“FilmUp has a very high reputation among its alumni but even my own expectations based on that reputation were exceeded again and again with every session and workshop. I wish, in earnest, that every filmmaker could experience the safe, nurturing and honest environment of trust and care that FilmUp creates and take advantage of the network it can help you build with your fellow filmmakers.”
– Rajneel Singh,
FilmUp 2022/23 participant (mentor Nicole Dade)
The FilmUp Mentorship programme returns to support and empower up to eight tenacious and talented filmmakers to reach the next stage in their creative careers. If you are writer, director or producer developing a feature film or documentary, this programme could be just what you need to progress your work to the next stage.
A mentor for each filmmaker forms the cornerstone of the programme, along with six FilmUp Hub days when the participants come together for group work.
Applicants must have a feature project in development, narrative or documentary, and be able to demonstrate that their project and career are at the right stage for mentorship.
Successful applicants will take part in 20 hours of mentorship with an experienced film practitioner and three 2-day FilmUp hubs held between February 2024 and July 2024. These hubs are tailored to meet the needs of the selected filmmakers and include workshops, peer discussions and round tables with industry leaders.
Participants are the driving force of a successful mentorship as they take hold of their own learning and development. This autonomy is fostered from the start of the programme when participants are actively involved in the selection of their mentor. Throughout the programme there is wrap-around support from Script to Screen.
Since its inception in 2013, FilmUp has gone from strength to strength, with a growing alumni of talented local filmmakers who have benefitted from the programme including Briar March (Dame Valerie Adams: MORE THAN GOLD, Mothers of the Revolution, ), Chelsea Winstanley ( Ka Po, Night Raiders, Jojo Rabbit,), Desray Armstrong (Earthlings, Bad Behaviour, Coming Home in the Dark), Florian Habicht (James & Isey, Spookers, Love Story), Gaysorn Thavat (The Justice of Bunny King), Jake Mahaffy (Reunion, Free in Deed), Nic Gorman (Human Traces), Paula Whetu-Jones (Whina), Sophie Henderson (Baby Done, Fantail) and Stallone Vaiaoga-Ioasa (Mama’s Music Box, Take Home Pay, Three Wise Cousins). You can read about past participants and an impressive list of mentors from the last 10 years who have helped these filmmakers take a step up in their careers here.
The FilmUp Mentorship programme is for individual filmmakers (not pairs or teams) who are working on a feature film. You must be a NZ citizen or permanent resident to apply.
Here’s what’s required for the application:
APPLICATIONS OPENED: Mon 4 September 2023
APPLICATIONS CLOSED: Mon 9 October 2023 1:00 pm
We will know the outcome of our funding before FilmUp applications close on 9 Oct and we will keep applicants informed of the outcome.
You can read our Top Tips to make your FilmUp application shine while crafting your application.
FilmUp is made possible thanks to financial support from the New Zealand Film Commission. FilmUp is reliant on funding being achieved in 2023.
Script to Screen, in collaboration with Te Puna Matarau, is delighted to open this new initiative, developed especially for screen creatives in Waitaha Canterbury wanting to advance their careers.
We are seeking applications from originators of feature films, TV series, and narrative driven video games. The programme is suitable for emerging and mid-career practitioners. To be eligible, applicants must have a strong connection with the Waitaha Canterbury region and have a project viable for production.
Four projects will be selected, and their originators will attend three one-day workshops held July to September 2023. Creative teams will receive personalised advice to develop their project and hear from experienced industry practitioners chosen to meet the needs of the teams.
The purpose of this programme is to support the development of IP in the region and support creators to get their work closer to funding and production. Participants will increase their contacts in the industry and connect with other creators.
Te Puna Matarau is a new organisation formed by and for Waitaha Canterbury screen practitioners.
Applications open: 15 March
Applications close: 1pm, 19 April
Workshop dates: 1 July, 12 August, and 9 September 2023
Note: All workshop expenses are covered other than the participants getting to the workshop venue in Christchurch.
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Series Bootcamp returns in 2023.
This development programme has been created to nurture and support emerging to mid-career filmmakers developing a series concept. We’re looking for teams who can present a unique and interesting story, and convince us that their idea is viable for production. Six teams (writers and producers) with outstanding concepts and evidence of talent will be selected for Series Bootcamp 2023.
The development process will run over two months, during which time the participants will be guided to hone their pitch document and the pilot episode, culminating in a pitching day in June.
STAGE ONE (4-5 May): Teams attend an intensive two-day story workshop with advisor sessions and guest speakers. Teams then have three weeks to further develop their projects.
STAGE TWO (26 May): Pitch deck and scripts are re-submitted by the teams in advance of an online session with a script developer who will give feedback on the quality, originality and viability of their developed concept and pilot episode. Teams use the feedback to work on their concept and pilot episode leading up to the pitching day.
STAGE THREE (26 June): Teams attend pitching day to hear from guest speakers and pitch to industry professionals.
Teams attending Series Bootcamp will come away with a refined series concept, a pilot episode and experience pitching their idea. Participants will have a deepened understanding of how to develop, write and pitch a series.
Participants who live outside of Auckland will have their travel and accommodation paid for.
We encourage undiscovered voices to apply.
APPLICATIONS OPEN NOW: 23 January
APPLICATIONS CLOSE: 11:59pm, 27 February*
DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP: 4 – 5 May
RESUBMISSION DATE AHEAD OF ONLINE DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS: 26 May
ONLINE SESSIONS: Between 8 – 20 June
PITCH DAY: 26 June
*Those affected by extreme weather events who are unable to meet the deadline, can request an extension. Fill out the form below or call us on 09 3605400.
