Leading international representatives from the film and screen industry will converge on Brisbane this weekend to explore the possibility of developing an Asia Pacific Screen Laboratory.

The proposed initiative will be modelled on some of the world’s most notable screen labs such as Sundance, Binger and EU’s ‘EAVE European Producers Workshop and will be considered in a one-day Think Tank held in association with the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) at the Griffith Film School this Saturday November 19.

Such a screen lab would be a first for the region and would help to position film makers from the Asia Pacific on the world stage, according to the Head of Griffith Film School, Professor Herman Van Eyken.

“There are a number of successful emerging filmmaker hothouse models from which our Think Tank can draw inspiration,” Professor Van Eyken said.

“In the US there is Robert Redford’s not-for-profit Sundance Institute; in Europe there is Amsterdam’s Binger Laboratory and the Cannes Producer Network’s EAVE workshops; and in Korea, the Busan International Film Festival and Donseo University both conduct a sidebar initiative to their prestigious Film Festival, called the Asian Film Academy.

“However there still appears to be a gap in the education and professional training sectors in the Asia Pacific region, which we at Griffith University would like to now address,” he said.

International guests set to participate in the Think Tank include veteran film producers Peggy Chiao from Taiwan, Ki Yong Park from South Korea, Nik Powell and Lord David Puttnam (via screen) from the UK.

Professor Van Eyken said the proposed Asia Pacific Screen Laboratory, to be housed at the Griffith Film School at South Bank in Brisbane, would be an educational and training vehicle for emerging film makers to assist them to make the transition from academy to industry status.

“Initially it would be a series of workshops, master classes and mentorships, based around long-form projects developed within a cross-cultural environment and delivered by world-renowned directors, writers and producers.

“The project would draw upon visiting international talent from the Asia Pacific Screen Awards and would give students a new insight into cross cultural, industry standard cinema, animation and television production from across the Asia Pacific and Europe,” he said.

Additional guests at the Think Tank will include the ex-Director of the Singapore Film Festival and current programmer of many Festivals in Europe and the Region, Philip Cheah and executives from the APSA, including the Artistic Director, Maxine Williamson. Some filmmakers nominated in this year’s APSAs will also attend.

The Think Tank will run from 10am — 5pm this Saturday 19 November and will conclude with a special APSA nominated film screening between 6pm — 9pm.

The annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards were established in 2007 as an international cultural initiative of the Queensland State Government, through Events Queensland, to celebrate the cinematic excellence and cultural diversity of the Asia-Pacific region.

Griffith Film School is one of the largest film schools in the country by enrolment and has strong industry ties both throughout Australia and internationally. To learn more, visit the website: http://www.griffith.edu.au/filmschool