Talent Development at the Edinburgh International Film Festival 2011

2011 saw the successful launch of two exciting talent development initiatives as part of the Centre for the Moving Image's Talent Foundation.

The Edinburgh International Film Festival’s Talent Lab and the Composers MiniLab both took place during the festival and offered opportunities for emerging directors, producers, screenwriters and composers to be inspired and mentored by established professionals in their fields, through a series of workshops, roundtables and individual advice sessions.

Talent Lab

Drawing on the EIFF’s successful track record in talent development, the Talent Lab gave up-and-coming writers, directors and producers the chance to meet with and gather information from leading industry professionals in a relaxed and informal environment. 35 participants received a full weekend of meetings, discussions and opportunities to help develop their projects, their networks and their careers.

The Talent Lab also hosted an invaluable afternoon of 1-2-1 advice and information sessions with experienced industry insiders, all with the aim of honing skills and building confidence within a new generation of filmmakers. Industry guests taking 1-2-1 meetings included directors, producers, sales agents, distributors, screenwriters, story editors and investors.

Composers MiniLab

As part of the CMI's Creative Futures programme, the Composers MiniLab offered a unique chance for emerging composers to meet with some of the most successful professionals in their field and to find out what the “real score” is in the world of composition. Over two days eight composers were invited to Edinburgh to learn from leading film composers, directors, music editors and supervisors who offered their insight, advice and expertise. Film Composer guests included Paul Leonard-Morgan (Limitless), Richard Blair Oliphant (Never Mind the Buzzcocks) and Matthew Herbert (Life in a Day).

Talent Lab was funded through the Scottish Government's Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund and Creative Futures is funded through investment from Creative Scotland. For more details of future talent development programmes visit the Film Festival website.

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