Asia Society New Voices Fellowship for Screenwriters NVFS 2013-2014

Name of the Organisation : Asia Society India Centre (asiasociety.org)
Type of Announcement : New Voices Fellowship for Screenwriters (NVFS) 2013 – 2014

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Asia Society India Centre announces the launch of the second edition of New Voices Fellowship for Screenwriters (NVFS) 2013 – 2014, a programme to identify, encourage and support a group of six talented independent screenwriters to develop their feature film scripts by working in a dynamic and innovative environment with guidance from eminent filmmakers and screenwriters. We seek to build an artistic community that reflects the diversity of contemporary Indian writing, providing screenwriters a platform to develop powerful, nuanced and well-crafted scripts while exploring new approaches to the art of writing for cinema. We invite writers from across India to submit an original story for consideration by 31 December, 2013.

ABOUT THE NEW VOICES FELLOWSHIP FOR SCREENWRITERS :
Asia Society recognises India’s exceptional legacy in the field of cinema. The New Voices Fellowship for Screenwriters will host a diverse and talented group of screenwriters who will explore new approaches to storytelling and screenwriting, provide peer feedback and work with respected professionals in the field. Through an open application process, 12 writers from across India will be selected from among all the applicants and invited to attend the first workshop to be held in February 2014. At the end of the workshop, six of them will be selected to become Fellows of NVFS and enter the eight-month writing programme, in which they will take their stories all the way to a fully-developed script, under the regular and intensive guidance of their mentors. The aim is to encourage the writers to realise their ideas more fully, and craft them into a competently written screenplay.

A second workshop will be held in May 2014, where writers will receive feedback from other mentors and their peers too. This edition of the Fellowship will conclude in September 2014, and the next edition will commence from 1 October, 2014.

Each participating Fellow will receive:
A stipend of Rs. 2,00,000.
Regular guidance from the mentors who are eminent screenwriters and writer-directors over the eight-month long programme.
Two five-day-long intensive workshops conducted by Anjum Rajabali, with the active participation of mentors, advisors and other industry professionals.
Recommendations on how to approach production houses and studios, how to pitch, and other professional and legal aspects like contracts, copyright and safeguards.

HOW TO APPLY :
Applications will be accepted until 31 December, 2013.

The Fellowship is open only to Indian Citizens residing in India, above 18 years of age.

Interested applicants may download the application form at
http://asiasociety.org/files/pdf/nvfs_2013-14_application_form_version2.pdf and preferably email the required documents along with it. There is also an option of sending the documents by post. Do mention NVFS 2013-2014 on the envelope. The application dossier, whether submitted via e-mail or as a hard copy via post, should include:

Covering Note: We would like to know who you are. Please send us a short note on your reasons for applying to this fellowship. Please mention if you have done any screenwriting–related work, written for newspapers, magazines, etc. Please mention other creative work you may have undertaken. No more than 1 page please.

The Story: Word limit: 3000-4500 words. (If you use Courier new font, size 12, it will roughly come to 8-12 pages.) While it can be of any genre, do remember that it has to have enough dramatic potential to expand into a feature-length screenplay. Also, the story has to be either entirely original, or if you’re adapting it from another source like a novel, short story, play or any other form, the original source has to either be copyright free, or else you need to attach a document from the copyright holder assigning you the right to write and sell a film script of it.

Synopsis and Objective: A 300-word summary of the story. Additionally, 150-200 words on what it is that you find interesting about the story, and what the story is trying to say.

First Three Pages of the Script: Develop the beginning of your story as a three page script (refer to sample script on website)

SCHEDULE :
Open for Applications : 1 October – 31 December, 2013
Announcement of 12 shortlisted finalists : 1 February, 2014
First residential scriptwriting workshop in Khandala, Maharashtra : 12 – 16 February, 2014
Interviews of 12 shortlisted finalists : 17 February, 2014
Announcement of 6 Fellows : 18 February, 2014
Second residential scriptwriting workshop in Khandala, Maharashtra : 28 May – 1 June, 2014
Closing Ceremony : 15 September, 2014

RULES, REGULATIONS & DISCLAIMER :
** All submission material should be in English or Hindi. Please refer to “How to Apply,” above.
** Collaborative stories by two writers will be accepted. However, the Fellowship will only accept one collaborator per application. Please designate one of the writers as the primary contact. The other collaborator can attend the workshops, but no expenses of the second collaborator will be borne by Asia Society.
** The six selected Fellows will sign a legal contract with Asia Society so they have a formal undertaking of the Fellowship. However, in case of any unforeseen situation or if a Fellow does not fulfill his or her responsibilities, then he/she must return the entire stipend money to Asia Society.
** The Fellowship has been designed bearing in mind that the selected candidates may be working professionals and they can therefore maintain their professional responsibilities during the course of the Fellowship.
** Selected Fellows will receive a stipend of Rs.2,00,000. 25% of the money will be released at the beginning of the project, 25% on completion of five months and the remaining 50% on successful completion of the Fellowship.
** The residential workshop will be held in Khandala, Maharashtra in February 2014, followed by the second workshop in May 2014.
** The travel and accommodation costs for Fellows outside of Mumbai will be borne by Asia Society for the second workshop.
** The workshops will be held over a period of five days, and Asia Society will ensure that the final dates are announced well in advance so selected fellows can plan accordingly.
** The copyright to the story and the first three pages of the script will be the sole responsibility of the writer. Please do not submit another person’s work as your own. In case of copyright infringement, neither Asia Society nor any grantor/sponsor will be liable and the application will be rejected.
** The applicant should have the rights to all the material used and permission to use the same, if borrowed from any source.
** Until and unless the final deliverable, i.e. second draft of the complete formatted script with dialogue is submitted to Asia Society at the end of the Fellowship programme, the Fellows will not be at liberty to pitch any of the material developed under the Fellowship to any professional producer/director/screenwriter/film financer.
** Asia Society acquires no rights to the screenplay developed during the Fellowship programme or to the script submitted as a writing sample. This Fellowship is an endeavour for aspiring and talented individuals to develop an original, interesting and technically sound screenplay.
** Neither Asia Society nor any grantor/sponsor undertakes to participate in its marketing or in any other aspects of the scripts’ commercial future in connection with the Fellowship Programme.
** If your contact information or eligibility status changes after having sent the application, please update your contact details with us immediately so you do not miss any Fellowship updates.
** The New Voices Fellowship for Screenwriters may not be held concurrently with other fellowships or any other similar programme.
** NVFS Fellows cannot apply to the Fellowship again.

CONTACT :
Asia Society India Centre
2nd Floor, Ramon House
HT Parekh Marg
169, Backbay Reclamation
Churchgate, Mumbai – 400020
Maharashtra
Email: fellowship[at]asiasociety.org.in