Laboratory 2024

 

Residency for Collaboration in Mainz

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Writers/Directors will learn from the creative challenges and joys that accompany working in a collaborative manner - this lab offers filmmakers a unique opportunity to stretch themselves creatively, be both inspired and supported by their colleagues and to try a new style of storytelling, whilst building professional links across the wider region. The CAB 2024 is a combination of a residential lab and continuous meetings via video conferences with the aim of initiating a cross-border collaboration among the participating filmmakers.

The programme welcomes directors that are open to exploring the opportunities that working collaboratively across borders can offer. It is addressed to professionals from the area of the Greater Region: Luxembourg, Belgium (Federation Wallonia and Brussels as well as the German-speaking community of Belgium), South-West Germany (Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland) and North-East France (Grand Est).

 

Roots

The Collaboration Across Borders initiated by the Arc Film Festival was the initial hub for this journey: Directors involved in this initiative worked together on an intertwined screenplay, each shooting a section of the film in their own country with the intention of intercutting the films to create one narrative that feels like it is filmed in one location and at one time. These directors wish to share the enriching experience of embarking on a creative process with the other filmmakers.

 

Description

The residential lab combines exploring a different way to approach filmmaking, focusing on instigating a collaborative film project that will be developed.

In the first instance a Master Class is offered where the participants will meet with directors from the inaugural Collaboration Across Borders initiative. There will be guided discussion about the potential forms a joint project might take and the possible ways in which it might be executed. Will this project be a work made up of standalone stories created by the group in a serial/sequential manner? Or perhaps a single work filmed by multiple directors and interwoven to form one narrative? Does it need to be a narrative or can it instead be a documentary or experimental work? Perhaps there will be multiple films exploring a single agreed theme?

A structured and supported development period will follow, with video conferences with the intention of creating a project forward and commencing its production.

 

Period of time

• Application period: March 15th to May 15th
• Welcome Drink at Zoom: May
• LAB with residence in Mainz: July 5th to 9th
• Fine-tuning of concept: continuous video calls in a structured framework