14/05/2012 - The first workshop of the TorinoFilmLab's new Lab - International Book Forum on film adaptation of books concluded during Turin International Book Fair

One studied film in Chicago and another has written for television, one comes from the world of animated films and another started as an actor to then give in to their passion for writing. Eight of them make up a lively and varied group of European screenwriters selected for the first edition of the Adapt Lab (see the news), the new programme for book to film adaptation of the TorinoFilmLab made in collaboration with the Turin International Book Fair's IBF - International Book Forum.

The first of the three workshops which concluded during the Fair in Turin and the 11th International Book Forum (May 10-12), a business area dedicated to film adaptations of literary works (see the dossier), was an opportunity to present the first work phase of the eight young screenwriters from Romania, Germany, Spain, France, Croatia, Greece, Sweden, with the attendance of a special patroness: Jenny Gilbertsson (Yellow Bird) producer and script editor of the Millennium film trilogy (see the interview).

The eight stories chosen, all based on Italian novels (see the combinations), go from thriller to noir, from modern western to road trip, as well as action and drama: "The challenge was to gather interesting stories and brave editors in Italy", explains the director of the TFL, Savina Neirotti, "and to match them to professional European screenwriters, with a view to attract Italian productions and potentially co-producers from other countries".

"Adaptation is a problem for young people because they can't afford to buy the rights for literary works", observes Isabelle Fauvel of Initiative Film (see the article from the IBF 2011), who is one of the lab's tutors together with the Swedish story editor, Eva Svenstedt Ward, "the Adapt Lab is an opportunity for them to work on an adaptation without any problems linked to rights".

In fact, a non-binding option with the editors has been devised for the lab: "If a producer should want to buy the rights for a book while the script is being developed, he would have a pre-emption on the estimate for a potential film adaptation", explains Francesco Signor (IBF), creator of the Adapt Lab together with Neirotti. "No obligation, but it would be a good opportunity for the producer, seeing as he would already find himself with a professional script".

The Adapt Lab's next two workshops will take place in September and November, interspersed with two online work sessions. The projects will be presented to a group of international producers, agents and industry professionals from all over the world, during the TorinoFilmLab Meeting Event (November 25-27, 2012).

(Translated from Italian)