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Recasting



An Online Film Development Lab


An online film development lab to recast and reimagine film as a political and cultural tool to shape our lives. The course ethos is in a collaborative and collective mode.

A creative connective space for brainstorming projects.

 

Course dates

RECASTING FEATURE LAB



FEATURE FILMS - FICTION, DOCUMENTARY, HYBRID

12th January 2026 – 15th June 2026

Course location

This is an online course

Cost

£375


Payable in one go or 3 parts of £125 with final total payment due by the first session.

Refunds only in exceptional circumstances prior to the start of the course.

Teams of 2 get a discounted spot for second team member 

2 Places for unwaged and BYFP/ LFS / FRIEND  alumni at 50% discount - please ask on your application.



Course outline


  • Six monthly workshop sessions to discuss work-in-progress feature film - documentary and fiction projects

  •  Opportunities to receive course leader mentoring and peer to peer feedback on your work (up to 5,000 words per submission - Feature Treatment or First Draft Script)

  • Follow up sessions in Autumn 2026 for pre-final drafts in Sept and Oct

  • Optional one-to-one support or critical feedback, (for Final Draft) at an extra cost (£250)

  • An online writing community, lasting beyond the end of the course

The workshop group of up to ten writers meets for monthly sessions on Whereby.com over six months. Members take turns to share work-in-progress ahead of each session, which is then critiqued as a group, with constructive feedback and discussion on any problems or issues raised. Whereby.com sessions can be recorded if all members agree. Each member will submit their work for workshopping at least twice over the course, up to 5,000 words per submission. Providing constructive and supportive feedback to others on their work is a great way of honing your critical and editing skills, which you can apply to your own writing.

Course dates


FEATURE FILMS - FICTION, DOCUMENTARY, HYBRID

The Monday evening sessions will take place via Whereby.com, 7-9pm on the 2nd or 1st  Monday of the month, January 2026 – June 2026:

12th January 2026
9th February 2026
9th March 2026
6th April 2026
4th May 2026
8th June 2026

(alternate Monday dates will be proposed for a second group if the places are full)


Final follow up meetings to discuss developped projects on 8th September / 5th October - we will allocate date according to readiness.

Submission dates of texts will be arranged according to people’s pace and discussed in rotation.






RECASTING SHORTS 


This is an online course

Cost

£180


Payable in one go or 3 parts of £60 with final total payment due by the first session.

Refunds only in exceptional circumstances prior to the start of the course.

Teams of 2 get a discounted spot for second team member

2 Places for unwaged and BYFP/ LFS / FRIEND  alumni at 50% discount - please ask on your application.


Course dates


SHORT FILMS - EXPERIMENTAL, WEIRD, DRAMA, DOCUMENTARY, HYBRID

The Thursday evening sessions will take place via Whereby.com 7-9pm on the 2nd Thursday of the month, January 2026 – June 2026:


8th January 2026

12th February 2026

12th March 2026

9th April

14th May

11th June

Final follow up meetings to discuss developped projects on 10th September / 8th October - we will allocate date according to readiness.

Submission dates of texts will be arranged according to people’s pace and discussed in rotation.



RECASTING SHORT FILMS Course outline


  • Six monthly workshop sessions to discuss work-in-progress short film - documentary and fiction projects

  • opportunities to receive feedback on your work (up to 2,000 words per submission - Treatment or First Draft Script, or Short Films)

  • Follow up sessions in Autumn 2026 for pre-final drafts in Sept and Oct

  • Optional one-to-one support or critical feedback, (for Final Draft) at an extra cost (£120)

  • An online writing community, lasting beyond the end of the course

The workshop group of up to ten writers meets for monthly sessions on Whereby.com over six months. Members take turns to share work-in-progress ahead of each session, which is then critiqued as a group, with constructive feedback and discussion on any problems or issues raised. Whereby.com sessions can be recorded if all members agree. Each member will submit their work for workshopping at least twice over the course, up to 2,000 words per submission. Providing constructive and supportive feedback to others on their work is a great way of honing your critical and editing skills, which you can apply to your own writing.


ALL COURSES 


Learning Online


Monthly meetings take place on Whereby.com, 7-9pm GMT, so you will need to have access to the internet at those times. Work in progress will be circulated by email.

Writing a film script can take time and needs a creative producer to guide you. If you do not have a creative producer this lab will work as a peer to peer development process.

All projects need to be workshopped by their scriptwriters, in case of teams wishing to participate each additional member will need to pay a 50% place.

We will establish guidelines and an NDA to ensure confidentiality. 

Course Leader


Recasting is led by experienced film professional Suzy Gillett who has run several script development labs including Low Budget Film Forum for 9 years, Lab Producer for the last iFeatures, Film Garage and adapt for Film, as well as Lagos Lab and being part of selection committee for Torino Film Lab, Circle Doc Accelerator Lab and was a reader for European Co-Production Funds for many years. She was Course Leader for the Barbican Young Programmers, nurturing today’s curators.

Suzy wrote Chéramy, a feature film which received many development grants, she knows the fundemental aspects of writing and rewritng, working with script consultants, creative producers and co-writers and preparing pitches for funding and commissioners. 


Your Projects


Projects can be either at early stage, en route or final stages but in need of feedback, the lab will include discussions on structuring treatments, step outlines to build the story before stepping into the writing of the script - the aim is to have a solid basis upon which to develop a feature film.

Places will be prioritised for first time writers with modern ideas.

Film projects with gratuitous violence or sexist racist status quo tropes will not be accepted 



ESSENTIAL DATES: 

  • Programme Launch  & Applications Open Wednesday 24th September 2025


Each session is for a maximum of 10 people - if we get eligible appplications before the deadline we reserve the right to close the application portal. So apply now to avoid disappointment. 

  • 10 Places for eligible projects will be allocated first come so apply early to ensure you get a seat in the writer’s room.

  • Applications close Midday Monday 1st December 2025

  • Final Offers made Monday 15th December via email. Payment due by 20th December. 

  • RECASTING FEATURE online session commences Monday 12th January 2026 7pm, monthly until 8th June 2026
  • Booster sessions for final drafts on 8th September / 5th October (for those ready in smaller groups)

  • RECASTING SHORTS online session commences Thursday 8th January 2026 7pm monthly until 11th June 2026
  • Booster sessions for final drafts on 10th September / 8th October (for those ready in smaller groups)

Buy tickets for Recasting Lab 2026FOR RECASTING SHORTS

For those not accepted in this first round, we will keep you on record for future lab opportunities. 

If we get enough people to run second groups on alternative Mondays/Thursdays we’ll offer you that.

Participation in all the sessions enables everyone to benefit from the peer to peer aspect - your input and ideas to other people’s projects are what forms the basis of the programme.




 


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