Belgian director Émilie Sornasse is the winner of the CineComedies Lab 2023 writing residency with her project “Le Temps des conquêtes”, to be produced by Roue Libre Production and supported by Wallimage to the tune of €50,000.
The aim of this residency is to support authors in the delicate development phase of their screenplays, helping them to solve problems of dramaturgy and rhythm, and to explore the various narrative possibilities.
In a spirit of exchange and cross-fertilization, the authors are supervised by consultants who are themselves screenwriters, confronted with the difficulties of writing on a daily basis.
They are also trained in the art of the pitch, an essential exercise in convincing professionals to finance a project.
Meeting with Belgian director Emilie Sornasse
Why did you turn to residency?
The call from the CineComedies Lab corresponded to the idea I had of a future project.
The fact that this residency would be devoted exclusively to writing comedies was of particular interest to me.
How did the residency go?
Incredibly, for a number of reasons!
The first was Fadette’s guidance and sound advice, both on scriptwriting and on the craft of screenwriting.
The second was the opportunity to work with a group of people: it was a revelation!
I’d never experienced the emulation, motivation and 10-fold increase in good ideas that sharing can bring.
In fact, it made me want to work with a co-writer, just for the pleasure of reproducing that spirit in the creation of this feature film.
Finally, the third reason was the introduction to the art of pitching.
It was stressful, because the five of us knew that there was something at stake, but at the same time we all pulled together in a spirit of goodwill and solidarity.
It was an exciting first leap into the void, which I think strengthened us all.
And your pitch was convincing.
Yes!
I was extremely lucky to attract the interest of a producer, David Borgeaud (Roue Libre Production), and to receive assistance from Wallimage, through the Wallimpact* line of project development support.
This €50,000 advance finances part of the writing, the remuneration of a co-writer and the involvement of a consultancy firm for the target audience.
It’s an unusual thought, and one that seems at odds with the creative process, but I love the idea of confronting the general public aspect with an authorial intention!
What next?
I’m working on “Le temps des conquêtes” for a few more months.
Of course, I hope to see it screened at the Liège International Comedy Film Festival one day!
Fabrice Mertens
*This financing is made possible thanks to the support of the European Union guarantee granted by the Creative Europe Program and the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSF), as part of the Investment Plan for Europe.
The aim of the SIEF is to help resolve the difficulties of financing and implementing productive investments in the European Union, notably by guaranteeing better access to financing.