Berlinale Residency

Those eligible to apply are: directors from all over the world, who are currently working on a feature film project (fiction, documentary, cross-media) for theatrical release, who have already secured a production company for the project and who have:

• already directed a feature-length film which screened in the official selection of a renowned international film festival (e.g. Berlinale, Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, Venice etc.)

and/or have finished a film which

• was presented at the Berlinale Co-Production Market; or
• participated in the Berlinale Talent Campus’ Script Station, Doc Station or Talent Project Market; or
• was supported by the World Cinema Fund

There are no restrictions in terms of the content or the planned shooting locations of the project.

All applicants must be fluent in English.

The application for the Berlinale Residency consists of two parts:

Part 1: Online application
First you must accept the conditions for participating in the Berlinale Residency. You will then proceed to the online application form which you must complete in English.
In addition, you must upload the following PDFs:

• one-page presentation of the project
• treatment (around 5-10 pages)
• full script
• distribution and marketing concept
• budget
• financing plan

Part 2: Material per mail/courier

You have to send in the following items per mail or courier:

• 6 DVD copies of one of your previous films (do not send video clips or showreels). Please include a fact sheet and an explanation as to why you chose to send this particular film. Films made in a language other than English should be subtitled in English
• rights clearance (clarifying that you are the copyright owner or otherwise entitled to realise this project)
• a signed producer’s agreement which confirms the producer’s attachment to the project and his/her availability to attend the Script-to-Market Workshop

The submitted samples of work will not be returned. The material which is NOT selected can be picked up at the Berlin-based offices of the Berlinale Residency. Should the sample of work not be picked up by June 30, it will be destroyed.

The Berlinale Residency is not liable for any loss or damage incurred, irrespective of the cause.

The Berlinale Residency offers all six participants the financial support which allows them to live and work in Berlin for the duration of the programme (around four months). The Residency programme takes place once a year from the beginning of September and constitutes a screenplay and project consultation, run in cooperation with the Nipkow Programm as well as a three-day “Script to Market” workshop in December, 10.–12., 2012.

Each participant is offered a programme which is specially tailored to their project. The producer of the project must also agree to attend the five-day workshop in Berlin in December.

The first phase of the Berlinale Residency

The first phase of the Berlinale Residency programme (September-November) consists of screenplay consultation with renowned mentors from the Nipkow Programm. Each participant will meet with a mentor on a regular basis to discuss in depth and further develop their film project. Script consultants, as well as specialists in co-production and distribution will help to focus the film project according to its type and the stage which it is at, to be received by a particular cinema audience.

The second phase of the Berlinale Residency: From content to market

In December the second phase of the Berlinale Residency programme begins with the five-day workshop, “Script to Market” (December 10-14, 2012), during which the chosen filmmakers are given concrete feedback from invited industry experts (distributors, sales agents, producers, financiers and editors). This seminar focuses on packaging the projects for an international market. The filmmakers and their producers are give support in drafting a comprehensive strategy for the production and distribution of their film.

In addition, the filmmakers and producers will receive support in their search for suitable partners for their projects. The “Script to Market” workshop is an opportunity for the projects to undergo a “reality check” uniting the artistic demands of the film and its marketing potential. What audiences are being targeted and how does the film appeal to them? How can marketing strategies be used to connect with this target audience? How can this project produce a film which reaches a wider audience than just film-festival goers? How can the project be made attractive to potential financiers and production partners? The “Script to Market” seminar delivers answers to these essential questions.

The first presentation on an international stage will then be offered either at the Berlinale Co-Production Market or at partner markets such as the Guadalajara Ibero American Coproduction Meeting, Buenos Aires Lab, Durban Film Mart or CineLink Sarajevo.

The Berlinale Residency programme invites filmmakers from around the world and with diverse material; unusual and artistically demanding projects that aim to reach a wider audience beyond the film festival visitor.