“For an artist, this level of empowerment and support is rare and utterly invaluable. The programme carefully facilitates the most magical sense of community, inspiration and support. The hub days are a taonga. Do yourself a solid and apply.”
– Chelsie Preston Crayford
The FilmUp Mentorship programme returns for 2020 to support and empower up to eight tenacious and talented filmmakers to reach the next stage in their creative careers. If you are developing a feature film this programme could be just what you need to progress your work to the next stage – and push you to your full potential.
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 and wrap-around support.
Successful applicants will take part in 20 hours of mentorship with an experienced film practitioner over an eight-month period and six full-day hub sessions spread between April and December. 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.
Now in it’s eighth year, FilmUp has gone from strength to strength, with a growing alumni of talented local filmmakers who have benefited from the programme including Briar March (The Coffin Club, There Once Was An Island: Te Henua A Nnoho), Chelsea Winstanley (Jojo Rabbit, MERATA: How Mum Decolonised the Screen, What We Do in the Shadows), Florian Habicht (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 (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. You will need to submit:
- A one-paragraph industry-related biography.
- Information on the feature project you will work on during the mentorship (including one-page synopsis, stage of development, your role on the project and any key collaborators you might have attached)
- A brief description of where you are at in the process, and what the next steps/hurdles are.
- A list of other projects (feature film or documentary only) you have in development.
- A paragraph about why mentorship would be beneficial to you at this stage of your career, and what you would like to get out of the programme.
- The names of up to three preferred mentors. (We cannot guarantee the availability of these mentors, but Script to Screen will work with you to find someone suitable).
- Up to three links to selected previous work (It is not necessary to include everything. Put your best foot forward).
APPLICATIONS CLOSE: Sun 09 Feb 2020, 10pm
