Onir, Nila Madhab Panda and Ruskin Bond

Bhubaneswar, Aug.1: Eighteen scripts for children’s films will be developed in Bhubaneswar at a workshop titled Green Screen Lab-2012 from August 10-20.

Here, 18 emerging as well as experienced writers, who have been working on ideas and stories for films focussing on children’s issues and experiences, have been selected to work with an expert team of award-winning Indian and international screenwriters, producers, directors and actors.

The workshop, organised by Eleeanora Images, Delhi, and Performing Arts Lab, UK, in association with the Children’s Film Society, India, will be held at KIIT University.

Filmmaker Onir, screenwriter Sanjay Chauhan and German director Arend Agthe will guide the participants. Author Ruskin Bond, many of whose novels have been adapted into movies by directors such as Shyam Benegal and Vishal Bhardwaj, will also attend the workshop to share his thoughts on the relationship between literature and cinema.

The screenplays, which will be developed in different languages, include five from the northeast in a bid to bring out some stories from the region for the mainstream audience.

“The call for entry to the lab elicited a huge response and the selection jury had a tough time picking the chosen 18 as the quality of the submissions was high. This gives us great hope for the future of children’s cinema which has largely been a neglected genre in India,” said Nila Madhab Panda, a filmmaker from Odisha, who tasted international success for his children’s film I am Kalam.

The workshop will feature group interactions and one-on-one sessions with the experts. Guest mentors from India and Europe will advise the writers on international children’s film production, marketing and distribution. There will also be screenings of internationally acclaimed children’s films.

At least five projects are expected to be selected for development so that they can start shooting from next year.

“We are conceptualising production of quality children’s films in various Indian languages with minimum energy. For example, these films can be made using maximum amount of natural light, thereby saving the cost on electricity and on diesel used in generators, or by being shot in natural locations so that we avoid studio floors which uses a lot of energy,” says Panda.

Actress Tannishtha Chatterjee will be the mentor for actors who will assist the writers. Screenwriter Kamlesh Pandey, Cinekid Film Festival (The Netherlands) director Sannette Naeyi and chair of Creative England, John Newbigin will attend the workshop.