2024 Debut Narrative Feature Development Lab

The Mulan International Film Festival (MulanIFF) is proud to announce the launch of its inaugural Debut Narrative Feature Development Lab, scheduled to take place from August 12 to August 16, 2024, during the fifth edition of its annual festival. This initiative is designed to provide support to emerging directors of Chinese backgrounds who are preparing to embark on their debut narrative feature-length film in the Chinese language.

We aim to select up to five promising film projects. The successful applicants will be invited to attend the Lab in person, where they will receive feedback and one-on-one consultation from experienced Mentors. Additionally, they will attend masterclasses covering topics such as low-budget producing, financing, international co-producing, and festival strategies. They will also engage in networking events to foster connections and collaborations within the film industry.

The full list of Mentors and Guest Speakers will be announced in June.

Both online information sessions have finished. Click here to view the recording.

Mentors

Pre-Selection Judges

Terms and Conditions

1. Eligibility
   1. Primary applicant
      1. The primary applicant must be the sole director of the submitted film project.
      2. [UPDATED] The primary applicant must have completed at least one year of in-person post-secondary education in an accredited academic institution in North America or Europe.
      3. The primary applicant must be fluent in both Chinese and English.
      4. The primary applicant must have experience directing narrative short films.
      5. The primary applicant must not have directed a feature-length film, either narrative or documentary.
      6. If selected, the primary applicant must be able to travel to Canada to attend the Lab in person.
      7. The successful primary applicant will be required to attend all Lab activities. Failure to do so will result in removal from the Lab.
      8. In the event that the primary applicant cannot travel to Canada for reasons not classified as force majeure, their future applications will not be considered.
   2. Co-Applicant
      1. The co-applicant can either be a writer or a producer on the submitted film project.
      2. Having a co-applicant is optional and does not affect the final outcome of the application.
      3. Up to two co-applicants can be added to each application.
   3. The Film Project
      1. Only one film project per director is accepted.
      2. The project must be at its pre-production stage.
      3. The primary language of the project must be a Chinese language.
      4. The project is intended to be primarily shot in Mainland China.
      5. The project must be a narrative feature-length film, with an estimated runtime of 60 minutes or longer.
      6. The project must have a treatment and a complete first draft of the screenplay in Chinese.
      7. Having a producer attached to the project is not required and will not affect the final outcome of the application.
      8. Having secured financing for the project is not required and will not affect the final outcome of the application.
      9. The project has a budget of under CNY¥2,000,000 (or approximately CAD$375,000).
      10. The project is intended to have an appeal to a global audience.
2. Timeline
   1. [UPDATED] Submission opens on April 15, 2024. The regular submission deadline is 11:59 PM EDT on May 24, 2024, and the late deadline is 11:59 PM EDT on May 31, 2024.
   2. Applicants may be invited to attend an online interview by June 3, 2024.
   3. Decisions are notified by June 10, 2024.
3. How to Apply
   1. To apply, please go to: https://mulanfestival.com/lab-submission-2024/. This is the only official platform to apply.
   2. For a list of required information and materials, please see Appendix A below.
   3. Applicants are strongly encouraged to gather all required materials in advance and work on a separate Word document before completing the online application.
   4. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
   5. Once an application is submitted, the applicants cannot request to submit new or revised materials. If contact information changes, please notify us immediately via email: [email protected].
4. Selection Process
   1. Within one week after submitting the application, the applicants will be notified via email regarding the completeness of their submitted materials and whether they have passed the eligibility review.
   2. The Artistic Director will appoint a Pre-Selection Committee consisting of two internal members from the current programming team and one external member from the film industry. The Pre-Selection Committee will review all applications that have passed the eligibility review and are deemed as complete, and invite selected applicants for an interview.
   3. Following the interview, pre-selection decisions will be made at the sole and absolute discretion of the Committee.
   4. The Mentors will review the shortlisted applications and final selection decisions will be made at their sole and absolute discretion.
5. Special Considerations
   1. If the primary applicant’s short films have been previously selected to the Fountainhead Programme, the application fee will be waived. Please email [email protected] for waiver codes.
   2. If the primary applicant’s short films have been previously selected to the Fountainhead Programme, their application will receive priority.
   3. Transnational stories that have the potential to be partially shot in Canada will receive priority.
6. Fees
   1. [UPDATED] The submission fee is CAD$80 for the regular deadline and CAD$90 for the late deadline. The submission fee is non-refundable under any circumstances.
   2. The primary applicant and co-applicants must cover their own travel expenses to/from Toronto, and any applicable visa application fees.
7. Accommodations
   1. The primary applicant will be provided meals and hotel accommodations for the duration of the Lab (August 12-16, 2024).
   2. Up to one co-applicant will also be provided meals and hotel accommodations for the duration of the Lab (August 12-16, 2024), if they are willing to share a room with the primary applicant or another applicant on a different project.
8. Copyrights and Public Release
   1. The primary applicant represents and warrants that they hold all the copyrights within and related to the submitted film project and materials, and have the authority to grant MulanIFF the rights to publicly announce and promote the submitted film project through media and all applicable channels. 
   2. Upon being selected, the primary applicant (and co-applicants, if applicable) grant MulanIFF the right to publicly announce and promote such involvement through media and any other channels. Such communications may include the primary applicant’s and co-applicant’s names and headshots, as well as the title of the film project, and a brief introduction.
   3. MulanIFF and its directors, members, officers, volunteers as well as invited mentors, advisors, and jury members will not be held responsible for the unauthorized use of any copyrighted materials within or related to the selected film project. MulanIFF reserves the right to disqualify any application with unauthorized copyrighted materials at any time.
9. Acknowledgment
   1. If the selected film project is produced, Mulan International Film Festival will receive a screen credit in the end titles of the film, in the form of the written acknowledgement “This film received support from the Debut Narrative Feature Development Lab at the Mulan International Film Festival,” along with the Festival’s logo.
10. Filmmaker Pass
    1. Once the application has passed the eligibility review, regardless of whether it is selected, the primary applicant and co-applicants are each granted an individual Filmmaker Pass. This Filmmaker Pass grants access to all the public screenings and events held during the Festival, subject to availability.
    2. If the primary applicant and co-applicants intend to take advantage of the Filmmaker Pass and will need to obtain a visa to travel to Canada, they are strongly encouraged to contact us immediately and apply early, as Canadian visa applications may take longer than usual to be processed.

