Mumbai, October 10, 2015: Drishyam Films, in partnership with the Sundance Institute, USA, is organising the Drishyam-Sundance Screenwriters Lab 2016 to be held in Jodhpur, Rajasthan in March, 2016.

The Lab is inviting applications as a part of its Open Submission Process. The deadline for submission of scripts is November 10, 2015.

The Lab is for filmmakers making their first or second narrative feature; co-writers, writer/directors, or writer/director teams are encouraged to send in their scripts, which should be independent in terms of story and spirit and also in terms of budget.

The Drishyam-Sundance Screenwriters Lab will provide an opportunity for writers to develop their work under the guidance of accomplished international advisors in an environment that encourages intelligent storytelling with a global scope.

In order to apply, filmmakers must submit a complete draft of a screenplay as well as supporting materials (cover letter, artistic statement, bio, synopsis of project, and directing sample if applicable).  Interest and inquiries should be directed to drishyamsundancelab@sundance.org and a detailed step-by-step process can be followed from http://applications4.sundance.org/res/p/drishyam/.

Taking forward the immense success of Drishyam’s first collaboration with the Sundance Screenwriters Lab in Goa earlier this year, the second edition is to take place in Jodhpur next year. A beautiful heritage city in Rajasthan, Jodhpur is a significant distance away from Mumbai for a diverse group of aspiring and emerging writers and mentors to have a refreshing and productive exchange.

Manish Mundra, Founder — Drishyam Films, says, “The Drishyam-Sundance Screenwriters Lab is a concrete step towards making content-driven cinema sustainable in a highly competitive environment. While announcing the lab’s second edition, we are proud to add that its results are already bearing fruit. Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam’s script, The Sweet Requiem, selected for the Asian Project Market at Busan International Film Festival was originally discovered and mentored at the first Drishyam-Sundance Lab. It is also a part of NFDC’s upcoming Co-Production Market at Film Bazaar, to be held in November 2015, along with Raj Rishi More’s Pirates, another Drishyam-Sundance Lab project.”

“Drishyam Films is now producing Unknown Faces, a script by Atanu Mukherjee which was a finalist at the last Lab. Hence, keeping it mind the large number of high-quality scripts that we receive for consideration, we have also decided to use the Lab as a filter to shortlist a few projects for our future productions. We are looking for extensively researched scripts, with powerful stories and compelling characters, irrespective of the genre, language or format.”

Paul Federbush, International Director, Feature Film Program, Sundance Film Festival, says — “We are excited to bring the Drishyam-Sundance Screenwriters Lab to a new location in Jodphur, and thrilled to be working with Manish Mundra and the Drishyam team, who have a proven interest in supporting an exciting new generation of independent cinema in India.  This partnership allows Sundance Institute to continue developing creative voices and inspired stories in India.”

More information to follow in the January press release.

About Sundance Institute
Sundance Institute is a global nonprofit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981.Through its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, composers and playwrights, the Institute seeks to discover and support independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work. The Institute promotes independent storytelling to inform, inspire, and unite diverse populations around the globe.Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as Born into Brothels, Trouble the Water, Son of Babylon, Amreeka, An Inconvenient Truth, Spring Awakening, I Am My Own Wife, Light in the Piazza and Angels in America.