– Nayheon Lee (2020 participant)
Story Camp Aotearoa is a residential feature film workshop that cultivates exceptional filmmaking by fostering voice, honing craft, and clarifying vision and kaupapa. Talented storytellers workshop their film project with esteemed advisors from here and abroad.
Story Camp 2021 seeks feature film projects from a well-developed treatment through to an advanced development stage. Up to eight selected writers or teams will participate in a rigorous five-day experience designed specifically to meet the development needs of their project.
Story sessions between advisors and participants form the backbone of the week. As the programme is tailored to each project, the process can also include project-based group workshops; workshopping with actors; strengthening and clarifying the director’s vision, and making good decisions together under pressure.
“Overall I think the entire Story Camp was a huge success, for me personally and for us as a team. I think the varied sessions provide a great mix of the creative and professional development for the advancement of any script.”
Past advisors have included Mexican screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga (Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Babel), producer Philippa Campbell (Top of the Lake, Rubbings from a Live Man), director and writer Jane Campion (Top of The Lake, The Piano), producer and director Ainsley Gardiner (Cousins, Boy, The Breaker Upperers),filmmaker & Artistic Director of the Sundance Directors’ Lab Gyula Gazdag, poet and academic Anahera Gildea, Hollywood writer & longstanding Sundance mentor Michael Goldenberg (Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix), renowned painter Star Gossage, playwright, screenwriter and director Briar Grace-Smith (Cousins, The Strength Of Water), NZ-based Korean installation artist Yona Lee, EP and producer Andrew Mason (The Matrix Trilogy, Tomorrow When The War Began), writer/actor Bret McKenzie (Flight of the Conchords), dramaturg and story consultant Brita McVeigh, choreographer Moss Te Ururangi Patterson (Atamira, Black Grace, Footnote), New Zealand International Film Festival Director Marten Rabarts, Australian producer Kath Shelper (Samson & Delilah, Tender), actor/writer/director Loren Taylor (Eagle vs Shark), legendary US screenwriter Joan Tewkesbury (McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Thieves Like Us, Nashville), emerging technologies artist and filmmaker Lynette Wallworth (Awavena, Collisions) and veteran NZ film producer and EP Tim White (The Luminaires, I Am Mother, The Dark Horse).
Don’t miss this opportunity to propel your film closer to production with expert support.
APPLICATIONS OPEN NOW
APPLICATIONS CLOSE: 11:59 PM, 09 August 2021
STORY CAMP AOTEAROA DATES: 22 – 27 November 2021
We’ve made some changes to the roll-out of our high-end intensive development programmes for 2021. So if you are a filmmaker planning to apply to FilmUp, Story Camp or Strength in Numbers in 2021 make sure these dates are on your radar!
All of our high-end, contestable programmes are open nationally and take place in Auckland. Travel will be covered for selected participants from outside of Auckland. Due to COVID-19 and current New Zealand government border restrictions, all applicants must be residing in New Zealand at the time of applying.
All programmes are contingent on funding.
FilmUp
FilmUp is a nine-month professional development programme for practising writers, directors and producers. It supports and empowers up to eight emerging to senior practising filmmakers selected each year to further develop a project and participate in group workshops. Throughout the programme, each participant receives 20 hours of mentorship with an esteemed industry mentor, participates in group work & round tables, and receives wrap-around support.
Applications Open: Early May 2021
Applications Close: Mid June 2021
Group Workshops Held: from August 2021 – April 2022
Story Camp Aotearoa
Story Camp Aotearoa is a residential feature film lab that fosters craft, voice and vision. Eight selected screenwriters or creative teams workshop their projects with exceptional international and local advisors in a rigorous five-day experience designed specifically to meet the development needs of a feature film.
Applications Open: Early July 2021
Applications Close: Mid August 2021
Residential Lab: Five Days in Late November
Strength in Numbers
Strength in Numbers is focused on building sustainable businesses in our screen industry. Selected filmmakers participate in a series of workshops over a 5 to 6 month period. The programme offers a unique opportunity for practitioners in the screen industry to work together on the building blocks of business models that will sustain their future.
Applications Open: Late September 2021
Applications Close: Early November 2021
Group Workshops held: from February 2022 – June 2022
Image: Story Camp 2020. Credit: Evie Mackay Photography
Script to Screen is delighted to announce the projects and filmmakers awarded places at Story Camp Aotearoa 2020, a residential feature film lab that fosters craft, voice and vision. The lab, which takes place in Port Waikato, is tailored to meet the specific development needs of each project. Nine selected projects with 11 writers and six producers will workshop their feature films over the week with exceptional local advisors, and international advisors who are attending virtually.
This year Script to Screen received an astounding 116 applications. Three experienced independent practitioners went through a rigorous process compiling a shortlist of 19 and ultimately selecting nine projects to be developed at Story Camp in November. We would like to thank all the filmmakers who applied.
“The calibre of applications this year surpassed expectations, making the selection process both tough and rewarding for the selectors. We are delighted with the breadth of exceptional stories selected, and particularly excited to see emerging filmmakers secure places within this highly competitive round” says Story Camp Programme Director Esther Cahill-Chiaroni.
Congratulations to the filmmakers whose feature film projects will be developed at Story Camp Aotearoa 2020:
We are delighted to announce nine esteemed advisors will join us for the rigourous programme of group workshops, team sessions and individual sessions carefully crafted to serve feature film projects in advanced development.
