SMS Short Film Lab film premiering at Berlinale!

Show Me Shorts is pleased to announce that the first film developed with the assistance of the Short Film Lab has been selected to compete in the Generation Kplus section of the 2013 Berlinale.

I’m Going to Mum’s, written and directed by Lauren Jackson tells the story of a young boy, Jacob. When Jacob’s divorced parents insist on dressing him in ridiculous clothes to spite each other, he resorts to desperate fashion measures to assert his identity.

While she is a celebrated playwright and has extensive experience acting and directing theatre, Lauren is relatively new to the world of filmmaking. “Without the Short Film Lab, I would never have made this film,” she says.

Lauren was one of six up-and-coming screenwriters to participate in the inaugural Short Film Lab in November 2010. With producer Jeremy Macey, Lauren workshopped three new film ideas in the Short Film Lab, benefiting from tailored feedback and encouragement from several experienced filmmakers. Lauren was particularly grateful for the support and advice offered by screenwriter and academic, Dr Shuchi Kothari. “Shuchi really understood the story I wanted to tell. She encouraged me and helped me structure my script.”

The Short Film Lab is run annually in conjunction with Script to Screen and further support from the New Zealand Film Commission and the University of Auckland. For more info on the Short Film Lab, check out the Workshops page.

Also attending Berlinale this year is Show Me Shorts Festival Director Gina Dellabarca, who is attending both Berlinale and Clermont-Ferrand to build on relationships between some of the world’s biggest short film festivals and SMS. For more info on her trip, see this post and keep an eye on our twitter as she gives updates on the fly.