BWI: Nandita Das and Maithili Rao join Advisory Council for New Voices Fellowship for Screenwriters

Press release from Business Wire India
Source: Asia Society
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 08:30 PM IST (03:00 PM GMT)
Editors: General: Entertainment, People; Business: Accounting & management consultancy services, Business services, Education & training
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Nandita Das and Maithili Rao join Advisory Council for New Voices Fellowship for Screenwriters


Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, Tuesday, July 26, 2011 -- (Business Wire India) -- Asia Society India Centre announced the launch of the New Voices Fellowship for Screenwriters (NVFS), a program to identify and support a group of six talented independent screenwriters to develop their feature film scripts by working in a dynamic and innovative environment with guidance from eminent filmmakers and screenwriters. Our premise is that screenwriters are seeking to write powerful, nuanced and well-crafted scripts and at the same time to explore new approaches to the art of writing for cinema. We invite writers from across the country to submit an original story for consideration between July 11 and August 31, 2011.

"We are delighted to launch the New Voices Fellowship for Screenwriters. This initiative, coordinated by Asia Society's offices in New York and India, represents Asia Society's commitment to fostering creativity and nurturing new talent whether it be Asia Society's commitment to young leaders, women or in this instance, New Voices in Screen Writing, " says Bunty Chand, Executive Director of Asia Society India Centre.

Time Warner is the Founding Sponsor of the New Voices Fellowship for Screenwriters.

"As a company in the business of telling meaningful stories to audiences around the globe, Time Warner is proud to support Asia Society in launching this innovative program to find and nurture a new generation of talented Indian storytellers," said Lisa Garcia Quiroz, Senior Vice President of Corporate Responsibility at Time Warner.

ABOUT THE NEW VOICES FELLOWSHIP FOR SCREENWRITERS

Asia Society recognizes India's exceptional legacy in the field of cinema. At the same time, many screenwriters are seeking to develop their skills and explore new directions. After a year-long exploration with film makers, writers, educators, film festival directors including Anjum Rajabali, eminent screenwriter, Rachel Cooper, Director of Cultural Programs and Performing Arts, Asia Society, and George Jose of Asia Society India Centre developed a unique fellowship program which includes workshops, mentoring, peer feedback and a modest stipend. The fellowship fosters a creative community for a diverse and talented group of screenwriters who will explore new approaches to storytelling and narrative, provide peer feedback, and work intensively with respected professionals in the field.

The fellowship is guided by an Advisory Council. The members of the Advisory Council, led by Anjum Rajabali, are Dev Benegal, Saket Chaudhary, Nandita Das, Maithili Rao, and Jaideep Sahni. Bunty Chand and Rachel Cooper of Asia Society are also members of the Advisory Council. The project mentors are Ashwini Malik, Sriram Raghavan and Vinay Shukla.

The New Voices Fellowship for Screenwriters will select through an open application process, six screenwriters from across India for an eight month fellowship. Selected fellows will have a rare opportunity to work with eminent screenwriters to develop their scripts and to attend two workshops.

Each participating fellow will receive:

-- A stipend of Rs.1,00,000

-- Regular mentoring from the mentors who are noted screenwriters/directors towards the completion of feature script

-- Two, 5-day-long intensive workshops led by industry professionals and with active participation from peers in a learning community

-- Recommendations on how to take the scripts to the next phase. This includes conceptualizing strategies and approaches to developing contacts - producers, directors, distributors and festivals.

About Asia Society:

Asia Society is the leading global and pan-Asian organization working to strengthen relationships and promote understanding among the people, leaders, and institutions of Asia and the United States. We seek to increase knowledge and enhance dialogue, encourage creative expression, and generate new ideas across the fields of arts and culture, policy and business, and education. The Society was founded in 1956 by John D. Rockefeller the 3rd.

Asia Society India Centre is a part of Asia Society's global network of 11 offices. The India Centre is a not-for-profit, non partisan institution inaugurated by PM Dr. Manmohan Singh in 2006. The India Centre is a key forum for intra-Asian connections and exchange and has conceptualized and curated over 250 events in the past 5 years. We have a strong and growing list of members, patrons and corporate supporters.

The India Centre is fortunate to have Pheroza Godrej (Cymroza Art Gallery), Sangita Jindal (Jindal Foundation), Sunil Mehta (Tata AIG), Falguni Nayar (Kotak), Rashmi Poddar (Jnanapravaha), Jai Shroff (United Phosphorus) and Rajiv Singh (DLF) on its Board of Directors. Purnendu Chatterjee (TCG) serves as the Chairman of the Board.

The India Centre has been privileged to host Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Planning Commission Chairman Dr. M. S. Ahluwalia, former White House National Economic Council Director Dr. Lawrence Summers, President of Brandeis University Dr. Joshua Reinharz, and Co-Founder of Ebay Pierre Omidyar, among others.

For more information on New Voices Fellowship for Screenwriters, please visit http://asiasociety.org/centers/india

To view the photograph, please click on the link given below:

NVFS Advisory Council Members
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NVFS-1.JPG


CONTACT DETAILS
Lisa Marie De Souza, Sr. Manager PR & Events, REPUTE, +91 9819044657, lisamarie.desouza@reputesolutions.com
Bahaar Chopra, REPUTE, +91 9619088099, bahaar.chopra@reputesolutions.com

KEYWORDS
ENTERTAINMENT, PEOPLE, CONSULTANCY SERVICES, BUSINESS SERVICES, EDUCATION

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