MUMBAI: Mumbai Mantra, the media and entertainment division of the Mahindra Group, collaborated with Sundance Institute for the inaugural Mumbai Mantra/Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab 2012 in which eight feature film projects were selected through a rigorous evaluation process from screenplays submitted by Indian screenwriters from around the world.
These screenwriting fellows had the opportunity to work intensely on their feature film scripts with the support of established screenwriters and directors (creative advisors) in an environment that encouraged innovation and creative risk-taking.
Through one-on-one story sessions with the creative advisors, the Screenwriting Fellows were engaged in an artistically demanding process that offered indispensable lessons in craft, a fresh perspective on their work and a platform which fully realised their material.
This year’s Screenwriting Fellows who went through the immersive five day workshop (March 11-15) are: Charudutt Acharya (Sonali Cable Centre), Shonali Bose and Nilesh Maniyar (Margarita, With a Straw), Vikas Chandra (Toothache), Rajnesh Domalpalli (Avani), Prashant Nair (Umrica), Anusha Rizvi and Mahmood Farooqui (Opium), Ajitpal Singh (Manjhi) and Kartik Singh (Public School).
Said Mumbai Mantra chairman Rohit Khattar, “We are at an exciting storytelling stage in the history of Independent Cinema in India. With the help of our exceptional partners, Sundance Institute, we are keen to recognize, nurture and hone talent in India and across the world. We welcome to the lab the 11 remarkably talented Creative Advisors. We congratulate the 10 screenwriting fellows selected for the first Mumbai Mantra | Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab and look forward to their next films with great anticipation.”
Mumbai Mantra received over 500 applications. For the selection of the eight projects for the Lab, the selection advisory committee comprised eminent Indian screenwriters, directors, film critics and film academics who considered over 90 screenplays. After an intense selection process in consultation with the Sundance Institute, the final eight projects were chosen.
The Mumbai Mantra | Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab is the first step in a three-year creative and strategic partnership that includes a robust plan to help Indian filmmakers connect to ever-increasing global audiences.
