Doha: For those who wish to hone their writing skills and build a career in screenwriting, Doha Film Institute (DFI) has launched its inaugural online screenwriting lab for beginners.
The fresh online programme announced on DFI’s website and official social media accounts will help participants discover the creative process of writing for the screen, all from the comfort of their own homes. It will guide budding screenwriters into the ‘architecture’ and ‘formatting’ of screenplays.
The lab, which is offered in English and Arabic sessions, blends online lectures, assignments and group discussions to give participants a comprehensive and well-rounded understanding of screenwriting.
Participants will also have the opportunity to continue their filmmaking journey with the DFI development team, working towards further education and grants, said DFI.
The lab is scheduled on May 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 from 9pm to 10.15pm. Lab fee is QR300 and Qatar Museums Culture Pass members will receive a 10% discount.
Only eight to 10 participants aged 18 years and above will be selected for each lab. Thos who wish to join should send an email not later than April 23 to [email protected] with their original short film logline and synopsis, CV or short bio, ID copy and a short paragraph explaining their interest in this lab.
Lab mentors include Anthea Devotta, Amna Al Binali and Fahad Ahmed Al Kuwari.
Born and raised in India, Devotta holds an honours BA in Film and Television Studies from Royal Holloway, University of London and has over a decade of experience in the film industry. She currently works at DFI’s Film Training and Development team, where she coordinates filmmaking workshops and labs with a focus on short and feature-film development.
Al Binali graduated from Qatar University with a degree in English Literature and Linguistics and holds an MA in Screenwriting from Goldsmiths, University of London. She has been working with the development team at DFI since 2013, where she reads scripts and helps local filmmaking talent.
With an art and design background, Al-Kuwari is a writer and art director, who holds a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a master’s degree in Film and Screen Studies from Goldsmiths, University of London. He has worked on several short films as part of DFI’s Qatari Film Fund initiative. His first participation in a feature-length film was on the set of Mira Nair’s ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist.’
Earlier this week, DFI also announced its first-ever online youth animation workshop, which is part of the Institute’s Youth Programme aimed at empowering young people to make films that address issues that are important to them. Both programmes, which are being organised online for the first time, follow the success of the recently concluded adapted online mentorship and support program for the 2020 edition of Qumra, DFI’s annual talent incubation event.
The online format of the programme was introduced in lieu of the event which was cancelled amid global COVID-19 outbreak, a decision, which DFI said was made as part of its contribution to the responsible management and prevention of further spread of the virus.
