International Film Labs
International Labs – London Film School (2009–2014)
Course Director & Lab Founder – Low Budget Film Forum & Making Waves Lab
From 2009 to 2014, I designed and directed two major Creative Europe–funded international labs for emerging filmmakers at the London Film School:
The Low Budget Film Forum — an annual script development lab for writer–producer–director teams graduating from European film schools. Designed as a bridge from education to industry, it supported participants in developing their first feature projects through intensive mentorship, peer workshops and collaboration with producers and funders.
Making Waves — a marketing, distribution and exhibition lab held during the Berlinale at the DFFB (Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin). The lab used hands-on case studies of Berlinale titles to explore festival strategy, sales, and audience development, giving participants practical tools to navigate the transition from premiere to market.
Both programmes were financed by the Creative Europe MEDIA Programme and delivered in partnership with a consortium of Europe’s leading film schools:
London Film School (UK), DFFB (Berlin), La Fémis (Paris), ESCAC (Barcelona), The Danish National Film School (Copenhagen), SZFE (Budapest), UNATC (Bucharest) and Columbia University School of the Arts (New York), alongside festivals including TIFF (Transilvania International Film Festival), Les Arcs European Film Festival, and Berlinale Talents.
Across these five years, I led an international network of educators, industry mentors and emerging filmmakers — creating a framework that bridged education and industry, empowered new creative voices and fostered long-term professional collaboration across borders.
Jean-Charles Hue talking to Suzy, Roy Arida and Pierre-Emmanuel Urcun (Stank.fr)
Cluj Napoca 2013 international film labs
In collaboration with Scuola Holden, Turin, Italy
Training Labs - Script Development, Packaging, Production.
A4C -
ADAPTING FOR
CINEMA
Adapt4Cinema (A4C) – Script-to-Screen Lab (Course Partner, 2014–2016)
In collaboration with Scuola Holden (Turin), I co-directed Adapt4Cinema (A4C), a Creative Europe–funded international training lab focused on adapting literature for the screen.
Working in cross-disciplinary teams of three — a writer, producer, and visual artist — participants developed full feature film adaptation packages, including treatment, visual concepts and production strategy. The programme encouraged creative collaboration between artists from different storytelling traditions, fostering a holistic understanding of adaptation from page to screen.
Delivered with partners Scuola Holden (Turin), MOME (Budapest), and the London Film School, with festival collaboration from the Turin Film Festival, the lab brought together European creative talent and industry experts in screenwriting, production, and packaging.
This initiative extended my work in developing international lab frameworks that connect education, creative practice and market readiness — bridging art and industry through collaboration.
international film labs
FILM GARAGE
Film Garage – Genre Development Lab (Consultant & Script Mechanic, 2015–2016)
Film Garage was a Creative Europe–funded training programme conceived by Simone Fenoil at Scuola Holden (Turin), designed to transform genre concepts — from thrillers and horror to road movies — into viable first feature projects.
As part of the team of “mechanics,” I worked hands-on with writer–director teams to refine scripts until they were production-ready — tightening structure, strengthening genre elements, and deepening emotional and thematic impact.
The lab served as a bridge between film school and the professional industry, providing practical, market-oriented development for emerging filmmakers.
Delivered in partnership with Courmayeur Noir In Festival, Film Garage brought together filmmakers, producers and trainers from across Europe to explore how genre storytelling can be both artistically ambitious and commercially resonant.
