The U.S. Embassy in Cairo is proud to partner with American Film Showcase (AFS) to sponsor a five-day workshop on comedy writing for senior Egyptian scriptwriters. The workshop will be facilitated by Emmy-nominated American screenwriters and producers Matteo Borghese and Rob Turbovsky.
The program will focus on narrative and character development, with a particular focus on humor as a messaging medium. Participants will consult with these award-winning American scriptwriters on their current projects via this treatment-focused, intensive writing workshop modeled after an American comedy writers’ room. Pitching techniques will also be reviewed. This workshop provides an unmatched opportunity for senior comedy scriptwriters to develop advanced expertise in script development for future pitches to Egyptian, regional, and digital production companies. It is designed to enable Egyptian voices to reach a broader and more diverse audience and realize increased viewership.
The workshop will cover:
- Scriptwriting for TV and Digital Platforms
- Character Development
- Narrative Development
- Messaging Through Humor
- Advanced Techniques in Script Writing
Applicants must:
- Be Egyptian.
- Have written at three or more TV shows which were produced and aired on a television broadcast or digital platform.
- Be proficient in either Arabic or English. Interpretation will be provided.
Applicants must submit the following documents in either Arabic or English:
- Participant Bio (one page) and Resume.
- A briefdescription of the last three aired TV projects written or co-written by the applicant in Arabic or English.
- A briefsynopsis of the current project (also known as a treatment) on which they would like mentoring and guidance during this workshop.
Application Deadline:
- August 13, 2023 at 23:59
- All documents must be sent to CairoPAProtocol@state.gov
- No applications will be accepted after the deadline.
The Mentors:
Matteo Borghese and Rob Turbovsky, co-executive producers and writers of the Emmy-nominated Only Murders in the Building.
“The pair have developed pilots at Comedy Central, TBS, ABC, and Fox. Television credits include Silicon Valley, Lady Dynamite, Black Monday, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Detroiters.”
Borghese and Turbovsky spent the last decade as scriptwriting partners in both television and film. Both received MFAs in Screenwriting from the University of Southern California (USC) and have been nominated for the Emmy, Golden Globe, and Producers Guild of America (PGA) awards. They were twice nominated for Writers Guild of America (WGA)awards.
The Hollywood Reporter named them “Best Hollywood Punch Up Guys” continuing that “… [both writers] are Hollywood’s go-to guys when Phil Lord and Chris Miller or Paul Feig need a script to be funnier.”
