The Writers Lab Europe (TWL Europe) is delighted to announce support from Fremantle and HBO Max, Nordic with the first virtual script development programme of its kind for women over 40.
The Writers Lab, produced by co-founders Elizabeth Kaiden and Nitza Wilon, is the only programme devoted exclusively to script development for women and non-binary writers over 40. Originally founded in the US, the US programme is supported by Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, and Oprah Winfrey, in association with New York Women in Film and Television (NYWIFT). With partners Julia Berg and Ruth Spencer of Untamed Stories, the Lab has expanded into the UK in 2021 with Cate Blanchett´s Dirty Films and now into Europe in 2022.
Fremantle, the production and distribution powerhouse behind hit dramas and films such as Mosquito Coast, The Investigation and Sorrentino’s The Hand of God is supporting The Writers Lab Europe, where, alongside its award-winning Italian production label Wildside (My Brilliant Friend, Anna) will back the initiative by sponsoring several writers across the programme.
HBO Max, Nordic will sponsor 1 Nordic writer to participate in the Lab. HBO Max began its global rollout launching in markets across Latin America and the Caribbean last summer, followed by its first European launches in the Nordics and Spain.
European Partners also include German Films, The Netherlands Filmfund, Screen Ireland, The Polish Film Institute, The Austrian Film Institute, ORF, FISA – Film Industry Support Austria, Aurora Studios from Finland, Rabbit Films, Film Tampere, City of Helsinki and screen.brussels. Award winning European based production companies Wildside, a Fremantle Company (My Brilliant Friend, The Miracle, Anna) and Germany-based Odeon Fiction (Spy City) also join. The Lab is in association with Drehbuchforum Wien (Screenwriters Forum Vienna), Women in Film and TV (WIFT) Finland, Women in Film and TV (WIFT) International and Women In Film TV & Media (WIFTM) Italy.
More mentors are added to the European line up including Valeria Golino (Portrait of a Lady on Fire) and Zackary Drucker (Transparent). They join guests and mentors Susanne Bier (The Night Manager), Jasmila Žbanić (Quo Vadis, Aida?), Christina Ham (Them), Jantje Friese (Dark), Isabel Coixet (Secret Life of Words), Ameenah Ayub Allen (Rocks, Ali & Ava), and Nadine Labaki (Capernaum).
This six-month virtual programme for European writers will be held April 2022, with ongoing mentoring, development and marketplace sessions in the months following. Submissions of both Features and Pilots (both 1-hour and ½-hour) will be accepted for consideration in English language (on writers and financiers´ discretion may be later translated into original language). Aided by the support of partners, up to 15 writers will be selected to participate in an opportunity for unique and emerging voices reflecting the diversity of the populations across the whole European region.
Submissions open now until 7th February 2022. Find all details and apply at https://writers.coverfly.com/competitions/view/twl-europe-2022
