FILM COUNCIL ANNOUNCE TRAINING GRANT AWARDS

THE FILM Council's Training Fund have announced the first of their grant awards aimed at those already working in the industry who want to develop or improve their skills by attending training courses.
Three writers will be attending this year's Moonstone International Screen Labs - Lorrie Sheehy, Phillippa Goslett and Michael Maynard supported by the Film Council's Training Fund bursary programme.
The Moonstone scheme provides writers the opportunity to explore and develop projects with the collaboration of experts from across Europe and the US.
Three filmmakers, Ynyr Williams (Head of Development), Fergal McGrath (Producer) and Sunandan Walia (Producer) will attend this year's Les Entrepreneurs de L'audiovisuel Europeén 2001 aimed at developing small and medium sized film and television production companies.
The scheme supports the development of a project to packaging and marketing, giving long-term intensive support and allowing individuals the opportunity to gain from their interaction with other European professionals and a range of European tutors.
Three writers - Steve Brookes, Susan Mundy and Cecilia McAllister - will be attending the North-by-North West screenwriting training programme aimed at European screenwriters and script editors developing their skills.
Chris Hood (Writer) and Jeff Perks (Producer) will attend the Sources 2 Script Development Workshop, an advanced training programme offering intensive script development workshops and consultancy sessions.
Hood has written several novels one of which was shortlisted by Kingsley Amis for the National Book Award for Fiction. Perks, a graduate of Leeds International Film School and the National Film and Television School has produced several drama projects for Channel 4, Granada TV and BBC 2.
The Film Council recognised that the cost of training is often a barrier to individuals wanting to participate in film-related training courses and that high quality training outside of the UK may be even less accessible owing to the additional travel costs involved. In order to increase access to training for professionals in the UK film industry, the Film Council Training Fund have established this scheme to support those who otherwise would not be able to afford to attend and benefit from these invaluable courses. (CD)