The Realness African Screenwriters Residency is an incubator for African screenwriters that provides residents with the practical support needed to refine their projects from a creative perspective, community, as well as the opportunity to pitch their projects to industry partners for potential financing and production. The residency acts as a year-round support system for alumni, helping them take their scripts from the page to the screen, and fosters a new wave of authentic African cinema in the process.

This screenwriting residency was our first programatic offer ever and it drew inspiration from the observation that African screenwriters needed a room of their own in the continent and more importantly, with other African writers and professionals who work in the very markets they come from to guide them. Too often, the rooms the industry provides are far from what we need and nowhere near home so we created our own and sent writers into Africa to create.

Over the years, the program, which accepted its first cohort of residents in 2016, has received over 850 submissions from 28 countries in Africa, and mentors have worked with and developed 42 film projects with 3 films produced as a result and others on the way. These films A Fool God by Hiwot Adamasu (Ethiopia), This is Not A Burial It’s a Resurrection by Lemoghang Jeremiah Mosese (Lesotho), and Disco Africa by Luk Razanajaona (Madagascar), all premiered at A-list festivals that include TIFF, Berlin International Film Festival, and Sundance, and had international sales agents attached that distributed them around the world. Of note, both Disco Africa and This is Not a Burial – It’s a Resurrection also had the distinction of both becoming debut submissions, as in the the first time ever a film from Madagascar and Lesotho, respectively, were considered for the Academy Awards in the International Best Feature Film category. This is Not a Burial – It’s a Resurrection also went out to win over 32 awards included the Visionary Filmmaking award at Sundance and is now streaming on Criterion.

The unprecedented success of this program is attributable to the length of time spent, 6 weeks in person in the most beautiful estuary in South Africa, and the care that goes into providing a safe space for African writers to feel seen, heard, and support. But this comes with a cost that has precluded us from running this program for the last couple of years. With the contraction of the film and television market globally, funding has evaporated so we are rethinking the financing of this program and looking for an anchor partner to bring it into a new future. We are hopeful that we will be able to bring it back this year. If you are interested in partnering with us. Please email: submissions@realness.institute. To learn more about the past projects we have supported in this residency download our PDF which was compiled for our 5 year anniversary in 2021.

For those of you who would like to apply, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter so you can be the first to know when the open call is live. In the meantime, read the below summary that outlines the eligibility criteria and what the application entails.

Eligibility

We look for filmmakers with distinct voices and perspectives, who are devoted to their craft, and have a steadfast passion for cinema.

You are eligible to apply for the residency if:

• You have a valid African passport.
• 60 – 100% of your script is filmed on the African continent.
• Your script is fiction. We do not accept non-fiction work at this time.
• Adaptations are eligible although you must include proof that rights to the source material have been acquired with your application.

Applications

Applicants must submit the following:

• A motivation for wanting to participate in the Realness Residency (1/2 page)
• A log line of the proposed feature project (2 lines)
• A synopsis of the proposed feature project (1 page).
• A treatment of the proposed feature project (6 pages).
• A draft of the screenplay, if available. (Please note that we favour strong treatments over a rushed first draft)
• A writer’s note of intention (1 page).
• A short biography (300 words max.).
• Two samples of previous work, uploaded to Vimeo or Youtube. If selected, residents will be required to donate one copy of their previous work to the Nirox film library.
• A producer’s note (if a producer is attached) (1 page).
• A producer’s biography and the production company’s profile (if a producer is attached).
• Visual reference material (mood board, character reference, casting tapes (if available), location scout pictures and/or sizzle reel for the project).
• 1 photograph/portrait (.jpg or .png)
• An Application Fee of 30 Euros is required to apply. The Application Fee is payable via Paypal: paypal.me/realnessinstitute

All submitted material must be in English however, screenplays written in French will also be accepted on a limited basis (with all supporting documents in English).

Selection will be based on artistic merit alone. The Realness Institute will hold no legal claim over the work once the residency is completed.

Apply

Please Note: We are currently NOT accepting any new submissions. We are hoping to do an open call for this program soon. Please ensure to follow us on our social media platforms & subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed about open calls for submissions.

Funding

Most travel and accommodation expenses are covered by the Realness Institute and its Program Partners. Selected screenwriters will need to cover the cost of their visas, flights, and travel insurance to South Africa. We will assist with seeking funding and offer letters to selected participants to approach funders for their flights.

Program Partners For Next Cohort Needed

We are looking for an anchor partner for this program that will help us bring it back. In the past have partnered with A51, Atlas Ateliers – Festival International du Film de Marrakech, Berlinale Talents, Cocoon Productions, EAVE, Farmhouse 58, IEFTA, IFFR Pro, Locarno Filmmaker’s Academy, Nirox Foundation, the French Institute of SouthAfrica and Institute Français’ La Fabriquedes Cinémas du Monde, the CNC, and TorinoFilmLab.