The deadline for participants to submit their work for the competition is August 28, 2024.
Arab Film Studio has announced its AFS Scriptwriting competition, inviting UAE residents and resident writers over the age of 21 with a passion for writing to participate in this annual programme focused on feature film scriptwriting.
Applicants are required to have written at least two short films that have been produced or to be novelists with at least one published work.
This 10-month training programme, starting on October 16, 2024, offers participants the chance to develop their storytelling and scriptwriting skills for the big screen. The programme, lasting 30 weeks, includes three-hour weekly sessions featuring lectures, table readings, discussions, film screenings and practical exercises, culminating in the completion of a first draft script.
Attendance for the full duration of the programme is mandatory. Submissions can be made in Arabic or English.
To enter the programme, applicants are required to submit several key materials. First, a treatment for a feature film must be provided, adhering to specific guidelines: it should be between 10 and 20 pages long, with a font size of 12 and single spacing if written in English, or a font size of 13 and single spacing if in Arabic. The film should fall within the “narrative” genre, meaning it is a fictional work, and should be a regional story intended for production in the UAE. The treatment must be an entirely original piece created by the applicant.
Additionally, the application should include a logline (up to two sentences), a synopsis (up to 300 words), a one-page biography and a motivation letter or writer’s statement (2 to 3 pages). Applicants are also required to provide links to previous works, specifically two links to short films they have created, and/or one link to a published novel.
