National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) received more than 150 applications this year from 21 states out of which 6 projects of various genres have been selected for the 17th edition of NFDC Screenwriters’ Lab, an ongoing initiative to develop, nurture, and promote original voices from all over India. The six screenwriters, who also happen to be filmmakers of ad films, short films, novelist, documentaries, and feature films, have written the selected scripts in multiple languages, including Hindi, Urdu, Pahadi, Punjabi, Assamese, Malayalam, Konyak, English & Maithili.

Screenwriters’ Lab 2024 Batch (from L to R): Mayur Patel (NFDC team), Ritesh Shah (Mentor), Anuritta K Jha, Claire Dobbin (Mentor), Rohit Chauhan (NFDC team), Uddhav Ghosh, Aakash Chhabra, Piyush Srivastava, Triparna Maiti, Anam Danish, Marten Rabarts (Mentor), Vineeta Mishra (NFDC Team)

“We, at NFDC, strongly feel that a well-written script forms the foundation of a compelling story, engaging characters, and meaningful dialogue, all of which are essential elements of a successful film. We are at the forefront of not only training our writers to better develop their unique stories, but also pitch them successfully to domestic and international producers and investors at Film Bazaar, while keeping industry trends and practices in mind.” - NFDC, Film Bazaar team

The three-part intensive Screenwriters’ Lab is part of NFDC Labs’ ongoing initiative to develop original voices and stories from India. Selected participants work closely with noted mentors in an intensive 5-month program to fine-tune existing screenplays through personalized interactions and group sessions under the guidance of acclaimed script experts from India and around the  world. Aimed at domestic as well as international markets, the projects will be pitched to  producers and investors in a specially designed session during Film Bazaar 2024.

The 6 selected projects for NFDC Screenwriters’ Lab 2024 are as follows:

1.  Hawa Mithai by (CANDY FLOSS) Anuritta K Jha – Maithili & Hindi

A 6-year-old village boy Tundu and his best friend Bullu set out on a heart-warming and fantastical journey to eat the Sun inspired by the legend of Lord Hanumanji, in order to win back his mother's love.

2.  I'll Smile in September by Aakash Chhabra - Hindi, Urdu, Pahadi & Punjabi

After getting separated from the love of his life and losing his front teeth in a brutal altercation which ensues after it, a young brass band player in Old Delhi attempts to move on in life by finding his smile back.

3.  Kalaa Kaali (The Art Of The Dark) by Anam Danish – English & Hindi

Two siblings along with their friends, investigate a death in the family only to discover a generational curse that looms over them and set out to end it by using their family’s tradition of black magic.

4.  Konyak by Uddhav Ghosh – Konyak Naga & Hindi & English

On the fringe of civilization, amidst Nagaland’s unforgiving beauty, a deadly feud erupts between legendary headhunting tribes. Young warrior Thungpang Konyak, burdened by prophetic visions and haunted by betrayal, embarks on a relentless chase to protect his community and reclaim honor, confronting his former friend turned mortal enemy Sangba, as brother turns against brother in a brutal struggle for survival.

5.  Mangal - The Holy Beast by Triparna Maiti - Assamese, Malayalam & Hindi

Captured as an elephant calf, Mangal encounters both love and loss as he is made to join the world of humans. Transported from one place to another, changing hands, he ultimately becomes a revered deity worshiped as God, yet tied in chains, until he decides to break free.

6.  Piyush Ki Toh...Nikal Padi (To Pee or Not To Pee) by Piyush Srivastava – Hindi

Piyush, a charming 32-year old, faces a comedic nightmare on his first visit to his in-laws when a packing mistake leaves him without Adult Diapers, risking exposure of his embarrassing bedwetting problem. He must navigate a hilarious & heart-warming journey to procure new ones with his supportive wife's help, all while keeping his secret hidden.

