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The Middle East Media Initiative
(MEMI)

The Middle East Media Initiative (MEMI)

OPEN CALL:

The Middle East Media Initiative (MEMI) is inviting all screenwriters to apply for the Television Writing and Development workshop that will be taking place at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, KSA. The workshop will be held for one week, from November 29 — December 7.

 

About the Initiative

The Middle East Media Initiative (MEMI) is an innovative professional exchange program established at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Recognizing television series as a major influence in entertaining and enlightening audiences, MEMI seeks to support and train the current generation of Arab TV screenwriters and content creators. This aims to aid in telling entertaining local stories that spark important discussions.

 

This regional program will run from November 29 — December 7, 2022, at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Participants will work on developing their scripts by implementing the writing room method for a week, in addition to in-depth pitching training. MEMI is committed to covering travel, accommodation and meal costs for the duration of the program.

 

Qualifications and Selection Criteria

  1. The initiative welcomes all levels; from professional established writers to new talent looking to launch their career. The ideal candidates are those who demonstrate a strong desire to develop their talents, acquire and master new skills, and are committed to improving their professional careers.
  2. Applicants must have the full ownership (devoid of conflict over idea, concept, or copyrights) of their television projects.

*All applications must be submitted with all the requirements through this link by 11:59 PM on November 6, 2022. Applications submitted after this date will not be accepted.*

Important Dates

  • Deadline for submissions: 11:59 PM on November 6, 2022
  • Participants Selected: November 10, 2022
  • First ‘Writing Room’: December 2, 2022
  • Final ‘Writing Room’: December 6, 2022

Submission Requirements

Please make sure to send the application with all its requirements:

Part I: Personal Information

  • Full name
  • Contact email
  • Phone number
  • Nationality
  • Country of residence
  • Birth date: Day/Month/Year
  • Emergency contact: Name, phone number, email

Part II: Application Requirements

  1. A one-page treatment for your series (up to three pages maximum). A solid treatment comprises:
    • Logline
    • Tone, visual style and general setup
    • Characters and their profiles: It is crucial to create multi-layered character profiles for your characters in order for your application to be considered. Take into account the desires, motives, and goals of your characters. How do they change over the course of the series?
    • Synopsis
  2. One segment that answers this question: Why are you the only person — or at least, the best person — to be telling this story?
  3. Optional materials (if available):
    • Writing samples
    • Résumé
    • Links to previous works