Pick up the best screenwriting skills at a special workshop at the 15th Mumbai Film Festival

 If you’ve always marveled at the wonders of cinema and wished you too could create compelling stories, do mark mid-October in your calendar right away. The 15th Mumbai Film Festival in association with Equinox Europe is conducting a two-day workshop on the 14th and 15th of October at the conference room of Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Andheri.

On the agenda are pitching, screen writing and script development, i.e. skills to take your budding film career forward. The workshop will be conducted by the Chair of the Melbourne International Film Festival and eminent script advisor Claire Dobbin along with James Hart, producer and screen-writer having worked with some of the top studios of the world.

Dobbin, who is conducting the first day’s activities has been at the heart of script writing workshops in Australia & New Zealand and has been a guest lecturer at the Abu Dhabi Film festival. As the Senior Script Executive at the Australian Film Commission (AFC), she bettered many Australian films with her touch, such as Road to Nhill, Small Treasures and Mallboy. 

The second day’s writing guru has written/produced Hook, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Muppet Treasure Island, Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life among others. ‘Never grow up, never give up’ is Hart's way of life which comes through in the animated feature, EPIC in which he is co-writer and the Executive Producer. 

Beginning at 9.30 am on Monday the 14th, Claire and Jim will listen to idea pitches and give their feedback. By noon, they will delve into the world of screenwriting and script development. Stretching till 4 pm with a lunch break in between the session will discuss themes, concept lines, structure and characters. And of course, there’s question hour from 4.15 – 5:00 pm.

Day 2 begins with the screening of Bram Stoker's Dracula followed by lunch. Post this, James Hart will begin 'deconstructing Dracula' and discuss the finer nuances of script writing. Armed with their new found knowledge, participants will get to pitch ideas once more. The whirlwind workshop will wind up at 5 pm.
The workshop is open to all film writing and cinema enthusiasts.