As part of the Turin festival On the roads of Kiarostami, Abbas Kiarostami will conduct a ten-day workshop, for 25 young filmmakers and video makers who have been recently selected through a national competition. The key aim of the workshop is to produce some short films by using entirely digital technology.
The festival - organized by the Museo Nazionale del Cinema in joint effort with the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo and the Scuola Holden- Tecniche della narrazione - is sponsored by the City of Turin, the Province of Turin and the Piedmont Region.

After receiving 350 applications (from all over Italy with applications from France, England, Holland and the USA) for participation in the workshop activities directed by Abbas Kiarostami himself, the Scuola Holden chose the lucky 25 young people who go forward to do the course. The Selection Committee commissioned to select suitable candidates to fill the 25 places available (ten places were especially reserved for residents of Turin and Piedmont) was made up of various experts in the different sectors: Antonella Parigi (Chairman of the Scuola Holden), Marco Vacchetti (Course Director at the School), Bruno Fornara (professor of cinematographic narration) and Elisa Resegotti (co-curator of the Festival). The Competition was open to candidates between the ages of 19 and 30 and preference was given to those who have already produced work - as authors - in the field of cinema, radio, television, theatre or narrative. Further recognition was given to candidates who have already written or directed a film or video.

The results of the selection were released at the end of July 2003.

The workshop will run for a total of 80 hours, divided up over a ten-day period from 19 September. There will be an open workshop on film directing on the first morning, at the Scuola Holden at 10am, where participants will be joined by journalists and guests.

Info: tel. 011.66 32 81
www.holdenlab.it