The complete line-up of advisors for 2018 are:
– Renowned director and writer Jane Campion
– Producer/EP Andrew Mason (THE MATRIX trilogy, TOMORROW WHEN THE WAR BEGAN)
– Creative and Strategic Advisor Alesia Weston (USA)
– Esteemed painter Star Gossage
– Editor Nick Meyers (SWEET COUNTRY, THE BOYS)
– Producer Kath Shelper (TENDER, SAMSON & DELILAH)
– Directing & acting coach and story consultant Brita McVeigh
– Actor, casting director and filmmaker Loren Taylor
– Aus/NZ Producer Tim White (THE LUMINARIES, THE DARK HORSE)
Read there full bios: https://script-to-screen.co.nz/story-camp-mentors/
Story Camp Aotearoa is a residential feature film workshop that fosters craft, voice and vision. Talented New Zealand filmmakers workshop their projects with exceptional international and local advisors. The week long workshop is crafted around the specific needs of the chosen teams.
This year we are proud to pilot Story Camp Advanced, a workshop for creative teams with feature film projects close to production. The selection panel of producer Philippa Campbell, director Hamish Bennett and producer Tim White were impressed by the calibre of the ideas and the talented teams behind them.
The selected teams participating in Story Camp Advanced are:
Story Camp Aotearoa is made possible with financial assistance from the New Zealand Film Commission
“Don’t be fooled. Story Camp takes place in a beautifully simple, stripped-back setting by the sea – but man it’s tough. My script was expertly interrogated with care and without mercy – but unlike notes and feedback delivered via email, this was a living process. Story Camp’s no holiday, it was often uncomfortable, but I am undoubtedly a better writer for the experience.”
– Max Currie
Applications open soon for Script to Screen’s Story Camp, an immersive feature film development workshop that fosters craft, imagination and voice. Over five days exceptional local and international practitioners engage in a robust exchange with talented NZ screenwriters and filmmakers to help their feature film projects be the best they can be.
Kathryn Burnett prompts 2016 participants Armagan Ballantyne, Florian Habicht, Jesse Griffin and Josephine Stewart Te-Whiu to share their Story Camp learnings.
Join us to hear direct how the experience changed these filmmakers approach to story, writing process and development. Find out how the selection process works and how your application can stand out from the crowd.
International advisors have included Artistic Director of the Sundance Directors’ Lab Gyula Gazdag, longstanding Sundance mentor screenwriter Joan Tewkesbury (NASHVILLE), and screenwriters Guillermo Arriaga (21 GRAMS), David Seidler (THE KINGS SPEECH, Michael Goldernburg (HARRY POTTER: THE GOBLET OF FIRE).
The Basement, Thurs 22 June, bar opens 5pm, talk 6-7, $5 koha appreciated.
Story Camp Aotearoa is made possible with financial assistance from the New Zealand Film Commission.
Story Camp Aotearoa 2016 is a rigorous five-day residential lab designed to develop New Zealand feature film projects. The lab, which takes place in Port Waikato, is tailored specifically to meet the development needs of the selected writers or writing teams and their project. This year’s mentors include Sundance Institute’s creative advisor Joan Tewkesbury, Sundance Institute’s artistic director Gyula Gazdag and sought-after NZ story consultant Brita McVeigh. More mentors to be announced soon.
We would like to give a warm thanks to everyone who applied this year. Submissions were read blind by four independent readers, who created a competitive shortlist of 13 feature film projects. From this shortlist, eight successful projects were chosen to attend the 2016 lab.
The eight projects and talented local writers/writing teams selected to workshop their feature film scripts this summer at Story Camp Aotearoa are:
BURMA STORY – Yamin Tun
LIFE IN SUBTITLES – Max Currie
LUCKY – Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu
MAGMA – Armagan Ballantyne & Jackie Van Beek
THE SURROGATE – Alyx Duncan & Lani-rain Feltham
UNDER A FULL MOON – Florian Habicht
ABBY GOES TO SPACE – Michelle Savill & Sophie Henderson
WILSON DIXON THE COWBOY PHILOSOPHER – Jesse Griffin
We are honoured to announce that legendary US writer, director, producer and choreographer Joan Tewkesbury will be joining acclaimed and iconoclastic Hungarian writer/director Gyula Gazdag in the line up of mentors at Script to Screen’s Story Camp this summer.
What is Story Camp?
Story Camp evolves from our 2014 and 2015 writing labs, which have seen talented local writers workshop their feature film scripts with exceptional international and local mentors.
This year each selected writer or writing team will have a rigorous five-day residential experience tailored specifically to meet the development needs of their feature film project. At the heart of the programme remains exceptional and experienced practitioners working with NZ’s exciting writers and filmmakers to foster voice and vision.
The process for each participant will be made up of some or all of the following development techniques: one-on-one script sessions, project-based group workshops, read-throughs, and workshopping with actors. The writers’ key collaborators will be invited in to parts of the process in instances where that will be of additional benefit to the process and project.
Applications Close: 5pm, Monday 29 August 2016
Story Camp Dates: November 28 – December 3 2016
Story Camp evolves from our 2014 and 2015 writing labs, which have seen talented local writers workshop their feature film scripts with exceptional international and local mentors.
This year each selected writer or writing team will have a rigorous five-day residential experience tailored specifically to meet the development needs of their feature film project. At the heart of the programme remains exceptional and experienced practitioners working with NZ’s exciting writers and filmmakers to foster voice and vision.
The process for each participant will be made up of some or all of the following development techniques: one-on-one script sessions, project-based group workshops, read-throughs, and workshopping with actors. The writers’ key collaborators will be invited in to parts of the process in instances where that will be of additional benefit to the process and project.
Story Camp Aotearoa is brought to you with financial assistance from the New Zealand Film Commission.