Screenwriter Jacklyn Bassanelli wins two-week residency at RMIT’s McCraith House to develop sci-fi series Evergreen

18 August, 2017

The Australian Writers’ Guild in partnership with RMIT and Film Victoria are delighted to announce that screenwriter Jacklyn Bassanelli and her project Evergreen have been selected as the winner of the two-week McCraith House residency and mentorship opportunity.

Bassanelli was selected for the residency from the shortlist of the 2017 Victorian Call Out, which was open to Victorian screenwriters on the AWG’s Pathways Program. Her project Evergreen is an epic science-fiction series that follows an Australian mining settlement on Mars that loses contact with Earth.

Bassanelli will spend two weeks developing the series at RMIT’s McCraith House on the Mornington Peninsula, a unique and iconic modernist beach house that has hosted writers residencies through RMIT’s non/fiction Lab since 2013. She will also have the opportunity to meet with script assessor and mentor Karin Altmann throughout the residency.

‘I'm so grateful to the AWG and Pathways for their continued support of Evergreen. The additional support from Film Victoria and RMIT with this residency is invaluable. What a fantastic opportunity to lock myself away in this historic house and dive deep into the project,’ said Bassanelli.

Film Victoria CEO, Jenni Tosi said, ‘We’re delighted to have been able to support Jacklyn to develop her TV series Evergreen, which included a consultation with Simon Mirren. She is a worthy recipient of the RMIT McCraith House residency and mentorship opportunity which will help her propel the series forward in readiness to pitch to the marketplace whilst also enhancing her skills as a screenwriter.’

Earlier this year Bassanelli received Scripted Ink. development funding to write a pilot script, series bible and and produce a sizzle reel for Evergreen. She has also teamed up with producer Stephen Luby of Ruby Entertainment (The Secret River) to develop the series, and spent three days brainstorming with writers Kelly Lefever, Chelsea Cassio and Adam Spellicy.

The two-week McCraith House Residency for Pathways writers is made possible with support from RMIT and Film Victoria.For more information on the AWG Pathways Program, please visit the AWG website here.