The very first selection for the talent development program TalentScope has been announced! The international selection committee has selected three teams for the twelve-month coaching trajectory. The plans of directors Zara Dwinger, Victoria Warmerdam, and Valerie Bisscheroux stood out and have been chosen. The teams of creators will further develop their film plans through special workshops and under the guidance of international experts.
The Film Fund received eight promising applications that qualified. These eight teams of creators pitched their projects to the selection committee consisting of producer and TorinoFilmLab tutor Eilon Ratzkovsky, producer and ACE producer Eve Gabereau, film consultant Kaweh Modiri, and Head of Selective Funding Iwana Chronis. TalentScope is an intensive coaching trajectory of the Dutch Film Fund in collaboration with international partners TorinoFilmLab, ACE Producers, and FilmForward. With this initiative, the Film Fund aims to give talent an extra boost for the development of their next film project.
The selected projects:
Boy meets Bot
Director/writer: Victoria Warmerdam
Producer: OAK Motion Pictures
Logline: In the tragicomic sci-fi drama Boy meets Bot, the “boy” in the title is actually a mediocre man in his early forties, trying to cope with the loss of his deceased wife by purchasing a hyper-realistic RoboPartner. What begins as the seemingly perfect solution to his grief turns into a true nightmare when his RoboPartner discovers that she is a bot.
Victoria Warmerdam previously made the comedy Korte Kuitspier and the short sci-fi drama Ik ben geen Robot, which was awarded Best Short Film at the renowned Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival.
What’s Wrong with Sylvester
Director/writer: Zara Dwinger
Producer: Studio Ruba
Logline: After a mental breakdown abroad, successful Sylvester is forced into group therapy and has to move back in with her parents at the age of 35. She arrives with a broken heart and an unfortunate face tattoo and wants nothing more than to return to her ‘normal’ life as quickly as possible. Sylvester prefers to escape from her problems but struggles through a summer full of dysfunctional family dynamics and an awkward search for (self) love.
Zara Dwinger’s first feature film Kiddo premiered at the Berlinale 2023.
The Muffler / De Knalpot
Director: Valerie Bisscheroux
Writer: Maud Wiemeijer
Co-creator: Hanna van Vliet
Producer: Labyrint Film
Logline: In the harsh Amsterdam of the 1980s, opposites Rita and Cora set up De Knalpot in a squatted building, an auto garage for and by women. Over five years, the place grows into an important base and close-knit community of free-spirited (lesbian) women. When the city threatens to close the garage, the women must join forces to save their beloved place. Valerie, Maud, and Hanna previously collaborated on the hit series and film Anne+.
Further trajectory TalentScope
In April 2024, the selected teams will start with the first kick-off workshop, organized by TorinoFilmLab, ACE Producers, and FilmForward, where the creators will get to know each other and each other’s projects. They will also work on the development of the (mini-)treatment with the director and writer. Part of this workshop includes inspirational sessions for directors, writers, and producers, focusing on team development & collaboration and ‘positionality in storytelling’. Two masterclasses will also be organized, inviting leading international filmmakers and screenwriters to discuss their work and approach. After the final workshops, the trajectory will conclude with a private presentation at CineMart during the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) in 2025.