Northern Ireland Screen has announced its deadline for submissions for its Short Steps Back in Time Scheme is Friday, August 31.
The scheme will provide five writers with the opportunity to develop their short film scripts within a budget of £10,000 (€12,000).
The scheme is a portmanteau film scheme only, and is open to candidates who were previously selected for Short Steps between 2003 and 2011. This means candidates may only apply with scripts for a framing story, rather than feature-length scripts. Scripts which give the context of the story through which other stories are told are only eligible.
A portmanteau film is a feature film made up of a short framing story and up to four short self-contained stories that relate to the framing story through location or characters.
The scheme is not open to producers or directors at this stage, therefore only scriptwriters are eligible to apply.
Eight scripts will initially be chosen for development between October 2012 and April 2013. Out of these, five scripts will then progress to further development, with production scheduled between April 2013 and March 2014.
The five chosen scripts of Short Steps 2012 are currently in development, with Marie-Therese Mackle of Belfast-based Stirling Film and Television Productions producing.
‘Lighthouse’, ‘Two Little Boys’ and ‘Mime’ are all due to begin principal photography in Belfast in June, with the remaining two shorts, ‘Magpie’ and ‘Taking the Boat’, scheduled to begin filming in July.
Northern Ireland Screen will hold a seminar on portmanteau films for eligible candidates in The Crescent Arts Centre in Belfast on June 28. Interested parties are asked to secure their place by 5pm on May 25 by emailing Northern Ireland Screen’s Christine Morrow.
Scripts for the 2013-2014 Short Steps Back in Time scheme must not exceed 20 minutes. The application deadline is 5pm, Friday, August 31. For full details and eligibility guidelines please read Northern Ireland Screen’s guidelines carefully.
See IFTN’s Diary for all upcoming industry deadlines.
