Edinburgh International Film Festival's Talent Lab Connects Programme Will Move Online

Edinburgh International Film Festival has announced the six projects selected for the upcoming edition of its Talent Lab Connects programme and has confirmed that the 2020 version will be delivered online in the wake of the postponement of the Festival in June due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

EIFF's TALENT LAB CONNECTS (TLC) is a development programme supporting filmmaking teams take forward their projects, with professional script editing and mentoring support. TLC is an initiative open to EIFF Talent Lab alumni and their collaborators to develop a feature film or serial drama project.

EIFF, along with story editor Kate Leys and industry mentors, will guide the selected teams towards achieving a series of specific goals for their projects. The programme will run from April to December 2020 with all workshops and mentoring taking place online.

The selected projects and teams for this year's TALENT LAB CONNECTS are:

• CARLA (Feature Film) Writer/Director: Catriona MacInnes; Producers: Rebecca Mark-Lawson & Garry Paton
• DAD JOKE (Series) Writer: Joshua Robertson; Writer/Director: David Abramsky; Producer: Alexandra Blue
• DENIAL (Series) Writer: Elaine Gracie; Producer: Alexandra Blue
• MOSCOW MOLLY (Feature Film) Writer: Nicole Paglia; Producer: Jessie Mangum
• THE TULIP TOUCH (Feature Film) Writer: Jenna Jovi; Producers: Jen Corcoran, Jessie Mangum & Sophie Reynolds
• VALERIE & ME (Feature Film) Writers: Bex Harvey & Christian Azzola; Director: Jane Gull; Producer: Georgina French

Holly Daniel, EIFF's Head of Industry & Talent Development said "EIFF is committed to supporting new and emerging talent and by adapting TLC to be delivered digitally we will ensure that filmmakers don't miss out on this bespoke opportunity. This year's cohort comprises of a fantastic mix of talent, projects and experience and we look forward to working with them to reach their individual goals. Talent development is a priority for EIFF and we will continue to identify ways that we can support talent throughout this challenging time."

Launched in 2019 and funded through the PLACE programme, TLC supports a strong pool of upcoming talent who have participated in the EIFF Talent Lab since it began in 2011. The PLACE Programme is a partnership between the Scottish Government, the City of Edinburgh Council and the Edinburgh Festivals.

For more information on the 2020 Festival visit www.edfilmfest.org.uk/talent-lab-connects.