Nurturing Talents: Asia Pacific Screen Lab Announces New Recipients and Mentors
The Asia Pacific Screen Lab (APSLab) is back and in full swing! After a hiatus of over two years, the 8th edition of the initiative, organized by the APSA Academy in collaboration with Griffith University, Griffith Film School, and NETPAC, is underway following a five-day international development workshop held in Singapore.
This year’s program saw a record number of applicants, and four exceptional talents were selected to participate – Yoshimasa Jimbo from Japan, Deyali Mukherjee from India, Amir Amenov from Kazakhstan, and Sobanasivan Velrajah from Sri Lanka. These participants are all working on developing feature-length projects set in their home countries.
The APSLab offers a year-long immersive development program for emerging filmmakers in the Asia Pacific region. This unique experience provides participants with the opportunity to take their projects to the next level and gain a broader international perspective. The program has also expanded its reach by partnering with Film Schools Without Borders to support filmmakers from countries without established film schools.
Each participant is paired with a mentor from the prestigious Academy of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA). This year’s mentors include Akiva Tevet from Israel, Vimuktthi Jayasundara from Sri Lanka, Jeremy Chua from Singapore, Prasanna Vithanage from Sri Lanka, and many more.
The program kicked off at the Temenggong Artists-In-Residence, a not-for-profit arts charity in Singapore that promotes cross-cultural exchange. The week-long workshop was attended by renowned industry experts such as U-Wei Haji Saari, Fran Borgia, Pavel Jech, and more.
At the end of the year-long incubation period, the graduating participants will be ready to pitch their projects to a high-profile jury of sales agents, producers, and festival programmers. The event was also attended by the likes of Herman Van Eyken, Chair of the CILECT Asia Pacific Association, Philip Cheah, Advisor to NETPAC, and Anne Demy-Geroe, Vice-President of NETPAC.
The support of the Sun Foundation and the Asia Pacific Screen Academy, along with NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema), has been instrumental in the success of the APSLab since its inception in 2010. The program’s Chairperson, PARK Kiyong, expressed his excitement, stating, “Filmmaking is all about creativity, and creativity heavily relies on the space. Temenggong is a perfect place for the Asia Pacific Screen Lab workshop as the artistic atmosphere it provides makes you even more creative.”
Herman Van Eyken echoed this sentiment, adding, “There is nothing like the creative energy that can come from putting the right people together in a room to collaborate, and it was thrilling to finally be able to do so again, and in such a special location. The workshop was hugely successful, and we look forward to the continued development of the emerging talent of the region and their projects.” In conclusion, the Asia Pacific Screen Lab is a fantastic opportunity for filmmakers in the region to take their careers to new heights and gain a broader international perspective. With the support of Film Schools Without Borders, the program is committed to nurturing and developing the talent of the future.