Arctic Indigenous
Screenwriting workshop 2024–2025 – Extended application deadline!
Call for Proposals
The Arctic Indigenous Film Fund (AIFF) and International Sami Film Institute (ISFI) invite writers with Arctic Indigenous origins to participate in our year-long workshop program.
This workshop program will include monthly sessions with a focus on developing strong storytelling skills and producing extended treatments and first draft scripts. Participants will benefit from the guidance of renowned mentors and guest speakers, including filmmakers, screenwriters, producers, and directors. Sessions will take place mostly online but we will meet also once in Kautokeino, Norway.
The goals are
- to learn how Indigenous storytelling traditions can inspire your script-writing process.
- to understand the basics of film narratives and character development in your own film story
- to provide methods for developing ideas into treatments and scripts
In the end of the workshop the participants will have a strong story, and they will each have an extended treatment and 1st draft script.
Mentors
The sessions will be led by professionals in the film industry.
Leader of the Course: Liisa Holmberg – Director of the Arctic Indigenous Film Fund
Kate Leys – international script and story editor, England
Bird Runningwater – producer / director from Los Angeles
Amanda Kernell – screenwriter / director, Sápmi
Suvi West – screenwriter / director, Sápmi
Gail Maurice – screenwriter / director, Canada
Nils Gaup – screenwriter / director, Sápmi
Åse Katrin Vuolab – screenwriter / director, Sápmi
Jörgen Hjerdt – screenwriter, Sweden
Key Dates:
- New Extended Application Deadline: September 20th, 2024
- Workshop Duration: October 2024 – September 2025
Application Process:
Eligibility: Arctic Indigenous writers with some experience and work produced for film, TV, theatre, or audio.
To apply, please submit
- a brief one-page story idea
- a short statement telling us why you’d like to take part in the workshop and what you hope to gain from it
- a sample of your script which has been produced
- CV
Ten participants will be selected by the Arctic Indigenous Film Fund.
For further information, please contact:
| Program | |
|---|---|
| Sessions 1–6 October 2024 – March 2025, online | Focus on writing a treatment Themes: storytelling tradition, writing an oral story to commercial or independent film script, film idea to synopsis / treatment, characters, feedback |
| Session 7 April 2025 | Kautokeino Workshop In-person session Organized with Kate Leys, Amanda Kernell, Suvi West, Nils Gaup, Åse Katrin Vuolab, Jörgen Hjerdt |
| Sessions 8-12 April – September 2025, online | Focus on writing a screenplay |
Production Support and Funding
The application starts in winter 2025. We will offer grants for
- Scripts
- Development
- Production
More information coming, stay tuned!
