16 December 2020 | 4 minutes read

Edge Hill University and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority have teamed up with Hollywood director, producer and digital filmmaking guru, Timur Bekmambetov (WantedHardcore HenrySearching), to launch the first Digital Film Accelerator programme for aspiring filmmakers in the innovative storytelling format Screenlife. The programme will be free to Liverpool creatives starting Monday 11th January 2021.

The programme is open to filmmakers aged 19 and over who either live or work in the Liverpool City Region.

Training for the twelve-week course will include weekly webinars hosted by key creatives from Bekmambetov’s production banners in Hollywood, Europe and Russia. It will be hosted by the Institute for Creative Enterprise at Edge Hill University. Rather than following the typical movie-making cycle, this programme requires applicants to start with a short proof of concept before upskilling in interactive storytelling and the technological software proficiency used for Screenlife filmmaking. The twelve-week course will result in a selection of proofs of concept that Bazelevs Studios and Screenlife Liverpool may use for commercial production.

The course is part of the Digital Skills for the Workplace programme. This was developed locally by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and funded by the Department for Education. Screenlife format was invented by Bekmambetov in response to the number of mobile devices in our everyday lives. In a Screenlife film, viewers see the action play out from the point of view of computers, tablets and smartphones used by the characters. The Screenlife format made a massive breakthrough in 2015, when Bekmambetov debuted in the teen horror movie Unfriended.

Timur Bekmambetov, Screenlife format inventor, said:

“Our aim is to introduce filmmakers to new technologies that create digital stories and make the film industry more accessible to those who wouldn’t normally have access. There is no doubt that Liverpool has exceptional creative talents and I am excited to open the doors and develop these opportunities here”.

Martin McQuillan, Director of the Institute for Creative Enterprise at Edge Hill University, said:

“Screenlife technology and principles enable filmmakers to carry on creating and innovating during a worldwide crisis. It is very exciting to be working with Screenlife UK and Timur Bekmambetov to release a training programme that will unleash the creative talent of a great European city, and give many the opportunity to access the film industry”.

Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:

“The Liverpool City Region is a centre of creative talent and increasingly an international destination of choice for film producers, with world-class facilities. This course is a really exciting opportunity for people to get into the film-making world. The creative and digital sector is a real powerhouse and will play a key role in our city region’s economic recovery after COVID-19. That’s why we’re investing in the facilities to deliver film and television productions here and equipping people with the skills to deliver them. As well as this important course, over the last year alone we’ve announced £20m investment in the film and television sector, and we are day by day realising the dream of delivering a Hollywood of the north in the Liverpool City Region.”

Registering your interest

If you’re interested in registering for this programme, please follow the three simple steps below (please note, you must complete all steps to be considered for the programme):

  1. Click here to access the online application form.
  2. When answering the question ‘please provide us with some information on why you’d like to apply for this programme’, you must state somewhere in your answer ‘Edge Hill Screenlife’ so we can easily identify which course you are interested in.
  3. Send an updated CV to [email protected]

Application deadline: 12pm on Friday 8th January 2021

For more information on the Digital Film Accelerator programme, please contact Joann Kushner:

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 07973301729

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