MIDPOINT Shorts 2022-2023

Shorts

Benefits

Get closer to realisation of your creative idea

The only complex program dedicated to script and project development of the short films in Europe connected vitally to the film industry. The combination of in-depth script analysis and professional project development directs projects on their path in the cinema. Thanks to a multi-stage project selection process, the program allows to support more emerging talents.

For teams of writers, directors and producers

it will bring your project to the next level and prepare for entering the industry world (from one-pager to treatment, from treatment to script, from the first draft to final one, from scratch to pitch)
chance to get a deeper understanding of the creative aspects involved in the work, as well as insights into financing, sales, festival, and distribution strategies
showcase at When East Meets West
networking & meeting new industry partners
front gate to The Focus WiP section of Cannes Court Métrage

Program Structure

Comprehensive project-development program for short-film projects

Online Feedback Session

September 5-7, 2022 | Online

From all applications, the reading committee will select approximately 20 projects, whose creative teams will receive a detailed online assessment from two experienced professionals (script consultant and producer) during the online feedback session.
Online Ideas Incubator

September 12-15, 2022 | Online

Based on assessments from the online feedback session, approximately 10 projects will be selected into the Ideas Incubator, a 4-day consultation online workshop focused on further script and project development of your project.
After this incubator, the final 4-5 projects will be selected for the MIDPOINT Shorts program (two residential workshops).
Workshop 1: Script Development & Project Packaging

November 13–18, 2022 | Prague, Czech Republic

This workshop focuses primarily on creative development and dramaturgy. Participants also begin to work on promotional materials and production strategies with the Producer Tutor. They also meet Guest Tutors from the short-film industry through special lectures and inspiring masterclasses.
Online Consultations

December 2022 | Online
Workshop 2: Industry Insights & Project Showcase

20 - 26 January 2023 | Trieste, Italy / in collaboration with When East Meets West and Trieste Film Festival

This workshop serves as a platform to develop scripts further, while also incorporating distribution strategies and addressing presentation skills and promotional materials. The entire program concludes with a project showcase within the When East Meets West Co-Production Forum, plus one-on-one meetings with important decision-makers within the industry.
Follow-up Online Consultations

Spring 2023

Projects

Honey of War

In a War torn country, we follow Sasha, an old nomadic beekeeper, on his journey to make the finest honey. He will cross paths with Ari, a lost orphan. Through the life cycle of the beehive, Ari ...

MIDPOINT participants: Lea Pietrzyk Vajra Pancharia Louise Cardenas

Project detail

Certificate of Life

Vera, the 75 years old widow, living in a small town, is wrongly pronounced dead by the city administration. She struggles to prove that she is really alive so she can continue receiving her monthly ...

MIDPOINT participants: Jakov Poposki Ivana Shekutkoska Sandra Gjorgieva

Project detail

We're Having a Boy

Nika, a soon to be mother, and her boyfriend Bojan are out shopping for groceries. While they are squabbling over pricey pasta, they get briefly interrupted by Jasmin, a Romani boy. At the till, ...

MIDPOINT participants: Lun Sevnik Rok Biček Atila Urbančič

Project detail

Welcome Home

Together with her son Jan, Vera returns to her hometown in Zagorje, a rural area in Croatia that she ran away from to Slovenia ten years ago. Upon her arrival, deep-seated family grudges connected ...

MIDPOINT participants: Eva Kučera Šmon Filip Jembrih

Project detail

The Big Night

Sara, a middle-class teenage girl from Skopje, is a host of an exchange student Jill. The school year is over and the two girls are having their last party together, before Jill leaves for home. ...

MIDPOINT participants: Ilija Tiricovski Batuhan Ibrahim Nikola Kuzelov

Project detail

Participants

Rok Biček

Louise Cardenas

Sandra Gjorgieva

Batuhan Ibrahim

Filip Jembrih

Eva Kučera Šmon

Nikola Kuzelov

Vajra Pancharia

Lea Pietrzyk

Jakov Poposki

Lun Sevnik

Ivana Shekutkoska

Ilija Tiricovski

Atila Urbančič

Tutors

Inspirational professional with a passion for sharing experience

Build on the solid foundations of traditional script analysis, MIDPOINT Shorts brings experts from the short-film industry to the service of your stories.

Head of Studies & Group Leader

Pavel Marek is a globetrotter – born in India, early childhood in the USA, now a writer and director of Czech features, shorts and docs, and professor of directing at FAMU Prague.

As Head of Studies, Pavel oversees the methodology of the program, ensures participants' needs are met, and guarantees the practical value and industry impact of the training you receive.

As Group Leader, Pavel also oversees the development of all projects from the beginning of the program through graduation.

Pavel Marek

Czech Republic

Pavel Marek is a graduate of the Faculty of Computer Engineering, Technical University and the Directing Department at FAMU. He received a scholarship at the NFTS in the UK. During the communist era ...

