The eQuinoxe Europe International Screenwriters` Workshops

The International Screenwriters´ Workshop is a short-term, seven-day, residential training programme for writers and their producers with the aim of helping filmmakers develop the best possible story and script. Our comprehensive program, seven-day Screenwriters´ Workshops  includes a follow-up consultation on the obligatory rewrite.

To date, a large number of projects have been produced, many of them awarded with numerous international prizes, 9 of them have been the country’s candidate to the Academy of Motion Pictures for Best International Film, 2 have been nominated for an Oscar and 1 film received the Academy Award for Best International Picture. In 2018, three films premiered at the Berlinale: Styx opened the Panorama Section, The Silent Revolution was a Berlinale Special Gala personally selected by the festival director, and 3 Days in Quiberon was in the Competition. In 2019, six films were nominated for 25 national awards in four EU countries -Austria, Finland, Germany and Latvia, and received 11 national film prizes including Best Film and Best Script.  In 2020, during the pandemic and highly competitive film submissions for festivals held "live", four films premiered in three A festivals.  In 2021, "Quo Vadis, Aida?" was nominated for an Academy Award, two BAFTA awards and 5 European FIlm Awards, receiving the European Film Award for Best Film, Best Director and Best Actress.  "Clara Sola" and "Moneyboys" premiered in the Cannes Film Festival in the Directors' Fortnight and Un Certain Regard respectively.

Until you (screenwriter) type "The End",
no one has a job

Frank Pierson Screenwriter/Producer

Screenwriter / Producer Team

Eight promising screenplays are selected by an international jury to participate in a one-week script workshop. The writers meet on the basis of one-to-one discussions with nine advisors – internationally known and experienced screenwriters, directors and script editors – who share their knowledge and experience. Their producers attend the last 2.5 days of the workshop for a final meeting with writer and advisors, as well as participating in a coproduction session with a media lawyer and other events.

Aims

The Aim of eQuinoxe Europe is to support the development and production potential of strong, culturally and linguistically diverse screenplays for an international audience.

Program

The course's three components are:

  1. A workshop consisting of one-on-one meetings between trainers and participating writers; last day includes final session with writers/advisors and the. respective project producer(s)/co-writer;
  2. Master Classes giving participants a 're-entry' phase from a small to a larger group, providing a strong foundation for all their work; and
  3. follow-up consultation with an advisor on the rewrite when it is submitted.

Focus

The focus of the eQuinoxe Europe International Screenwriters´ Workshops is on both the writers and the producers of the selected projects. The workshops, which offer both script and project development, are distinguished by the creative, collegiate environment and the rigorous discussion between the writers and the advisors. Collectively and individually the focus is on finding ways to make the screenplays more competitive and compelling in order to expedite the pathway to production. Participants have the rare opportunity to discuss their work with experienced filmmakers from different cultural and professional backgrounds, leading to creative breakthroughs and the potential for co-financing.

Advisors / Tutors

...fueled by inspiration

The success of eQuinoxe Europe is due to the generosity and professional expertise of numerous internationally recognised screenwriters, directors and producers, who continually offer their services to eQuinoxe Europe for the Intl. Screenwriters' Workshops as advisors:

