SCREEN GEMS SEEK SHORT SCRIPT SUBMISSIONS

Screen Gems short film scheme, are inviting writers and directors to come up with innovative and engaging three-minute scripts for films suitable for cinema and broadcast distribution.
Screen Gems short film scheme, a project designed to nurture film-making talent in several areas of work: writing, directing, producing, camera work and editing. The scheme is co-financed by the Arts Council of Wales, HTV and the Film Council
Ten scripts will be selected of which five will be filmed on Digital Video and five on 35mm film.
The scheme also offers opportunities for trainees to work in a professional environment in the fields of producing, editing and camera work. Eight trainees will be offered opportunities across a range of the films.
Two professional producers will be assigned to the project and successful applicants will work alongside experienced crew.
The completed films will be premiered on Wales Cinema Day, January 28 2002 and will then tour Wales in the Welsh Shorts Tour. They will be entered for film festivals around the world and will be broadcast on HTV.
The success of the ten films produced under the first Screen Gems scheme has proved that it is a winning formula. Several of the films have proven to be award winners, in addition to being screened at some of the world’s most prestigious film festivals, such as Cannes and Clermond Ferrand. Furthermore, the films are attracting the interest of feature film financiers.
Sgrîn’s Chief Executive, Berwyn Rowlands, said: “Some of the first Screen Gems films have been very popular, especially with audiences in Europe. The films have already sold to seventeen countries and picked up several festival awards. Sgrîn’s expectation for Screen Gems 2 is very high following the successful batch of first films and it will be interesting to see which of the films from this project will attract attention. However this scheme is more than just delivering entertaining and provocative shorts. It deals with Welsh talent from a business and cultural perspective, supporting both writer/director teams and encouraging new producers to develop their skills.”
The closing date for entries is September 1 2001.
For more information contact: Gaynor Messer Price on Tel: (029) 2033 3307. (CD)