The session will aim to present the audience with a realistic and honest discussion about the current contribution of female film practitioners and the challenges they face in our modern days. It will also venture into exploring the reality of working in the film and screen industry as a woman in the Middle East and the differences -if any- to that on the global level. Lastly it will aim to shed light on key milestones and film/screen projects led by women in the last few years in Jordan and the UK. The session will precede the screening of the British film ROCKS by Sarah Gavron, who had deliberately chosen an approximately 75 per cent female crew for her film, as she wanted the cast of teenage young actors to see a female crew, people they might aspire to be. To enrich the conversation, guest speakers from the film industries of both Jordan and the UK will be joining the discussion which will be moderated by the British Council.

How do you write a concept for a documentary? How to you get a concise script without limiting yourself in the shooting process? What can and should we know before we start shooting? Is the script solely an instrument for financing, or can it help making a better, more dramatic film? This workshop wants to tackle questions like the above. After a short theoretical introduction about the topic we will dive deeper by talking with three acclaimed Austrian filmmakers: Jakob Pretterhofer, born 1985 in Graz, Austria. Studied script writing at “Filmakademie“ in Vienna. Works as a writer and script advisor. Last publication: the novel „Tagwache“,Lisa Weber, writer and director of Jetzt oder morgen, which premiered at the Berlinale 2020, and Paul Julien Robert, writer and director of "Meine keine Familie“, a prize-winning documentary, will be joining us and sharing their insights concerning the writing process of documentaries. The talks will focus on the writing process of these two documentaries, but naturally will also talk about what changed from the initial script throughout the process of shooting and editing. By taking a closer look at two actual and varied examples of superb documentary film making, the participants can learn a lot about the difficulties and pleasures of writing scripts for a documentary in a very practical way.