Yasmin Fedda, director and cofounder of Highlight Arts, will be leading a practical workshop on poetry films at the Malta Society of Arts, Valletta, on Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 6.30pm.
This workshop is being organised by Inizjamed as part of the Valletta 2018 project Poetry on Film, with the aim of developing the sector of poetry films in Malta.
Fedda, author of various poetry fIlms and of documentaries that have been broadcast on BBC and Al Jazeera, will be giving a detailed overview of the following:
(a) Different contemporary approches to poetry film;
(b) Visual language, structure, telling a story on screen.
(c) How to draft a proposal and budget for a short flm, and advice on pitching.
Immediately after the workshop, a call for proposals from directors will be published, with a view to creating two poetry films, of four to eight minutes and with a maximum budget of € 3,000 each financed by the Valletta 2018 Foundation, to be shown at the next edition of the Malta Mediterranean Literature Festival at Fort St Elmo in August.
Whereas the previous two editions of the Festival featured poetry films that were specifically commissioned, this year there will be a process of selection, with applying directors choosing from one of three poems by Lillian Sciberras or by Raymond Mahoney, both representatives of Maltese poetry of the 1980s.
These six poems, chosen by Immanuel Mifsud as literary consultant for the Poetry on Film project, will be sent to those attending the workshop a few days before it starts, in order for them to identify one poem and draft a provisional synopsis that they can develop during the workshop.
The deadline for the final proposal will close on March 31; shortlisted directors will then be invited for a pitching session in mid-April. The two proposals finally selected will need to be translated into film by the end of July, in order for the films to be shown at the MMLF and later submitted to festivals and competitions abroad.
Participation in the workshop is free of charge. There is a maximum of 15 places, with preference being given to those who can attend both days of the workshop.
To apply for the workshop, send an e-mail to inizjamedprojects@gmail.com with the following attached documents: letter of motivation, CV with filmography and scan or photo of ID card or residence permit.
Further information about the workshop and the Poetry on Film project may be obtained from Antoine Cassar on 9946 4531 or write to inizjamedprojects@gmail.com.
Deadline for applications is 12pm tomorrow.