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Cinema Extreme has announced its plans for 2005, with significant changes to allow for a greater degree of project and talent development.

This director-led scheme was created in 2002 by the UK Film Council’s New Cinema Fund and FilmFour to encourage and develop filmmakers with a distinctive directorial voice and cinematic flair. Nine films were made in the first two years, including Andrea Arnold's Oscar®-winning Wasp.

It will now operate as a development programme incorporating a rolling commissioning process, through which the UK Film Council and FilmFour will commission up to four films per year. The Bureau, an independent film production company, will manage the submission, selection and development process and to executive produce the commissioned films.

As an integral part of the scheme, there will be two three-day workshops during the year. The first will be held in three different cities in the UK during July 2005. The second will take place in London in November 2005. There will be up to 60 places in the first workshop (approximately 20 for each city) and up to 20 places in the second workshop.

The numbers of projects in development is expected to reduce over the period of the programme as projects progress and the assessment of projects and participants takes place. It is intended that before, during and after the workshops there will be further development of the individual projects, which may involve working with script editors and mentors. As the development programme progresses, Cinema Extreme will select and commission 4 teams and projects to produce up to 4 short films.

There are two calls for application to participate in the development and commissioning process:

First call: 11 April to 6 May

Second call: 8 August to 9 September.

The Bureau will start looking at applications immediately and there is therefore no advantage to holding onto your application until the end of the call period if it is ready to submit. Please send your application in as soon as you are ready to submit but, in any event, before the closing date for applications. New applications submitted in response to the second call for applications will be assessed alongside those projects that have already been through the first development phase.

YOU ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY TO CINEMA EXTREME IF:

• You are an individual aged 18 years and over, and a national or resident of the UK or as a director from outside the UK you have a UK production company attached to your project; and

• You have short film idea(s) that explore new storytelling methods and are willing to push the boundaries of contemporary cinema; and

• Your short film idea(s) can be realised on budgets of up to £50,000 including contingency, are predominantly in the English language and have main elements (e.g. producer, writer, director, location, story) which are substantially British in nature; and

• You are prepared to enter into a development relationship with FilmFour and the UK Film Council for a period of up to nine months and commit to attending occasional workshops during this time as required; and

• You have a demonstrable track record in film-making. Examples of relevant experience are: directing films that have been shown at significant international festivals or directing single drama or documentaries for a network broadcaster. The scheme encourages filmmakers crossing over from other disciplines/genres but will expect applicants to demonstrate how they will make a successful transition into cinematic storytelling, and how this film will enable them to take the step into directing features.

This is not a scheme for inexperienced or first-time filmmakers.

WHAT SORT OF FILM ARE THEY LOOKING FOR?

• Think about features. This scheme is for people who can already show the beginnings of that vision and are a step away from making the next distinctive and ground-breaking new British feature film.

• Think about story. Think about what makes a great short film, but equally think about how this film shows the vision that you would bring to a feature. What kind of stories do you want to tell? What kinds of stories are missing from British cinema? What kind of voice and vision do you want to have as a filmmaker now and in the future?

• Think about audience. Think about what works with an audience sitting in a darkened room and who that audience might be. Think about what has become over-familiar in short films and try something new. Think about how to engage an audience in your world on screen. Surprise and excite us.

HOW TO APPLY:

Guidelines and FAQs are on the Film Council and Bureau websites.

Complete an application form: PDF  Doc

Send your application form and two copies of your application to:

Matthieu de Braconier,

The Bureau,

PO Box 5366

London W1A 2WW

Published on www.britfilms.com April 21, 2005

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