No film school or studio fellowship could match the personal care and actionable steps MPI provided to navigate Hollywood’s uncertainties and direct my debut feature, Motherland. Their mentorship, rooted in shared values and creative collaboration, empowers the ambitious filmmaker to turn their vision into reality with class and conviction.
Overview
The MPI First Feature Lab is the capstone of the Rising Filmmaker Program, providing some of MPI’s most promising filmmakers the unique opportunity to write and direct their first narrative feature-length film.
This lab was created to help emerging writer-directors overcome the biggest and final hurdle many filmmakers face before they can break into the business, get representation, and land future projects. Over the years, MPI has developed and produced many filmmakers’ first feature films, and this lab formalizes that process.
Hand-selected participants who have already completed projects with MPI in the past will begin the lab with a dedicated Script Development Fellowship, where they will craft a production-ready screenplay under professional mentorship and the guidance of MPI producers. MPI then provides substantial funding and serves as on-the-ground producers for select projects to be produced as MPI Original films.
Evan Matthews, MPI Filmmaker
HOW TO APPLY
Admittance to this program is by invitation only. If you are interested in receiving notifications about additional MPI lab and workshop opportunities, click below to sign up for MPI filmmaker notifications.