  • Simon Aeby (CH - Three Below Zero,...)
  • Angela Allen (UK - Misfits, Wise Blood,… )
  • Simon Beaufoy (GB - Slumdog Millionaire,...)
  • Dev Benegal (IND - English, August)
  • Marcos Bernstein (BRA - Central Station)
  • Andrew Bovell (AUS - Lantana, A Most Wanted Man,...)
  • Ulf Breistrand (N - You haven´t got a Chance, Take it!,…)
  • Kit Carson ♱ (USA - Paris, Texas,...)
  • Pauline Chan (AUS - 33 Postcards…)
  • Jim Charne (USA - Media Lawyer)
  • Shane Connaughton (IRE - My Left Foot,...)
  • Laurence Coriat (F - Wonderland)
  • Luke Davies (AUS - LION-The Long Way Home)
  • Claire Dobbin AM (AUS - Script Editor)
  • Bille Eltringham (GB - Kid in the corner,… )
  • Delia Ephron (USA - You’ve Got Mail,...)
  • Mary Agnes Donoghue (USA - Beaches, White Oleander,...)
  • Jacques Fieschi (F - Un Coeur en Hiver,...)
  • Florian Flicker ♱ (A - The Hold-Up,...)
  • Stephen Frears (GB - The Queen,...)
  • Lisa Fruchtman (USA - Apocalypse Now, The Right Stuff..)
  • Akiva Goldsman (USA - The Client, A Beautiful Mind,...)
  • Carl Gottlieb (USA - Jaws I-III,...)
  • Paul Haggis (CAN - L.A. Crash,…)
  • Randa Haines (USA - Children Of A Lesser God,…)
  • James V. Hart (USA - Contact, Bram Stoker’s Dracula,...)
  • Axel Hellstenius (N - Elling,...)
  • Hannah Hollinger (GER - Liebe Amelie,...)
  • Coleman Hough (USA - Full Frontal,...)
  • Neil Hunter (UK - Lawless, Boyfriends,...)
  • Laurie Hutzler (USA - Creative Consultant)
  • Annemarie Jacir (PL - When I Saw You)
  • David Keating (IRE - Last of the High Kings)
  • Danny Krausz (A - The Inheritors,...)
  • Susan B. Landau ♱ (USA - An Ideal Husband,...)
  • Don MacPherson (GB - The Big Man,...)
  • David Magee (USA- Finding Neverland, The Life of Pi,...)
  • Anthony McCarten (NZ - The Theory of Everything,...)
  • Jocelyn Moorhouse (AUS - The Dressmaker, Thousand Acres,...)
  • Ewan Morrison (UK - Nina X)
  • Shandi Mitchell (CAN - The Disappeared)
  • Marcia Nasatir (USA - Amadeus, Ironweed,… )
  • Sandra Nettelbeck (GER - Helen, Mr. Morgan’s Last Love,…)
  • Mark O’Halloran (IRE - Viva, Adam & Paul,...)
  • Frank Pierson (USA - Presumed Innocent, Dog Day Afternoon, ...)
  • Eric Pleskow ♱ (USA/A - Raging Bull, Amadeus,...)
  • Angela Pope (GB - Hollow Reed,...)
  • Charles Randolph (USA - The Life of David Gale,...)
  • Richard Reitinger (GER - Wings of Desire,..)
  • Neus Rodrigues (ES - Script Editor)
  • Richard Romanus (USA - If You Believe,...)
  • Stefan Rüll (GER - Media Lawyer)
  • Juliet Sales (F - Belle & Sébastien)
  • Ana Sanz Magallon (E - Bajo les Estrelas,...)
  • Stephen Schiff (USA - Lolita,…)
  • Susanne Schneider (GER - The Day Comes,...)
  • Susan Schulte (GER - The Deathmaker, The Wall,...)
  • Lorenzo Semple Jr. ♱ (USA - Three Days of The Condor, Papillon,…)
  • Martin Sherman (UK - Bent, Mrs.Henderson Presents,...)
  • Iain Softley (GB - K-Pax,...)
  • Tim Squyres (USA - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Ice Storm,...)
  • Michael Steinberg (USA - There's Something about Mary,...)
  • Robin Swicord (USA - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,...)
  • Anthea Sylbert (G - Chinatown, Julia,…)
  • Thomas Valentin (A - Media Lawyer)
  • Chris Vogler (USA - The Writer's Journey)
  • Michael West (IRE - Freefall,…)
  • Gregory Widen (USA - Highlander, Backdraft,…)
  • and more...