Series Bootcamp is made possible thanks to funding from NZ on Air.
“South Shorts has given me the opportunity to connect not only with industry experts but also with other South Auckland storytellers, whose feedback and knowledge have been invaluable in the development of my writing. It has given me the confidence (and the audacity) to develop my first short film, in a time when we need and deserve more South Auckland, Māori and Pasifika stories.”
The South Shorts Mentorship programme supports new and emerging screenwriters from the South Auckland community to develop their short film scripts. Participants are led through focused script development over a six-month period under the guidance of experienced screenwriting mentor Briar Grace-Smith (Rūrangi, Cousins, Waru), and leave the programme with a completed short film script and practical tools to develop their own work.
During this six-month programme, the participants attend a series of one-day hubs, held on a Saturday. The hub days involve script read-throughs, writing exercises and hearing from guest speakers about their experiences making films.
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 for the 2023 South Shorts Mentorship Programme are open now.
Opening: Wednesday 26th October
Closing: 5 December, 1pm
Notification of outcome: mid January 2023
To apply you will need to submit:
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“FilmUp is the kick up the pants you need to fall in love with that project you know you’ve been sitting with for far too long.”
– Chris Parker,
FilmUp 2021/22 participant (mentor Jackie Van Beek)
The FilmUp Mentorship programme returns for its tenth year to support and empower eight tenacious and talented filmmakers to reach the next stage in their creative careers. If you are developing a feature film or documentary this programme could be just what you need to progress your work to the next stage.
A mentor for each filmmaker forms the cornerstone of the programme, along with six FilmUp Hub days when the participants come together for group work.
Applicants must have a feature project in development, and be able to demonstrate that their project and career are at the right stage for mentorship.
Successful applicants will take part in 20 hours of mentorship with an experienced film practitioner over an six-month period and six FilmUp hubs spread between September 2022 and March 2023. These hubs are tailored to meet the needs of the selected filmmakers and include workshops, peer discussions and round tables with industry leaders.
Participants are the driving force of a successful mentorship as they take hold of their own learning and development. This autonomy is fostered from the start of the programme when participants are actively involved in the selection of their mentor. Throughout the programme there is wrap-around support from Script to Screen.
Since its inception in 2013, FilmUp has gone from strength to strength, with a growing alumni of talented local filmmakers who have benefitted from the programme including Briar March (Mothers of the Revolution, The Coffin Club, There Once Was An Island: Te Henua A Nnoho), Chelsea Winstanley ( Jojo Rabbit, MERATA: How Mum Decolonised the Screen, Reo Lion King, What We Do in the Shadows), Desray Armstrong (Coming Home in the Dark, Juniper, Millie Lies Low, Stray), Florian Habicht (James & Isey, Spookers, Love Story), Gaysorn Thavat (The Justice of Bunny King), Jake Mahaffy (Free in Deed), Nic Gorman (Human Traces), Sophie Henderson (Baby Done, Fantail) and Stallone Vaiaoga-Ioasa (Mama’s Music Box, Take Home Pay, Three Wise Cousins). You can read about other participants and an impressive list of mentors who have helped these filmmakers take a step up in their careers here.
To apply you need to be working on a feature film or documentary. Here’s what’s required for the application:
APPLICATIONS CLOSE: Mon 27 June, 11:59pm
Make sure you read our Top Tips to make your FilmUp application shine while crafting your application.
FilmUp is made possible thanks to financial support from the New Zealand Film Commission.
“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
The South Shorts Mentorship Programme is made possible thanks to generous support from Foundation North with additional support from the New Zealand Film Commission.
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Strength in Numbers is made possible thanks to generous support from the New Zealand Film Commission and Auckland Council– Regional Arts and Culture Grant.
and New Zealand Regional Film Offices; Film Otago Southland, Film Dunedin, Screen Canterbury and Film Queenstown Lakes.
Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts is on the search for the next generation of up-and-coming NZ filmmakers.
Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts is an NZFC initiative run in partnership with Script to Screen. The programme’s aim is to nurture, challenge, and inspire short filmmaking talent through a development and industry mentoring process. The focus is on the development of both people and stories.
Six teams will be selected to receive up to $15,000 to facilitate the cost of making a short narrative film. The films can be live-action, animation or documentary, with a duration of between four and 25 minutes. The teams behind each of these projects will attend a two-day development workshop in March 2022 and be matched with an experienced industry practitioner to receive six weeks of mentoring to get their project ‘shoot ready’.
Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts 2021 applications open Monday 30 August and close at 1pm on 11 October. There are two stages to the application process.
At Whiringa Tuatahi – Stage One you will need to have a writer, director and producer, and to submit the following:
A shortlist of 18 teams will be invited to submit a Whiringa Tuatahi – Stage Two application in mid-November. From the shortlist, six projects will receive $15,000 grants. The teams behind each of these projects will attend a two-day development workshop from 19-20 March 2022 and be matched with an experienced industry practitioner to receive six weeks of mentoring to get their project ‘shoot ready’.
Criteria and requirements for the assessment of both Whiringa Tuatahi – Stage One and Whiringa Tuatahi – Stage Two can be viewed on our website.
Script to Screen and the NZFC will hold an online Q&A about this new application process for Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts on 16 September 2021, at 5.30 pm.
If you have any questions please contact Script to Screen: FreshShorts@script-to-screen.co.nz
Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts is a New Zealand Film Commission Short Film Fund and Script to Screen manages the reading, assessment, workshop and mentoring aspects of the Fresh Shorts Development Programme.
