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The pandemic has hit the film industry hard, halting productions and shutting down cinemas from across the world as social distancing became the norm.

To keep up with the times, Cinemalaya Foundation - the non-profit organization that aims to develop and promote local independent films - has introduced a mentorship program to be staged online.

The Cinemalaya Film Lab will run for three months, from September to November.

The initiative will gather mentors who will share their expertise on various aspects of filmmaking such as scriptwriting, directing, cinematography, performance, editing, production design, sound, music, production management, and promotion strategies.

Interested participants must submit the duly accomplished 2023 Entry Form, concept paper of the film application, a two-page storyline, resume, and two recent pictures of the applicant, and a sample of a short film directed by the applicant (five to 20-minute long in mp4 format).

From the applicants, 30 individuals will be chosen to pitch their concept before the committee trims the list down to 20 semifinalists.

In the end, 10 finalists will be selected to compete in the 2023 Cinemalaya film festival.

Cinemalaya encourages filmmakers to focus on subject matters that catch the emotion and attention of the public.

It also wants participants to think of concepts and submit entries that blend multiple genres and even “multimedia” like live-action with animation or purely animation.

Tip: Think of a film concept that is workable or manageable to produce to boost chances of being selected.

The deadline for submission is on June 11 at 6 p.m.

Visit Cinemalaya's website to read more about the mechanics and to submit entries.