis, and directing sample (if applicable). The lab is being organised by the Sundance Institute, a global nonprofit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981 along with Drishyam, a company established by producer Manish Mundra, who has emerged as Indian indie cinema’s guardian angel. The Sundance Screenwriting Lab’s list of successes include Margarita with A Straw, Umrika and Masaan. This year, it will be headed by Srinivasan Narayanan, the former Festival Director of Mumbai Film Festival, MAMI. Talking about the lab, Narayanan said, “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." [caption id=“attachment_2133023” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Courtesy: Facebook[/caption] Drishyam’s involvement in the lab makes it particularly exciting because Mundra has backed some wonderful independent films over the past few years and the fact that there isn’t much by way of box office earnings hasn’t deterred Mundra as a producer. So far, he’s produced films like Aankhon Dekhi, Umrika and Dhanak. Dhanak, directed by Nagesh Kukunoor, won the Grand Prix from the International Jury in the Generation KPlus section for children and a Special Mention by the Children’s Jury in the same section at this year’s Berlin Film Festival. ( You can read Mundra's full interview here ). While there are several screenwriting labs abroad, in India, those interesting in becoming screenwriters mostly have to begin on their own, without proper guidance or training. In fact, for years, it has been an ordeal for aspirant screenwriters to go from one producer’s door to another, begging them to hear their scripts, as Bollywood continued to churn out formulaic films every Friday. Also, those lucky few who do get a break often have to compromise with their scripts in order to see their name in the closing credits. However, with more screenwriting labs coming up in India, writers can finally feel a bit more hopeful about their future. Another such lab that is organised on a yearly basis in India is The NFDC Film Bazaar Screenwriters’ Lab. One of the most successful film of 2013, Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox, was in fact a product of this lab. Although the total number of screenwriters selected to be a part of this program is as low as six, those who do get through not only get guidance on technique and tools to improve their writing, but last year, they were also given a scope to be a part of Film Bazaar Co-Production Market. To know more about NDFC Screenwriters’ Lab click here. The deadline for submission of scripts for the Drishyam/ Sundance Screenwriters’ Lab is 5th March, 2015. For details, write to  drishyamsundancelab@sundance.org.