Who for? Directors and other createurs who live, breathe, create and realize ideas for a living.

Number of participants: 8-12.

Duration: Variable, but usually in two parts concisting of 2×2 days with 4-6 weeks in between. Additional components can be added with 6 months intervals.

Devisor: Michael Madsen, film director and conceptual artist.

Introduction:

WFIWANIFAF exists to explore, challenge and develop each participant’s individual creativity.

WFIWANIFAF turns the very concept of creativity upside down: participation is contingent upon conclusive evidence in the application form below that applicants have absolutely no ideas for a film at all. WFIWANIFAF does not acknowledge triviality limits of any kind.

If you are accepted, it will mean that in common with the other participants you are vapid and uninspired. WFIWANIFAF is thus a conceptual ground zero in which any self-imposed notion that you are a genius or similar has been eliminated and all you have to do is to be yourself.

Just as importantly each participant’s film idea vacuum will ensure that the focal point of the workshop is not the defence of any preconceived ideas you may bring to the workshop, ideas that are often the only factors that legitimize and justify attendance at film development workshops, thereby creating an unhealthy vulnerability in the face of the creative inquisitiveness, courage and methodological fearlessness that WFIWANIFAF will aim to nurture on the basis of each participant’s emotional landscape, idiosyncrasies and questioning approach to reality.

The way WFIWANIFAF legitimizes being completely at a loss also disqualifies the fundamental goal of most film workshops, namely the pitch. Conversely WFIWANIFAF is profoundly interested in the precondition for any pitch, namely that as a film creator you know deep within you how this particular film’s hitherto uncharted territory must be broached. WFIWANIFAF operates on the principle that any talent anyone might have puts them under an obligation.

As you may understand, WFIWANIFAF works on the assumption that the true habitat for film idea development, form and content alike, is the individual participant’s sensibility and the ensuing boldness and naïveté in his or her intercourse with the world condition.

In other words WFIWANIFAF is a highly personal workshop. The only real challenge is the risk that you may dream up a good idea for a film sans pareil.

The first part of the workshop, “From Zero -”, will be an extremely serious business during which it will hopefully turn out that nobody has cheated. If they have, there may be a conceptual mercy killing or two. After that we will make a slightly more enjoyable journey, partly involving the course organiser’s homespun philosophy of “The Enviable”.

The second part of the workshop, ”– To Hero”, is where participants will either wrap or carry on as creators of films.

Between the two parts of the workshop participants will experience the crack of the whip and the yoke of drudgery as some homework will be required.

Applicants will receive a conditional acceptance or a rejection with reasons. So please read this announcement again.

Best wishes Michael Madsen