Northern Ireland Screen is now seeking feature film scripts to develop for its New Writer Focus 2015-2016.
Only Northern Ireland resident writers new to feature film are eligible to apply. For the avoidance of doubt “writers new to feature film” in this context means a writer without a writing credit on a produced feature film. This is a script development call; a producer and director are not required at this stage. Scripts with producers, directors and production companies attached are not eligible.
New Talent Focus films are made on an ultra-low budget (£250,000 or less), so scripts must be written taking that into account. Scripts whose ambition exceeds the practical possibilities of ultra-low budget filmmaking will be deemed ineligible. The challenge is to think imaginatively within the constraints of a limited budget so avoid writing period pieces, high action, special effects.
A recent example of a project developed under the New Talent Focus scheme is ‘A Patch of Fog’, written by Michael McCartney and John Cairns and directed by Michael Lennox whose short film ‘Boogaloo and Graham’ won a 2015 BAFTA as well as being nominated for an Oscar. ‘A Patch of Fog’ is currently in post-production.
Up to 10 scripts will be chosen by a panel comprised of the BFI Northern Ireland Screen and other industry partners for development between September 2015 and April 2016.
More information on the New Talent Focus Scheme can be found here.
