Since 2019, the Full Circle Lab Philippines has helped filmmakers and storytellers from the Philippines and Southeast Asia get their films made and their voices heard.
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Despite the talent of local filmmakers and the treasure trove of stories waiting to be told, there’s no denying the local film industry needs more support, especially for young talents. Luckily, there are programs out there designed to help train and nurture the next generation of creatives ready to tell Filipino narratives to the world. One such program is the Full Circle Lab Philippines, a collaboration between The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) and Tatino Films. And this 2022, the project and talent development programme is back for its fifth edition looking to support a new batch of Filipino and Southeast Asian filmmakers.
SOUTHEAST ASIA’S CREATIVE HUB
Full Circle Lab (FCL) is composed of a comprehensive set of programs geared at supporting the specific needs of the film industry. Its primary goals include providing valuable development support mechanisms for audio-visual works, nurturing creative talents, and bolstering the international potential of a film sector.
Full Circle Lab Philippines (FCL PH) was launched in 2019 through the partnership of FDCP and the French production and consulting firm Tatino Films. FCL PH aims to identify, nurture, and train creative talents in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia. It also intends to support Filipino and Southeast Asian film projects from the development stage up until their post-production processes. The film development lab also envisions the internationalization of the Filipino film industry, striving to make the Philippines a creative hub in the Southeast Asian region.
“Since 2019, FCL PH has helped develop a total of 61 projects and talents from the Philippines and our neighboring countries in Southeast Asia—aligned with our goal in making the country a creative hub for filmmaking. The program does not only aim on developing world-class content but is also centered on nurturing promising talents from the region. As we move forward to another exciting edition, we hope that the participants’ journey with FCL PH will further aid them in discovering their distinct voice, elevate their skills, and open more opportunities for them in the future,” former FDCP Chairperson Liza Diño shares.
Just late last year, Tatino Films and FDCP reached an agreement to extend Full Circle Lab Philippines for three more years with a cycle that will run from 2022 to 2024. “Consistency and continuity–that is our mission. In the last few years, the Philippines’ deliberate direction towards regional collaboration through the development of projects and talents has brought us global traction and success,” Diño remarks. Last edition, a four-day on-site residential workshop was held in Cebu and was followed by a series of online sessions.
FULL CIRCLE LAB PHILIPPINES 5.0
This year, FCL PH comprises four modules: the Fiction Lab, First Cut Lab, Creative Producers Lab, and the Story Editing Lab. The Fiction Lab is open to feature film, series, or animation projects in the early stages of development to pre-production. Its workshop setup combines works in plenary, groups, and individual consultation. There are two mentors attached to each project: one is focused on script development while the other on production-related issues.
The First Cut Lab caters to the projects in the editing stage. Its aim is to support the creative team at such a crucial stage and to inspire them to elevate their narratives to its best version. First Cut Lab’s participants will get expert advice, through individual and collective discussions, from industry advisors and editor consultants who are chosen according to the specific needs of each project.
The Creative Producers Lab will mentor producers and train them to have a grasp of the entire ecosystem of the Filipino and Southeast Asian film industry. Through this lab, creative producers will be guided on the key areas of the profession including project development, legal and financial issues, and company development.
Finally, the Story Editing Lab is open for aspiring script consultants, heads of development in production companies, or even commissioning editors of broadcasters who will be the scriptwriters and directors’ creative sparring partners. Through this module, participants will be trained how to conduct and design a script and project development path from the early stage of development to the editing stage.
FCL PH is open to creatives from the Philippines and our Southeast Asian neighbors: Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Some of the projects that FCL PH has helped launch include the Sundance and Toronto International Film Festival winner Leonor Will Never Die by Martika Escobar and Avid Liongoren’s Hayop Ka!, which was the first Filipino animated feature film selected in the official selection of Annecy Film Festival. The lab has also supported Indonesian film Autobiography by Makbul Mubarak, which participated in this year’s Venice Film Festival and He Shuming’s Ajoomma, which is Singapore’s official entry to the 95th Oscars for the Best International Feature category.
Applications for Fiction Lab, Creative Producers Lab, Story Editing Lab will be accepted until November 11, 2022. Meanwhile, the deadline of applications for First Cut Lab is until December 5, 2022. The labs will happen onsite in 2023. If you have a potential story to be developed or a project that needs funding for post-production, Full Circle Lab Philippines is the best platform for you.
Head on to Full Circle Lab’s Facebook page here to know more about the program’s requirements.
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