“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.”– Ava Williams South Shorts 2022 participant
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 mentors 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.
The South Shorts Mentorship Programme is made possible thanks to generous support from Foundation North.
Submission Requirements:
Applications open: 26 October 2022
Applications close: 1pm, 5 December 2022
Applicants notified of outcome: mid January 2023
Who is eligible?
- 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.
What you’ll need to submit:
- 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.
