Scriptwriting Incubation Programme opens for application
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The Government has introduced five major measures under the Film Development Fund (FDF) earlier to help the trade tide over this difficult period and re-energise Hong Kong's film industry. Among these measures, the Scriptwriting Incubation Programme (SIP) is open for application from today (August 15) until October 14. Scriptwriters and would-be scriptwriters who are interested in the profession are encouraged to participate.
With total funding of $8 million, the SIP aims at identifying and nurturing local scriptwriting talent to help incubate quality scripts, thereby enhancing the quality of Hong Kong productions.
"A good script is indispensable to a successful film production, while a good film is essentially a good story told in a compelling manner. I look forward to seeing an abundance of quality original scripts incubated under the Programme, helping our local film industry to scale new heights," the Chairman of the Hong Kong Film Development Council, Dr Wilfred Wong, said.
The SIP will be held in the form of a competition with multiple rounds. Funding will be disbursed to the respective winners of different phases:
Phase 1: Interested parties should submit applications together with the synopsis and logline on or before October 14. A maximum of 50 submissions will be shortlisted, and each of them will be awarded a prize of $30,000 and will enter the next phase of the competition;
Phase 2: Shortlisted candidates should submit the treatment. Up to 25 submissions will be shortlisted at this stage, and each of them will be awarded a prize of $80,000 and will enter the next phase of the competition; and
Phase 3: Shortlisted candidates should submit a full script at this stage. A maximum of 10 final winning scripts will be selected and the winning parties will be invited to attend a presentation forum to meet with potential investors to increase the chance of obtaining market investment in adopting their scripts for commercial film productions. The final winning scripts will each be awarded a prize of $300,000. Cumulatively, a final winning script will be awarded a total amount of $410,000.
During the competition process, seminars and workshops will be arranged with experienced scriptwriters sharing techniques of writing treatments and scripts. There will also be dedicated one-on-one coaching to assist applicants in perfecting their scripts.
The application details of the SIP are available at the FDC's website (www.fdc.gov.hk).
The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau announced on July 13 that the Government would earmark around $260 million under the FDF to implement five major measures to increase the number of local film productions, nurture young directors and scriptwriting talents and enhance professional training. The remaining four major measures are the Directors' Succession Scheme, relaxation of the Film Production Financing Scheme, short-term advanced training programmes, and implementation of the enhanced First Feature Film Initiative.
Ends/Saturday, August 15, 2020
Issued at HKT 11:00
Issued at HKT 11:00
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