“Programmes like South Shorts are crucial for the creative ecosystem. I can see a real place for my stories that perhaps I didn’t feel I was qualified or valued enough to tell prior. I imagine there are many others out there who know deep down they have stories worth sharing or creating but lack the support and safe space to share it with the world. South Shorts has been that support and safe space for me. I not only feel worthy to share my stories, I can actually see a pathway to making it happen.”– Jaeman Busby, South Shorts 2021 participant
Applications for the 2022 South Shorts Mentorship Programme are open now.
The South Shorts Mentorship programme supports new and emerging screenwriters from the South Auckland community to develop their short film scripts. Participants are lead through focused script development over a six-month period under the guidance of experienced screenwriting mentor, Briar Grace-Smith. Participants leave the programme with at least one completed short film script and practical tools to develop their own work.
During this six-month programme, the participants will attend a series of one-day hubs and receive mentorship throughout. The hub days involve script read-throughs, writing exercises and hearing from guest speakers about their experiences making films. Each participant will also have individual online script sessions with their mentor between hub days.
This initiative is intended for people who either live in South Auckland or are connected to the South Auckland community – maybe you grew up there, have whānau there, have worked there for years or feel connected to the community in some way.
Applications open: Mon 18th October
Applications close: Monday 29th November, 5pm
Applicants notified of outcome: Monday 17th January 2022
- Short Biography (300-word limit)
- Why would this programme be valuable to you (300-word limit)
- Synopsis of your short film idea (600-word limit)*
- Script or written document for your short film idea (optional)*
- Your connection to South Auckland
*Applicants need to submit at least one short film concept and it can be at any stage – it may simply be a new idea (synopsis) that the writer is pursuing for the first time, or the writer may have already written multiple drafts. Applicants can submit more than one short film idea in their application.
The South Shorts Mentorship Programme is made possible thanks to generous support from Foundation North with additional support from the New Zealand Film Commission.
