APSA and MPA partner in film fund for Asia-Pacific filmmakers

The fund, named the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund, was announced at the ongoing Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) today (June 19), and it will be granted to four members of the APSA Academy, an influential body of filmmakers comprised of past APSA nominees, winners, Jury and Nominations Council members.

Four grants, of $25,000 each, will be allocated to the script and project development of four new film projects. The inaugural recipients will be selected by a panel of industry experts and announced at the fourth annual APSA Ceremony scheduled to take place in Australia on Queensland’s Gold Coast on December 2, 2010.

“The MPA APSA Academy Film Fund will make a significant financial contribution to the burgeoning Asia-Pacific film industry, and translate into more vibrant opportunities for its practitioners,” said Queensland Premier Anna Bligh.

Mike Ellis, MPA Asia Pacific President said: “This fund makes participation in the APSAs even more valuable for the professional opportunities it will open up to its Academy members. Our support of the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund is emblematic of the MPA’s commitment to promoting, protecting and developing the wonderful work of the filmmakers in this region.”

APSA Academy Patron, Australian screen legend, Jack Thompson welcomed the formation of the fund saying: “When we formed the APSA Academy in early 2008, the aim was to encourage dialogue and collaboration between the filmmakers of this vast and highly creative region. The MPA APSA Academy Film Fund will provide a very tangible benefit to our Academy members.”

Eligible for funding are treatments and synopses for feature-length narrative films, children’s features, animated features and feature length documentaries which must have a producer, director or screenwriter attached at the time of submission. While collaboration between Academy members is encouraged, only one Academy member attached to each submission is required provided they hold a role as one or more of the following: producer, director, screenwriter, actor, actress or cinematographer.

Entries for the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund will open on July 31, and will close on Oct 31.