Film Council launch scriptwriting development scheme

The Film Council`s Training Fund has announced a new initiative to provide hands-on training opportunities for six individuals who want to work in feature film script development.
The newFeature Film Development Internships programme builds on the Training Fund`s commitment to support and develop training opportunities for scriptwriters, script editors and development executives.
As a joint initiative with the Film Council's Development Fund and managed by FT2 - Film and Television Freelance Training, the internships provide 62 weeks paid full-time training made up of two six-month placements within the development departments of feature film production companies. Training provider Draft Zero has been commissioned to deliver the script development short course training to complement the programme.
This programme is aimed at people who have had some experience of script reading and script report writing and who will have worked in production or the creative industries.
"Being able to work in development and follow through the creative and technical processes of development alongside industry professionals is an invaluable training opportunity," comments Helen Bagnall, Head of the Training Fund.
"Script and project development are key to creating films that have a greater chance of maximising their creative and market potential however development has historically been an under-resourced part of the pre-production process in the UK. It is essential that we expand and build the pool of film development executives working in the British film industry and the internship programme is just one of the ways that the Development Fund is working to achieve that aim," adds Jenny Borgars, Head of the Development Fund.
Further information and application forms will be available to download from the FT2 website www.ft2.org.uk/recruit at the end of April.
(GB)