Complete bio

Producer Tutor

The Producer Tutor makes sure each project develops effective promotional materials and realistic budgets and schedules.

Dora Nedeczky

Estonia

Dora is a Hungarian producer and strategist, with a background in aesthetics and film theory/history. She's lived in ...

Complete bio

Pitching Tutor

The Pitching Tutor helps participants prepare the presentation of their projects, not only for the program's final pitching session but for any eventuality.

Stefano Tealdi

Italy

Complete bio

Guest Tutors

Diana Cam Van Nguyen

Czech, Vietnam

Complete bio

Alessandro Gropplero

Italy

Complete bio

Una Gunjak

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Complete bio

Wouter Jansen

Austria

Complete bio

References

A motivational experience that elevates your project

We have managed to achieve almost final version of the script in three months. All the workshops were very wisely chosen and inspiring.

Elvira Dulskaia

Writer, Director, Shorts 2020–2021 Alumna

MIDPOINT Shorts met and exceeded my expectations with great organization, thorough and dedicated involvement in our project on all the important levels, from the concept and story development all the way to the promotion, marketing and sales, enriching it and teaching us along the way.

Nikola Kupresanin

Writer, Shorts 2020–2021 Alumnus

MIDPOINT Shorts program is an amazing opportunity to take your project to the next level with skillful industry professionals.

Emilios Avraam

Writer, Director, Shorts 2020–2021 Alumnus

MIDPOINT gave us great support from the development stage to the final edit. Apart from that, it was a very pleasant personal experience.

Damian Vondrasek

Writer, Director, Shorts 2021-2022 Alumnus

I believe that this program is a giant leap forward for anyone who is serious about his short film.

Patrik Svehelka

Producer, Shorts 2021-2022 Alumnus

Fee

Online Feedback Session

20 EUR

per project

Online Ideas Incubator

200 EUR

per project

Workshop 1 + 2: 700 EUR

700 EUR

per participant

The fee includes accommodation, board, and tuition during the residential workshops. Travel costs are NOT included.

Application deadline

July 29, 2022

Who can apply

teams of writers, directors and producers (2–3 members in one team)
open to projects of professional or graduation short films
eligible countries:
open to projects from the whole world with a focus on CEE region

Application requirements

To apply for the workshop, please create an account on the MIDPOINT Visitor Page and follow the instructions within the submission form.

Application process:
The multi-stage application process runs online. Applicants are asked to fill out the application form and submit all attachments in PDF format (if not stated otherwise).

The application materials consist of:

basic information about the applicants and the project
synopsis (0,5–1 page)
author´s statement (0,5–1 page)
producer´s statement (0,5–1 page)
previous work of director - link(s) to previous reference film(s) of the director (including English subtitles)
short professional biographies of all team members in full sentences (max. 1000 characters incl. spaces per each biography)
photos of all team members
optional materials: script / treatment / step outline, moodboard

FAQs

You may ask...

Can I apply with a documentary short film project?

Sadly, this program does not work with documentary projects, its focus are live-action fiction.
Can I apply without a writer OR director OR producer in the team?

You can't. All these creative roles have to be present in your team. One person could represent more than one role (writer/director OR director/producer, etc.), or there could be two people representing one role (2x writer OR 2x producer, etc.). In any case, the team must consist of 2-3 people.
Are there any time requirements regarding the minimum or maximum length of the short film?

The recommended length is approximately 7-25 minutes.
Do we have to have some financing in place while applying for the workshop?

Nope!
My English no good. Me can apply?

Sadly, no. As the entire training runs in English, and during the working days you'll be asked to write directly in English, we require an intermediate level of these language skills. This simply means: your grammar doesn't have to be perfect, but you need to talk/write fluently and have the vocabulary to do so.

Successful Shorts

Selection of our successful alumni

Magic Moments

Parents struggle to earn money, so sisters basically take care of each other alone.

-Why do we walk on the grass?

-So that we step into dogshit and are lucky.

Thanks to the bond they have, they might have already won over life´s shit.

Status: realised

MIDPOINT participants involved: Martina Buchelova, Erika Paulinska

Developed at: MIDPOINT Intensive Early Melons 2013

Atlantis, 2003

2003, four years before Slovakia entered the Schengen Area. Martin and Denisija, a young couple from Ukraine, are trying to get illegaly to Germany through Slovakia, like many people before them. The border between Slovakia and Ukraine will be in a couple of years one of the most secured borders in Europe, but in 2003 it is still open for smugglers and for people hoping to find a new life in Western Europe. Martin and Denisija both dream about getting to Germany, a place they’ve never been to, both ready to sacrifice everything they have to reach this destination.

Status: realised

MIDPOINT participants involved: Michal Blasko, Jakub Brychta

Developed at: MIDPOINT Shorts 2015