About Mentors

This year’s mentors include the founder of NFDC Screenwriters’ Lab (features) Marten Rabarts (New Zealand), Claire Dobbin (Australia), Ritesh Shah (India)

1.      Marten Rabarts - With more than 30 years of experience in the film industry, Marten Rabarts held his most recent position as the Festival Director of the New Zealand International Film Festival, following nearly 5 years heading EYE International at the EYE, the national film museum of the Netherlands. Prior to this, Marten served as the Head of Development and Training at NFDC India in Mumbai, where he established NFDC LABS, contributing to the success of films like The Lunchbox and Titli, among many others. Previously, Rabarts was Artistic Director of Binger Filmlab in Amsterdam for 12 years, which saw such successes as Michael Roskam’s Bullhead, cult hit The Babadook by Jennifer Kent, Cannes-winning Salvo by Fabio Grassadonia and Antonio Piazza, and Adina Pintilie’s 2018 Golden Bear Award winner Touch Me Not. Furthermore, Marten was a founding member of the advisory board of Torino Film Lab, is a voting member of the European Film Academy, served on the board of European Film Promotion, and regularly serves on festival juries, including the Berlinale (Short Film Jury, Generation 14plus, Teddy Awards), Skip City Tokyo, Adelaide Film Festival, and Guanajuato Film Festival, among others.

2.      Claire Dobbin - Claire is a globally active script editor, executive producer, and creative producer, collaborating with development agencies, screenwriters, producers, and directors. She has been serving as a script advisor since 2005 for the prestigious international script workshop éQuinoxe Europe, participating as a jury member in key international film festivals, and also organizing and leading international screenwriting workshops in diverse locations such as Italy, Ukraine, India, Norway, Doha, Dubai, Iran, Germany, and New Zealand. From 1986 to 2000, Claire held the position of Senior Executive (Creative) at Australia’s national screen agency. Between 2003 and 2019, Claire chaired the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF), overseeing initiatives that made MIFF a cornerstone of the industry. She secured funds for MIFF’s international film finance market and established the MIFF Premiere Fund, investing in over 50 Australian films that premiered at MIFF. Claire’s achievements include receiving the Order of Australia (AM) for Services to the Australian Film Industry in 2017 and the Jill Robb Award for outstanding leadership in the Victorian Screen Industry in 2019. Currently, Claire serves as the executive producer for several films and is actively involved in script editing international feature films and TV series across New Zealand, Australia, Europe, India, and the United States.

3.      Ritesh Shah - Ritesh Shah did his Bachelors in English Literature from Hindu College (1993-1996) and has done his Masters in Mass Communications from MCRC, Jamia Milia Islamia. He began his career as a playwright with Act One Art Group, New Delhi. His works include the fringe award winner Othello - A play in black and white. Ritesh switched to television in 1999. His television writing credits include Josh, Kashmeer, Krishna Arjun and the award winning series Kagaar. Ritesh Shah began his film career by contributing dialogue to movies like Kahaani and Namastey London and then went on to co-write films like D-day and Airlift. His solo screenplay and dialogue credits include films like B.A. Pass, Citylights, Force, the critically acclaimed Pink and Raid. Ritesh Shah has been nominated for Filmfare award for best story for B.A.Pass and best screenplay for D-day for which he also won a Zee Cine Awards Nomination. He won the Filmfare, Zee Cine and Star Screen awards for best dialogue for Pink.

Previous, award-winning projects that have originated from the NFDC Screenwriters’ Lab include LUNCHBOX (Ritesh Batra), LIPSTICK UNDER MY BURKHA (Alankrita Shrivastava), DUM LAGA KE HAISHA (Sharat Katariya), TITLI (Kanu Behl), SHAB (Onir), A DEATH IN THE GUNJ (Konkona Sen Sharma), ISLAND CITY (Ruchika Oberoi), BOMBAY ROSE (Gitanjali Rao), and CHUSKIT (Priya Ramasubban), In the Belly of a Tiger (Siddartha Jatla), Fire in the Mountains (Ajitpal Singh) Ullozhukku (Christo Tomy) just to name a few.

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PPG/KS