Application Form (in pdf) [html]

Frequently Asked Questions for the 2008 Directors and Screenwriters Film Makers Lab

Application Form (in pdf) [html]

Frequently Asked Questionsfor the 2008 Crew Film Makers Lab

Maisha has revised its' structure and application process for 2008:

• For the past two years, our program has been bifurcated into a screenwriter and directors lab. This year, the two programs will be combined into one beginners’ filmmaking lab.


• We will accept 12 directing/screenwriting applicants. The application will consist of a 10-20-page screenplay for a short film accompanied by a 1-page treatment and a CV. We will favor projects that are simple yet structurally sound. All films must be shot using only natural light and existing locations.


• We also conduct separate submission processes for editors, cinematographers, and sound mixers. We will accept 3 of each. These technical participants will enter the lab in the middle of the session, before the production period begins to help expose them to the narrative film medium as well as allowing time for team building.


• The first week and a half will be a time for the participants to get an introduction to the craft of screenwriting, and REVISE their stories. This basic lab will focus on construction, story, and character as opposed to rewriting a feature length screenplay-which proved to be a daunting task, indeed. Emphasis will be placed on REVISION during the lab. Participants will be required to read each other’s work to encourage a collaborative creative process.


• During the last days of the screenwriting lab, we will start an editing workshop, a sound workshop, and a DP workshop for the technical participants. All crewmembers will work with their respective mentors, doing exercises and practice sessions to hone their craft.


• The director’s lab will then with workshops on acting, editing, cinematography, and organizing a shoot. We will have screenings in the evenings and will come together after shooting days to review dailies. During the production segment of the lab, participants will have 3 days of workshop/Prep, 3 days of shooting, and 4 days of editing with their fellow participants as crew members.


• All applications are due February 15th 2008


• Maisha Film Lab will be from July 22nd - August 11th 2008

We always need to ensure that the standards at Maisha are high and demanding so that the people and the product that come out of Maisha are exemplary and inspiring to other aspiring filmmakers. Let us aim as high as possible as there are many important stories to tell- and if we don’t tell our stories, no one else will.