by Suman Gupta
Netflix, in collaboration with Film Companion, is renewing its TakeTen workshop and competition following a successful program last year. The program aims to discover and support underrepresented filmmakers from all over the country and will see filmmakers take part in a comprehensive program led by some of India’s brightest industry leaders.
TakeTen will give five aspiring creators the opportunity to win a chance to attend workshops on writing, directing, and producing series hosted by the best in India’s creative industry. Each of the winners will also receive a grant from the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity to make their own, fully funded short series.
The short series will debut to global audiences on Netflix India’s YouTube channel.
Anupama Chopra, film critic, author, and Film Companion editor said, “I am thrilled that Take Ten has been renewed. The program got entries from more than 20 states in the country and half of the 10 finalists were women. Take Ten is about opportunity, inclusion, and diversity. It’s a privilege to do it again.”
Monika Shergill, Vice-President, Content, Netflix India said, “After the success of last year’s TakeTen, we look forward to getting started on the second season. We believe that inclusion behind the camera leads to better representation on screen and TakeTen will help us to discover unique voices and support emerging series creators. We hope that this initiative will once again inspire and empower a new generation of storytellers in India.”
Quotes from some of the graduates of last year’s Netflix x Film Companion TakeTen program:
Aditi Sharma said, “Through the TakeTen program, I got to learn about writing a screenplay, creating characters, directing actors, along with many other filmmaking lessons. We had the opportunity to do this under the guidance of Film Companion, and being mentored by professionals who are not only good at what they do, but also truly invested in the process of teaching, was extremely helpful. There aren’t any grant opportunities in India to speak of, and to have a platform like Netflix to showcase your film was a huge deal for a first time filmmaker like me. For the first time, me and my team believed that we had a real shot at this.”
Suyash Kamat added, “TakeTen has been a significant milestone for me both in my creative and professional journey. Being a finalist, having the film viewed by a wide audience and receiving a prestigious nomination at the Critics Choice Award, has opened up many doors for me. The exposure and recognition I received from TakeTen has been invaluable. I look forward to seeing what the future holds.”
In the first season, 10 emerging filmmakers were given an opportunity to participate in an extensive workshop and each filmmaker was given a grant to fund their short films. The films from the 2022 competition can be seen on Netflix India’s YouTube channel.
Stay tuned for updates on the second season of TakeTen on the official website.
