Local scriptwriting fellowship invites applications for new session

A six-month fellowship dedicated to imparting specialised scriptwriting training for feature films, under the guidance of renowned local and foreign filmmakers, is seeking applications for its upcoming course.  

Having completed its third year, Qalambaaz aims at taking a select few Pakistani screenwriters from a concept to a full film script in just six months. Ideal applicants for the fellowship include writers in an early or advanced stage of their careers.

The programme, however, particularly states that it is not for students but for professionals who have been working in the media industry for at least a few years. At the end of the fellowship, writers are introduced to industry veterans to pitch their stories.

The mentors for the month-to-month scriptwriting meetings are international working filmmakers. Mentors for this year’s session that recently ended Ivana Massetti and Sumit Roy, while the new mentors include Arshad Syed and Arun Vir.

Resident mentor in Pakistan, Framji Minwalla, stated that, “Qalambaaz is a superb initiative. Almost all film directors I meet consistently ask me the same question: Do I know any good writers who understand how to tell stories visually.

Pakistan sorely needs good training programmes that will help young screenwriters develop their narrative and imaginative skills. Iram Parveen Bilal and Faisal Kapadia have developed an innovative structure to address this challenge. Teaching these students how to watch films has been a supremely rewarding experience.  This is a programme others should emulate.” 

Brainchild of filmmaker Iram Parveen Bilal, the programme is being run under her banner Parveen Shah Productions in conjunction with Faisal Kapadia’s Mind Map Communications and Movie Magic Screenwriting Software.

Supporters and sponsors include Mandviwalla Entertainment as well as Eveready Pictures.  The renewed call for submission of applications has been put on the programme’s Facebook page.