Thailand | script-writing residency for Southeast Asian screenwriters

Thailand's Ministry of Culture กระทรวงวัฒนธรรม has launched a new initiative to support Southeast Asian films at script stage with an artist in residence programme. Four screenwriters from ASEAN countries will be invited to Thailand for one month.

At the end of their stay, which is fully-financed by the Thai government, each writer is required to have researched and produced a ten-page treatment for a feature film that explores the relationship between Thailand and his or her own country.

The project is headed by Pantham THONGSANG พันธุ์ธัมม์ ทองสังข์, who has produced films by Apichatpong "Joe" WEERASETHAKUL อภิชาติพงศ์ วีระเศรษฐกุล and Ekachai UEKRONGTHAM เอกชัย เอื้อครองธรรม | 呂翼謀.

Thongsang will travel to each ASEAN country in October to interview applicants.

Scripts can be in any genre. Thongsang told Film Business Asia that the project has the intention of giving writers broad creative freedom. Organisers suggest that stories could touch on subjects of "tourism, border issues, ethnicity and gender".

The residency is open to established screenwriters with at least one feature-length film that has already been released in cinemas.

Applicants must be nationals of Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Philippines or Vietnam.

The deadline for submissions is 30 Sep 2013.

Applicants must provide a single-page synopsis, scriptwriter statement and scriptwriter profile in English to aseanresidence@gmail.com.