Applications for the Film Scriptwriting Advanced Programme open next Monday (25 April)
The “Scripts in Focus – Film Scriptwriting Advanced Programme” (hereafter referred to as the Programme), jointly organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government (IC, from the Portuguese acronym), the Film Administration of Guangdong Province, and Create Hong Kong, will be held again this year. The Programme aims to promote film production through the cultivation of filmmaking talent, thereby spawning more creative films for the industry. Applications for the Programme will be open from 25 April to 24 June. All local filmmakers are welcome to participate. Shortlisted projects will receive guidance from professional directors and scriptwriters. Two representative projects each will be selected from Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao. Among these six projects, two will be selected and each will be awarded a prize of MOP80,000.
The “2022 Scripts in Focus – Film Scriptwriting Advanced Programme” sharing session was held today (22 April) at the Multi-function Room of Macao Grand Prix Museum. The Programme has invited renowned director Huang Ji and screenwriter Xu Yimeng to be the instructors for projects from Macao. The two instructors joined the sharing session online, shared the gist of creating screenplays, and answered questions from the attendees. They will also help improve the shortlisted Macao projects by providing guidance and suggestions regarding the story, plot, structure and integrity of the scripts.
Applicants to the Programme must be 18 years old or above and hold a Macao SAR Permanent Resident Identity Card, and must be the original conceiver of the application project. The instructors will select a maximum of four film projects for the instruction stage based on three criteria, namely originality and creativity of the story, connotation and narration of the story, and experience of the applicants. The instruction stage will be held from July to November, and will be conducted in Mandarin with no interpretation provided. Upon completion of the four-month, 40-hour instruction course, each shortlisted project’s applicant must submit their final scripts. IC will select two out of the four to represent Macao in the joint project review of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao. After that, two winning projects out of the six from the three regions will be selected and each will be awarded a prize of MOP80,000.
Xu Yimeng, one of the instructors for the Macao projects, was the screenwriter of Better Days and Soul Mate and garnered “Best Screenplay” at the 39th Hong Kong Film Awards; while fellow instructor Huang Ji has had her productions shortlisted in the Hong Kong - Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) four times and was the winner of the “WIP Fiction Award” at the 19th HAF.
For details of the Programme, please visit IC’s website (www.icm.gov.mo) or the Macao Cultural and Creative Industries Website (www.macaucci.gov.mo), where application rules and forms are available for download. Applicants can submit the required documents at the Cultural Affairs Bureau Building at Tap Siac Square within the submission period specified in the application rules.
For enquiries, please contact the staff members of IC, Mr Kuan through tel. no. 8399 6295 or Mr Chong through tel. no. 8399 6256 during office hours.
