This spring Northern Script organized for the first time ever scriptwriting workshops in 9 different places in the Nordic countries (Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Greenland, Åland Islands & Sami region) The Finnish workshop was held 13th of May 2022 inside the legendary Cinema Orion.
The workshop leaders, Mette Lagerstam and Elina Vitkala from Ihmefilmi ry, talked about short films in general, about experimental short films and about short film funding and distribution. According to Lagerstam and Vitkala the different categories of the short films are 1) Funny 2) Poetic 3) Metaphoric. During the workshop we were shown a short film from each category. The funny one was by Teemu Nikki: ‘Kalajuttu’. The Poetic one was by PV Lehtinen ‘Krump’. The Metaphoric one was by Jani Leinonen ‘Goodbye Reality’. Many of the audience reacted to the short films with enjoyment and laughter and the screenings made the workshop more concrete, giving cinematic pauses between the lecture itself. The workshop went also through the format of a script and gave different tools on how to start writing your own short film script. The plot of the script can come anywhere but it is the personal scripts that in many cases can be the most relatable to the audience.
All in all the workshop showed a lot of different short films not known to the audience which gave the Northern Script participants new ideas on which direction perhaps to take their own short film scripts in the future. In the end Lagerstam & Vitkala called in for being brave and bold and to find their own voice in scriptwriting. All the things which are the most important in our Northern Script concept as well.
Hopefully the Northern Script participants left Orion more bold & confident and with more knowledge than before about the short films and scriptwriting. Now we are just waiting for the creative and daring scripts to be sent to the Northern Script. The deadline for the scripts is 22nd of August 2022. The address is johanna.lappalainen(a)mediametka.fi or nosi(a)mediametka.fi
Article by Johanna Lappalainen
Photos by Miikka Ylipekka