07/03/2006

March 30 is the deadline for submissions for the second Katapult European Script Centre , Central Europe’s main screenwriting workshop. Taking place over eight months, and in three sessions, the first of which will be in Budapest (June 1-6), the event is organised by Katapult Film, a production company emblematic of the new wave of Hungarian cinema (see interview with Iván Angelusz), with support from the Media Programme Plus, the Hungarian Ministry of Culture and the Motion Picture Public Foundation of Hungary.

Presided over by renowned Czech filmmaker Jiri Menzel, who will take part in the workshops, the event is open to European screenwriters, directors and producers, with priority given to professionals from the new EU member states. The jury is made up of professionals involved in training and education (Czech screenwriter critic Hana Cielova, Italian director/producer/screenwriter/university professor Giovanni Robbiano, and writer Kirsten Harder) and participants will be selected mainly on the creative quality of their written treatments and the project’s production potential.

Last year, the Katapult European Script Centre brought together screenwriters and directors from Scotland, Finland, Poland, Germany, Spain, Italy and Hungary, the majority of whom were film school graduates in their respective countries. According to the organisers, this melting pot is an opportunity to offer fresh views on screenplay development from one country to another, with workshops that will first concentrate on the dramatic elements of a synopsis before moving on to the writing of a first draft of a screenplay, and subsequent re-writes.

For further information on submission guidelines and the program in general, visit Katapult Film .

(Translated from French)