Torino Film Lab, TFL, FeatureLab, ScriptLab, torinofilmlab.it Falsely presents itself as promoting emerging filmmakers. Torino, Italy Internet
I've been following the Torino Film Lab for a number of years, attempting to join the program which declares itself to be “supporting emerging talents from all over the world”.
Every year I increase the amount of work that I put into the submission, ensuring that the material I apply with is of a very high artistic quality as confirmed by my collaborators, all working professionals with a combined experience of 250 years in the Film and TV industry.
After my application was denied year after year, this year I've decided to experiment and applied with four different applications. One in my name, and three with made up identities and biographies, submitting treatments of well known Oscar winning films, changing the character's names and the settings but leaving the story intact. Not to my surprise all four applications, including those with treatments of Oscar winning timeless classics, were rejected.
I've then decided to check the backgrounds of those film-makers who did manage to be get into the program. I was shocked to discover that each and every accepted filmmaker already won or was at least nominated to a prize in one of the major film festivals. This, of course, explains my failure to be accepted to the program, as I am an aspiring filmmaker and not yet an established one.
The Torino Film Lab falsely presents itself as promoting emerging filmmakers but in-fact supports the already established film-makers who already have a wealth of opportunities in the industry.
In addition, a short investigation into the identity of the staff, editors, jurors and selectors of The Torino Film Lab, along with the identity of festivals staff and jurors, reveals that many of the people who are responsible for selecting projects into festivals and into TFL itself are producers whose projects are prize awarded and program selected, in a type of a “revolving door policy”.
One year you're a juror, the next a producer of a selected project and then the next year a juror again. This of course prevents from anyone who is not yet part of the “inner circle” to ever be admitted into the closed club.
I am making this information public so filmmakers from all over the world don't waste their time applying to The Torino Film Lab hoping that their project might be selected.
Below is a list of the 2016 and 2017 participants along with a short list of the prizes or awards they have received, proving that anyone who is not part of the “inner club” should not attempt at applying.
A future report will detail the identities of selectors, decisions makers, jurors and producers, showing how they're all essentially promoting their own projects and each other in a perpetuate and circular manner.
Aly Muritiba - Won Sundance Film Festival
Konstantin Bojanov - Cannes Film Festival nominated, Won Warsaw International Film Festival
Ely Dagher - Cannes Film Festival Won, for short film
Magnus von Horn - Cannes, Locarno, nominated, Krakow FF winner.
Simón Mesa Soto - Cannes Film Festival, winner 2014, nominated 2016
Philippe Lacôte - Cannes Film Festival nominated
Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk – Won Brussels International Independent Film Festival
Vuk Rsumovic – Won Venice Film Festival
Mia Spengler - San Sebastián International Film Festival
OndÅ™ej HudeÄek & Jan Smutný - Sundance Film Festival winner
Myrsini Aristidou - Winner Berlin International Film Festival, Nominated Tribeca Film Festival.
William Laboury - Clermont-Ferrand winner
Leonardo Brzezick - Rotterdam International Film Festival nominated
Yael Bartan - Rotterdam International Film Festival nominated
Zamo Mkhwanazi - Fribourg International Film Festival nominated
Teodora A. Mihai & Habacuc A. De Rosario - San Francisco International Film Festival winner
Kaweh Modiri - Rotterdam International Film Festival winner
Federico Ferrone - Torino Film Festival nominated
Marie Grahtø - Edinburgh International Film Festival nominated
Anita Rocha da Silveira - AFI, Venice Film Festival nominated
Laura Samani & Elisa Dondi - Cannes Film Festival Cinefondation nominated
Ronny Trocker - Venice Film Festival nominated
Michal Vinik - Locarno International Film Festival nominated
Jacqueline Lentzou - Athens Film Lab winner , supported by Athens IFF
Rim Mejdi - Marrakech IFF nomiated, assistant artistic director of the Marrakech Biennale.