Clinik.Kathmandu (Writing Program) Program Catalogue & Call for Projects 2018 Group Photo Writing Lab 2017 Published by: Docskool, House 142, Panchayan Marg, Thapathali, P. O. Box: 4648, Kathmandu NEPAL Email: docskoolnepal@gmail.com // www.docskool.org
Ripples by Clinik Impacts our friends made this season Open Doors Locarno International Film Festival 2017 Open Doors Grant CNC Prize Recipient: Zay Yar Aung; Myanmar Project: One Summer Day 2014 Clinik.Kathmandu Alumni/ Project Open Doors to development Initiative Film Grant for MAHAMAYA Recipient: Rasitha Jinasena; Sri Lanka Producer: The Womb 2014 Clinik.Kathmandu project (Member of advisory group for Clinik in Sri Lanka) Open Doors TFL Award Recipient: Jami Mahmood/; Pakistan Producer: A Fridge and a Microwave 2015 Clinik.Kathmandu project Platform Busan Busan International Film Festival 2017 Selected: Mir Mukarram Hossain; Bangladesh 2014 Clinik.Kathmandu Alumni # 2017 Projects NFDC Film Bazaar, International Film Festival of India, 2017 CoProduction Market; International Film Festival of Rotterdam, Rotterdam Labs/ Cinemart 2018 Selected: Ilango Ram, Sri Lanka Project: Scent of a Dead body 2017 Clinik.Kathmandu project Principal Photography Complete Adaptation project of Macbeth in Tulu Writer/ director: Abhay Simha; India 2
Docskool has proactively promoted an inclusivity approach towards South Asian cinema for ten years developing key opportunities and networking for the regions variedly capacitated filmmakers. 2017 saw us hosting the third edition of Clinik.Kathmandu Writing Lab. In this period 21 filmmakers from 9 countries found support in script and production development through the Clinik Initiative. 5 of these films got materialised. A year round process dedicated to promote identity and recognition of filmmakers practising in difficult territories across South Asia, Clinik believes in building long term relations with its alumni and being with them through their creative journeys. In 2018, the Clinik Writing Lab is open for 10 participant filmmakers from SAARC and Myanmar. The program celebrates its partnership with Cinemart/ Rotterdam Labs of the International Film Festival Rotterdam. Clinik.Kathmandu also partnered as key advisor to the 2016 2018 Locarno International Film Festival Open Doors program s focus on South Asia. The 2018 Clinik (Writing Lab) The Clinik.Kathmandu Writing Lab is offered to advanced level film practitioners who are looking for professional support in script and production development. The workshop is held over 8 days in Kathmandu with the possibility of a distance module follow up. One to one conversations with script/production advisers is the core modality of the workshop and encourages personalised support. Participants are to expect 3 4 seating s with individually assigned advisors during the weeklong process in Kathmandu. Group reflections and viewings will be held on a daily basis with similar structured sessions for production reflection and pitch training. Who is this program for? This is a skill upgrade and project support exercise for filmmakers working on feature film at the time of application. Applicants should have credible experience working on professional setups involving TV, film or video media. The writing program is only open to fiction applications. Writer/ directors or directors with a writer or writers alone may all apply to the program. What to expect Participants should expect to address key questions of their story and to study the universal approach of the concept. One on one session s are guided to encourage a personal understanding of the artist and the story; this will help artistic maturity both on the project and on an individual level. 3
Pitching training and production exercises will encourage looking at projects from local as well as a global perspective providing answers on where and how to position the film. Participants will build knowledge on festivals, markets, talent platforms etc. On the second stage Distant Module This distant (online) starts almost right after the workshop. Its aim is to find a second companion to the applicant in the form of a script analyst or a production advisor. The module will be guided by the requirements of the project and has no specific format. It will be held in the form of several online meetings and project followups. As states its objective can be either to help finalize the writing or to support in production advisory. A month s residency following the workshop Participants have an opportunity to spend a month at the workshop venue Docskool s film residency space following the workshop. This will be useful to complete major parts of their writing before heading to business as usual. Such a residency is heavily subsidized and can be used to work on a demo reel is required. Checklist Does Clinik Writing work for you? Be certain before making an application. Spend some time answering these general questions. We recommend you to apply if three of these questions answer as a yes. Do you have a feature script and have a few questions about its structure? Have you been playing with a story in your head for a while but are having issues compiling it together? Would talking to a professional help? Are you confused about certain scenes/parts in your film? Are you about to enter shooting but still need to find some answers? Are you concerned that your film may not make it to the biggest festivals or win you awards? In general confused about how global cinema cultural framework is. Are you under pressure from the producer to work on certain ways? Participation Participation is subject to selection. A maximum of 10 positions are available. Application requirements include: - A cover letter indicating your interest and expectations from the program - Project Synopsis and logline in independent sheets - Maximum 10 pager story treatment (documenting the writer and draft date with location) - Director s Intention no less than 500 words in an independent sheet - Updated CV of writer/director - Minimum 2 work samples of maximum 10 minutes as online samples - Producers note (not mandatory) 4
Fees Application fee: 25 USD Workshop fee: 350 USD Fee including the second stage: 500 USD Stay during the workshop is free. For food we work on bill sharing system where all participants fill in for the total bill of the day, this is approximately 8 10 USD a day per person. One month Residency: 150 USD (inclusive of food) Application fee must be made together with the application form. If a project is selected, 40 % of the workshop fee must be transferred to Docskool s account within 1 week from the date of selection announcement. The Venue: Ehwa Arts Collaboratory Facebook.com/ehwaarts The collaboratory is an artist catering space developed by Docskool for filmmakers. Ehwa is located 45 kms. out of the city and is positioned on a hilltop inside a typical Nepali hilly village. All facilities are minimalist; expect DIY built rooms, Nepali food. Stay is shared at the collaboratory for everyone. The residence is facilitated with two editing setups, a sound booth and ample books, DVD's and viewing facilities. The facility will be open 24 hours. Additional film equipment s and crew can be made available for residency participants. FAQ s When is the last date to apply? 20 th March 2018 Can I complete my application in certain stages? This is not recommended but if you have specific reasons, please write to us. Does Clinik provide scholarships, financing opportunities? Clinik has no provisions for funding this year. We recommend other financing supports available to Asian and international artists for this. A good guide for this could be culture360.org Can Clinik assure my films will go to festivals? No Will I find a producer at Clinik? No, but if you take the second stage process and specify this as your need we can help. 5
Why is Clinik charging fees? Clinik is not a prefunded program. The charges applied starting 2016 is principally for payment to advisors who will otherwise not be available for the sessions. To know about Docskool Docskool is a not for profit cultural campaign working to promote best practices in South Asian cinema with its principal operations in Kathmandu. The Clinik.Kathmandu program falls under Docskool s Talent development initiatives and is an institutionally subsidized program operated entirely on the basis of minimal fees acquired from the process. We are an office of 3 and an annual revenue of less than 30,000 USD. We are all filmmakers and when not hosting labs, make films of our own. 6