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Submission Deadline: March and September

Residency of Cannes Film festival for young filmmakers to write script in Paris for 5 months. A rather competitive selection but definitely worthwhile experience for filmmakers who are working on their first or second feature.

Place: Paris, FRANCE
Duration: 4 and half months

Two Session Each Year:
March to Mid July
October to Mid January

Malaysian filmmaker participated the Residency:
Heng TANG ( Malaysian origin, migrated to Australia at 18)
TAN Chui Mui

Since 2000, the Festival Residence provides accommodation and support to 12 selected young directors to help them prepare their first or second feature film. A jury presided by a film director sits twice a year, selecting these young filmmakers on the basis of their short films or even first feature film, and the merits of their feature film project.

During their 4-and-a-half-month stay in Paris, they work on the writing of their feature film project, have meetings with professionals and try, with the support of the Cannes Film Festival, to bring their project to co-production status.

The Residence du Festival welcomes every year a dozen young directors who work there on their first or second fictional feature film project, in two sessions lasting four and a half months (from October 1st to mid February, and from the end of February to mid July).

Since its creation in 2000, the Residence has welcomed more than seventy filmmakers from more than forty different countries.

It makes available to them a place of residence in the heart of Paris, a personalised programme accompanying the writing of their scripts, and a collective programme of forums with film industry professionals. Nearly fifty filmmakers emerging from the great halls of this "Villa Medicis" of cinema have seen their films selected by international festivals and distributed in theatres.

The residents equally benefit from:

* a 800-euro grant per month;
* free access to a large number Paris cinemas;
* French lessons (optional);
* the possibility of attending festivals during their stay.

The selection of the residents by a jury, presided by a director or a motion-picture celebrity, is based on the quality of their already made shorts - or first feature film, as well as on the interest of the feature film project in the course of being written, and on the candidates' motivation.

RULES AND REGULATION

Article 1

The Festival Residence accommodates young filmmakers who have directed one or several short films, or even a first feature film, and who are working on a feature film project.
Two sessions take place each year.
The duration of each session is of four-and-a-half months.

Article 2

The Residence's next session runs from March 1st to July 15th 2008.
The filmmakers selected commit themselves to living at the Residence for the complete duration of the session.

Article 3

Applications, comprising :
- copy of your registration slip you will get after validation of your online application,
- cassettes or DVD of the films already made - both short and features films -
- feature film project in progress at the moment of application (screenplay or 10 pages minimum treatment)
- synopsis
- intention note (vision statement for the project)
- copy of your passport

are to be sent from July 1st 2007 to the Festival's Residence office. Films made in a language other than French or English must be subtitled in French or English, or, at the very least, be accompanied by a list of dialogues in French or English.
Incomplete applications will not be examined by the jury.

Except in case of special dispensation, the closing date for applications for the next session is September 19th 2007.

Article 4

The preliminary jury, that establishes the shortlist of potential candidates, comprises at least 3 personalities from the world of film. The preliminary jury examines applications and watches the films that have been sent by applicants so as to establish the shortlist of candidates that will then be interviewed by the final jury.
The preliminary jury may establish a shortlist of up to 12 candidates.

Article 5

Except in the case of special dispensation, the final jury comprises 5 members. It is presided by a film director.
The jury for the next session will meet on December 6th 2007. Shortlist candidates are invited to Paris, at the Festival Residence's expense, to be interviewed. Candidates that are unable to come for interview cannot be chosen by the jury. Such candidates may, if they so wish, send in an application for a future session.
The jury examines the applications and watches the films of all the shortlist candidates. The jury interviews all the shortlist candidates. It evaluates the candidates according to the filmmaking qualities found in the films already made, the merit of the feature film project and the candidate's reasons for participating in the Residence's programme.
The jury designates the 6 selected candidates. Decisions are made according to relative majority of votes.

Article 6

If any selected candidate in unable to participate in the session, the jury may replace them by another shortlist candidate.

Download APPLICATION FORM

Related Reading:
Criticine: Raya Martin's Journal

Criticine: Tan Chui Mui's Journal
Jeremy Segay Interview Tan Chui Mui

Get Da Huang Pictures DVD here!