Former Workshops

Results

  • 2024. Currently 5 projects from the countries Albania, Austria, Belgium, Canada, and Germany are in various phases of production.
  • In 2023, "Adiós Buenos Aires" was awarded three Audience Awards - Film Festival Schwerin - Audience Prize for Best Film, the Music and Film Festival Oberaudorf - Arri Audience Award, and the Warsaw Latin Film Festival - Audience Prize Best Film. The film "Touched" celebrated its world premiere in Locarno and received the Golden Leopard for the Actors Isold Hallddórudóttir and Stavros Zafeiris, among others.
  • In 2022, "Clara Sola" was nominated for 9 Swedish Film Awards and received 5, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress and Best Editing. "Moneyboys" was awarded Best Film and Best Screenplay at the Max Ophuls Film Festival in Saarbrucken, Germany and nominated for 5 Austrian Film Awards.
  • In 2021, "Quo Vadis, Aida?" was nominated for an Academy Award, two BAFTA awards and 5 European FIlm Awards, receiving the European Film Award for Best Film, Best Director and Best Actress.  "Clara Sola" and "Moneyboys", both feature film debuts, premiered in the Cannes Film Festival in the sections Directors' Fortnight and Un Certain Regard, respectively.
  • In 2020, during the pandemic and highly competitive film submissions for festivals held "live", had four projects which premiered in three A festivals - Berlin, Venice and Tallinn.
  • In 2019, six films were nominated for 25 national awards in four EU countries - Austria, Finland, Germany and Latvia, and received 11 national film prizes including Best Film and Best Script.
  • In 2018, three films premiered at the Berlinale: "Styx" opened the Panorama Section, "The Silent Revolution" was a Berlinale Special Gala personally selected by the festival director, and "3 Days in Quiberon" was in the Competition.

Call for Projects - 29. International Screenwriters´ Workshop

Anticipated Date for announcing the Call for Projects is early June 2024. Please check back.
The week-long Workshop is scheduled for early November 2024 and planned as a residential workshop.

The Submission Deadline will be announced in the CALL FOR PROJECTS. (Postal stamp application)

The International Screenwriters′ Workshops are for screenwriters who have had minimum one feature length script produced or equivalent experience.
The workshop deals with screenplays for Cinema and concentrates on script and project development.

Cinema: Screenplays should be preferably no less than third draft, in order to maximize the one-to-one meetings with the advisors.

Selected Writers: Workshop fee for the writer is 3700€.
Travel costs assumed by the selected applicant.

Selected Project Producers: Producers assume their own travel costs and will be charged a 425€ fee for food, lodging and train station/airport transport.

We all hope that Covid or other potential viral problems will not exist in Autumn 2024, however, if the workshop cannot be held as a residential workshop, it will be held digitally.

 

Criteria for Submission:

  • Writer has minimum one feature film script produced (or equivalent experience).
  • eQuinoxe Europe welcomes submissions from international writers of all countries.
  • Producer must be attached to your project. If your project is accepted the producer is obligated to attend the last 2,5 days of the workshop.
  • Applicant speaks English (workshops held in the English language).
  • Cinema projects (1. Drafts are not accepted),
    Scripts submitted in industry-standard format and pagination.
  • Application information: Bios, summary (no longer than 1-page), and the letter of motivation must be submitted in the English language.
  • Scripts may be submitted in German or English language.
  • Script length no longer than 135 pages.
  • If your project is selected, an English translation of the script must be provided in 21 days.

Please note

We accept one writer from a writing team.

The co-writer and/or director are welcome and encouraged to attend together with the producer for the last two days of workshop, provided space is available.
Fees are 425€/per person (producer, co-writer, director). Producers assume their own travel costs.

A translation of the rewrite (in most cases in English) will be required for the post-workshop rewrite consultation.

The application is online, should be filled out, downloaded and signed by both writer and producer.

HOW DO I APPLY?
Go to footer - right corner
Under More you´ll find My Account. Opening My Account you´ll need to register and you´ll start the application process

Project selection will be made the beginning of October.

Success fee, Giving back, Paying-forward. eQuinoxe Europe is a non-profit, not for profit organization which supports international filmmakers in script and project development.
Our success fee applies to projects which are produced. These funds enable us to become more sustainable and to continue our work.

For projects which successfully enter production a fee of one-quarter (0,25% of one percent of the final budget will be assessed, not to exceed 7500€, for the project developed with the assistance of the Intl. Screenwriters’ Workshop.

For participants returning with a second project, the fee is 0,3% (of 1,0%), capped at 8.500€.
For participants returning with a third project, the fee is 0,3% (of 1,0%) capped at 10.000€.
Example: A film budgeted at one million Euro would amount to 2.500€.

Application Fee
The application fee is 50,00€ /per project

eQuinoxe Europe e.V.
GLS Bank
IBAN: DE35 4306 0967 1119 1308 01
BIC/SWIFT: GENODEM1GLS


All bank costs to be assumed by the applicant.

We look forward to your submission !