Five African screenwriters have been selected for the Realness African Screenwriters’ Residency, which will run for six weeks from July 14 to September 6 in South Africa.
The five writers are Ghana’s Amartei Armar, Nigeria’s Michael Omonua, South Africa’s Chantel Clark, Gabon-Lebanon’s Chadi Zeneddine and South Africa’s Babalwa Baartman.
For the seventh edition of the annual residency, the writers will work with three mentors: story consultants Selina Ukwuoma and Thandeka Zwana, and creative producer Cait Pansegrouw. The course will provide mentorship on the writers’ projects and how to develop them into screenplays; as well as advice on pitching to financing and production partners.
The residency will then conclude in partnership with FAME Week Africa, in Cape Town, South Africa from September 3 to 10.
Armar is presenting period drama Ever Young. His most recent film, short Tsutsue, premiered in official selection at Cannes last year. Omonua’s debut feature The Man Who Cuts Tattoos debuted at BFI London Film Festival in 2019; he is now presenting dark comedy Galatians.
Clark is working on debut feature, horror Pale Faces, which was selected for the Sundance Institute’s prestigious Screenwriters Lab; while Zeneddine is presenting his second feature, coming-of-age title This Is What They Call Us, 16 years after 2007’s Falling From Earth. Baartman is making her solo writing debut on Eziko, having co-written Toronto 2021 selection Good Madam.
“It’s rare to be surrounded and supported by fellow Africans as you continue to discover your voice as a filmmaker,” said Pansegrouw. “These visionary filmmakers are encouraged to be expansive — to stretch their creativity to its limits — before then honing the craft skills that enable them to present the fruits of that exploration to the industry in their pitch at FAME Week Africa at the end,” said Ukwuoma. “The emphasis on craft meeting creativity is crucial.”
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