We start by talking to ScripTeast's initiators, Dariusz Jablonski, the Artistic Director of the Independent Film Foundation, and Violetta Kaminska, the Managing Director of the Independent Film Foundation.
IFF was established in 1999 and since its inception it organized the Polish Film Awards Eagles. In 2006 the Foundation launched ScripTeast, an annual programme for experienced script developers, whose task is to help writers from this part of Europe to overcome obstacles they encounter and increase competitiveness, write screenplays and promote them among the best European producers.
For the list of Polish films produced from ScripTeast and scripts selected in all 10 editions click HERE.
Interview with Dariusz Jabłonski, the Artistic Director of the Independent Film Foundation
FNE: How and why was Scripteast created?
Dariusz Jablonski: ScripTeast was born thanks to the cooperation with Sundance Institute, which we started in 1995. We liked their very unique and original method of helping scriptwriters based on the practical way of free discussions between the advisors and writers after reading a specific script. Together with Sundance and the Hungarian company Eurofilm we created five successful workshops.
When Poland joined the European Union and the Media Programme was available for us, we thought that it was time to come up with our own original concept. We took to the method that is used by Sundance Institute for beginners and we’ve adapted it to the best writers.
For the full interview click HERE.
Interview with Violetta Kaminska, the Managing Director of the Independent Film Foundation
FNE: What is particular to ScripTeast and why it is important for a scriptwriter to have professional feedback?
Violetta Kaminska: It is partly a kind of confrontation of two worlds, the scriptwriters from Eastern Europe meeting advisors from outside Eastern Europe, who are successful beyond their countries, being Oscar or Palme d’Or winners, winners of European Film Academy Awards for best script, best film, best directing etc. We also have on board masters in selling films or making festivals, who judge films everyday, read scripts, evaluate them, etc.
This confrontation with the successful professionals and the best writers in Eastern Europe aims to let them see new potential in what they have written. We encourage writers to apply with possibly most advanced script. We then meet the scriptwriters and our advisors. It is always a mixture of generations and different cultures. Our advisors come from the Anglo-Saxon world, from German, French, Spanish, Italian or Nordic countries… The deeper the contrast in the melting pot, the better, and we can help in the most effective way.
For the full interview click HERE.
Interview with Magdalena Sroka, General Director of the Polish Film Institute
FNE: Why is Scripteast important for your country and how do you evaluate its activity so far?
Magdalena Sroka: Every type of professional support during the writing process is priceless. With its circle of experienced professional advisors, ScripTeast creates an excellent opportunity to make scripts written by Eastern and Central European screenwriters more competitive on the international market. It is a chance for these writers to become visible and to develop their international career. Every edition of ScripTeast has had Polish screenwriters among its participants, and I believe that the workshop has been very helpful in developing their skill set.
The quality of Polish screenplays has often been a question in the past. As we see after this year’s Berlinale, where the Silver Bear Award for Best Screenplay went to the Polish writer-director Tomasz Wasilewski, this is no longer the case.
For the full interview click HERE.
Interview with Bartek Konopka (Poland), participant of ScripTeast
Writer / director Bartek Konopka (Poland) won the Krzysztof Kieslowski Award at the 2012-2013 edition of ScripTeast with the script The Mute written together with Przemysłav Nowakowski.
Bartek Konopka is a graduate of Film Studies at the Jagiellonian University in Cracow and of directing at the Silesian University in Katowice. He also graduated from documentary and fiction courses at Andrzej Wajda Master School of Film Directing of Film Directing. He made numerous documentaries for television.
Selected filmography: Rabbit à la Berlin (documentary, Oscar nominated), Fear of Falling (debut feature, 2011).
FNE: What is your most vivid memory from ScripTeast?
Bartek Konopka: The intense feeling that we, filmmakers from the Central and Eastern Europe create a community of similar experience, sensitivity, bad and good vibes. We try to be close to individual fate, we want to understand characters, cross fingers for their fight. That gives me great support meaning I’m not alone, so many people feel the same. The organizers of ScripTeast create this atmosphere and bond us all together, this is something spiritual, not measurable with money or words.
For the full interview click HERE.
