Moonstone International announces deadline for screenwriters’ lab and filmmakers’ lab

Moonstone International’s Managing Director Fiona Kinsella has announced at the recent Karlovy Vary International Film Festival that its next Screenwriters’ Lab will be held in the UK between 13 and 18 November 2005, and its next Filmmakers’ Lab will be held in Ireland between 25 January and 10 February 2006.
The deadline for the Screenwriters’ Lab applications is 2 September 2005. The deadline for the Filmmakers’ Lab applications is 9 September 2005.
Moonstone International Screen Labs is an advanced development programme for experienced European screenwriters and directors, who are working on feature film projects for an international audience.
The Screenwriters’ Lab is a week-long programme and offers participant screenwriters the opportunity to work on their projects in a series of one-to-one meetings with established screenwriter Advisors.
The Filmmakers’ Lab runs over 15 days, during which time participant directors rehearse, shoot, edit and screen key scenes from their projects, whilst working with professional crews and actors, under the guidance of established filmmaker Advisors.
Advisors on previous Labs include screenwriters Ronan Bennett 'The Hamburg Cell', Srdjan Dragojevic 'Pretty Village, Pretty Flame', Troy Kennedy Martin 'The Italian Job', Radu Mihaileanu 'Train de vie', Matthew Robbins 'Sugarland Express', as well as Academy Award winners Neil Jordan 'The Crying Game' and Callie Khouri 'Thelma & Louise', Oscar nominees Walter Bernstein 'The Front', Jeremy Pikser 'Bulworth' and Tom Rickman 'Coal Miner’s Daughter'. Director Advisors include Mira Nair 'Monsoon Wedding', John Irvin 'Hamburger Hill', Michael Hoffman 'A Midsummer Night’s Dream', Pat O’Connor 'Circle of Friends', Oscar nominee Stephen Frears 'The Grifters' and Oscar winner Marleen Gorris 'Antonia’s Line'.
Moonstone International runs three Labs per year: two for screenwriters and one for directors.
Recent Moonstone participants and their projects include Anthony Byrne’s film 'Short Order', which recently premiered at the Galway Film Fleadh, Terry Loane’s film 'Mickybo & Me' and Kenny Glenaan’s film 'Yasmin', both of which premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in 2004; Liz Gill (Goldfish Memory), David Gleeson (Cowboys and Angels), Shimmy Marcus (Headrush), Veit Helmer (Gate To Heaven), Hilde Van Mieghem (The Kiss), Robert Douglas and Jon Alti Johannson (Eleven Men Out). Mischa Alexander’s Sportsman of the Century is currently completing shooting.
Moonstone International was founded in 1997 in consultation with the Sundance Institute, the organisation created by Robert Redford in North America - the Chair of Moonstone’s Artistic Advisory Panel is Michael Caine.
Moonstone’s work is funded with the support of the MEDIA Programme of the European Union, FAS Screen Training Ireland, Scottish Screen, SGRIN the Media Agency for Wales and Mitteldeutsche Medienforderung (MDM).
Moonstone’s Screenwriters’ Lab sponsors include Final Draft Inc, in Slovenia the Slovenian Film Fund, in Northern Ireland the Northern Ireland Film & Television Commission and in France APCVL.
Moonstone’s Filmmakers’ Lab sponsors include Hubbard Casting, AVID Ireland, The Production Depot, Tyrell Ireland, Digirent Ireland, Scottish Enterprise and BBC Scotland.
(SP)