Applications for the 1-Week Stepping Stone/Rough Cut Lab: Africa Edit Lab are now closed.

This event, hosted by the Centre for Film and Media Studies at the University of Cape Town, is designed for filmmakers with a Rought Cut of either short documentary or narrative film projects. It offers an opportunity to work through the rough cut stage with expert mentorship to refine your project and push it toward its final cut.

Over the course of five days (13–17 January 2025), participants work closely with industry professionals, delving into the intricacies of editing. Key areas covered include:

Developing your edit script Structuring your story into a compelling narrative Narrative structure theory Editing software tips (including DaVinci Resolve and Adobe Premiere) Visual storytelling techniques

By the end of the week, each participant aims to have:

A polished offline edit of their project A clear vision for completing the project Preparation for the final export stage

This intensive in-person course takes place at the UCT TV Studio at Baxter Theatre in Cape Town, providing an invaluable opportunity for filmmakers to finalize the post-production process with professional guidance.

Key Requirements:

The director and editor (who may be the same person) must be available to attend all course days from 9 AM to 4 PM. Participants must submit an online screener link to their rough cut. Projects need to have a rough cut (not an assembly) ready for editing. Films must be independent and between 10 to 20 minutes long. Participants are expected to bring their own hard drives to save files, though Mac edit suites are provided with access to editing software.

This event is a crucial step in helping filmmakers finalize their projects and prepare for the final stages of production.