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SPA Script Pitching Academy

2022-1-PL01-KA152-YOU-0000711582022Mobility of young peopleongoing
Countries: PL|FR|UA|NO · Grant: €44,145
Bridging intercultural, intergenerational and social divideCreativity, arts and cultureEntrepreneurial learning - entrepreneurship education

Objectives

The concept of the "SPA Script Pitching Academy" project emerged from meetings and discussions among young individuals who see their future in the film industry. The initiative group consists of young filmmakers - mainly aspiring screenwriters, directors, and creative producers - who met in November 2021 during CINEMAFORUM - the 20th International Short Film Forum in Warsaw, where they participated in educational events for the young film industry. The youth identified two main problems related to their own international creative development: - the European film market is dominated by major Hollywood studios, and there is limited creative exchange between European countries. - young filmmakers have little knowledge about the possibilities of international collaboration and European mechanisms to support their artistic development. There is also a lack of educational centers offering such educational opportunities. The youth unanimously stated that the educational task related to the development of international cooperation among emerging filmmakers from Europe must be fulfilled by a different structure, such as a non-formal education program. The goal would be to exchange experiences allowing them to gain both theoretical knowledge and practical skills for their future creative development in the European film market. Taking advantage of the fact that annual meetings of young filmmakers from around the world take place in Warsaw in November, the youth wanted to initiate the "SPA Script Pitching Academy" project - a unique international youth exchange aimed at young European screenwriters, directors, and creative producers. It was dedicated to modern methods of working on film projects and implementing new standards of ecological audiovisual production in Europe. The project was based on peer education of novice creators, encouraging the exchange of experiences and the development of cooperation among young debutants from various European countries. Planning their venture, the young people decided to focus on finding innovative and pioneering ways of exchanging knowledge and experiences regarding modern processes of building film projects and the rules of creative filmmaking that European cinematographies offer in terms of supporting and developing young film talents. The project aimed to create an initiative that serves as a European platform for the cooperation of young creators, which could become a real developmental space, providing them with momentum and allowing them to surpass the limitations associated with the functioning of individual national cinemas. It is in transnational actions, carried out within European cooperation, that young people interested in future development in the audiovisual industry see not only their individual future but also the future of European cinema. Each participant of the "SPA Script Pitching Academy," by sharing their experience and knowledge, contributed to enriching the multicultural character of the project. Creating an initiative that enables young people to refine their passion in the long term will become a real driving force for the development of young European cinema. The project program allowed young people to gain practical experience and information about the process of building a film project, where the artistic value of the project is not the only focus, but also its production and distribution potential. The implemented initiative allowed for the exchange of experiences in the field of creative filmmaking and made young creators aware of what a modern film project-building process looks like, which, unlike the traditional (producer-creator) relationship, is a partnership where young filmmakers create directorial-screenwriting-producer creative teams and work together on the development of original film projects. The "SPA Script Pitching Academy" project aimed to develop participants' knowledge and enrich their experiences regarding new models of film production and realization, as well as the development of artistic passions and motivations, increasing intercultural awareness, and strengthening the European dialogue among young filmmakers. The project enabled participants to navigate the European market smoothly and will allow them to engage in thoughtful artistic collaboration in the future, thus aligning with the goals of educational mobility under the ERASMUS+ program.

Project partners (4)