Contact

For questions regarding submissions to the Development Lab, please email [email protected].

For press inquiries, please email [email protected].

Appendix A – List of Required Information and Materials

1. Contact Information, including the Primary Applicant’s and Co-Applicants’.
2. Short Biography, in both English (800 characters max) and Chinese (250 characters max), including the Primary Applicant’s and Co-Applicants’.
3. Degree, Official Transcript, or Letter of Enrollment – in PDF format to be uploaded.
4. Brief Introduction, in both English (500 characters max) and Chinese (200 characters max)
5. Synopsis, in both English (1500 characters max) and Chinese (600 characters max)
6. Treatment, in both English (3500 characters max) and Chinese (1500 characters max)
7. Director’s Statement, in both English (3500 characters max) and Chinese (1500 characters max)
8. Creative Statement, in both English (3500 characters max) and Chinese (1500 characters max)
9. Full screenplay – must be in Chinese, in PDF format to be uploaded.
10. Statement of Original Work – Confirm if the screenplay is the applicant(s)’s original work. If it is an adapted screenplay, please upload a letter of authorization from its copyright owner.
11. Budget – please use the budget template provided and upload.
12. Past directing work samples – please provide links to short films and include their title and runtime; they cannot be a director’s reel.
13. Key Creative Personnel (optional) – please include the name, position, and a short biography of other key creative personnel, if any. The short biography should be in both English (800 characters max) and Chinese (250 characters max).
14. Additional Materials (optional) – lookbook, pitch decks, etc., in one single PDF of no more than 20MB, to be uploaded.

Appendix B – Budget Form

Please click here to download the budget template.