Washington, 8 May 1997 (RFE/RL) - Aspiring independent film producers, writers and directors from East and Central Europe are expected to benefit from a new intensive training program being launched with funds from the international organization of major film studios.
Motion Picture Association chairman Jack Valenti announced the $60,000 grant to the Northern Screen Training project yesterday in Newcastle, England.
With additional grants from Sweden and British arts groups, the project will provide nine intensive residential training sessions of three and four days each for at least 120 aspiring film makers through 1998. An undetermined number will come from east and Central Europe.
At the same time, Valenti revealed another grant of $60,000 to the ARISTA story editor workshops, an initiative of the media program of the European Union. That program will conduct intensive seven-day workshops three times this year for story editors, writers and producers in different European countries.