Learn Filmmaking From The Masters: Head to the Berlinale Talent Campus

Article Precis: Six Indian filmmakers and film students are invited to the prestigious Berlinale Talent Campus on February 10 for training and workshops and gyan from the masters.

By Bikas Mishra

Come February 10 and superstar Aamir Khan will fly to Berlin to be on the prestigious jury of the Berlin Film Festival. One of the biggest and most important international film festivals on earth, Berlin, attracts aficionados of arthouse cinema and powerhouses such as Hollywood and Bollywood alike. Filmbuffs, critics and filmmakers flock to Berlin to watch the latest and the best of world cinema, while producers and distributors rush to strike deals.

Little do we know that six Indian young filmmakers and film students are also invited to the festival. The young brigade will participate in the "Berlinale Talent Campus", a program meant for young and aspiring filmmakers. As the name suggests Campus offers selected candidates an opportunity to hone their skills in their field of the trade. A candidate can apply as a writer, director, cinematographer, sound designer, editor, actor or as a film critic. Selected directors can also pitch their projects to prospective producers in the talent project market.

About the Event:

Berlinale Talent Campus is a power-packed event spread across six days, where participants get a chance to meet, interact and learn from the best in the world of cinema. Some important names from this year's panel are Shekhar Kapoor, Alex McDowell (Production designer Fight Club, Minority Report, Watchmen), Paul Schrader (Writer-Taxi Driver, Raising Bull), Peter Cowie (Film Historian and scholar), Danis Tanovic (Director-No Man's Land).

Apart from general workshops, there are specialized training programs for post production, writing, cinematography and acting. There is also a short filmmaking competition titled "Berlin Today". Campus helps produce these short films which are premiered during the festival.

How to get there?

Now, the most important thing: how can one get into the campus? Keep an eye on the Berlinale Talent Campus website, usually applications are invited in the month of September and deadlines are in October. Anyone, who has some practical experience in filmmaking can apply. There are no application fees and there are no age limits. It's not mandatory for applicants to have had formal training in filmmaking!

All you have to do is to fill up an online application form on the site and upload your sample of work. Depending on your field, your sample could either be a text file or a video clip. Apart from a general application you can also fill up separate applications for specialized sessions for writers, directors looking for producers, post production and digital filmmaking, documentary filmmaking and acting.

Make sure that you spend time filling up the section "presentation to the selection committee". Final selection is made on the basis of this presentation. Selected candidates are informed in the beginning of January.

Participants are invited to Berlin for the campus. Festival reimburses their airfare and provides them free accommodation during the program. Do get your passport ready before you apply.

This year 3,900 candidates from 130 countries applied for the Campus and only 363 got selected including six from India. So don't wait for deadlines are start working on the sample of work, if you want to be in Berlin next year.

For further details log on to: http://www.berlinale-talentcampus.de/

(Bikas Mishra is participating as a writer-director to Berlinale Talent Campus 2011)

Date: 3rd February, 2011

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