Workshop on Screenwriting with Assistive AI: An
intensive Practical Course from 19 to 24 Oct. 2026 in Mumbai
Film and Television Institute
of India (FTII), Pune, under its Centre for Open Learning (CFOL) initiative
announces Workshop on “Screenwriting with Assistive AI: An intensive practical
course” from 19th t 24th Oct. 2026 in Mumbai.
Following
are the details in this regard;
(1) Workshop Name: Screenwriting
with Assistive AI: An intensive practical course
(2) Dates: 19th
o 24th Oct. 2026
(3) Timings: 10.30
am to 5 pm
(4) Total No. of
participants: 25 (Course will be conducted only if min. strength of 15
is reached)
(5) Age: Participants
must be 15 years or above in age as on 01st Oct. 2026
(6) Educational
Qualification: SSC (10th std.) pass
(7) Nationality: No
bar. For Foreign national, no documents/ invitation emails will be provided
(8) Venue: Goregaon
(W), Mumbai
(9) Per participant
course fee: Rs 9,900/-
Course fee is excluding
breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea/ coffee, snacks etc.
Course fee of selected
participants will be non-refundable, non-transferrable, non-adjustable, etc.
under any circumstances. Course fee of all the non – selected participants will
be refunded within 21 working days of the course commencement. Also, due to any
other reason, if the course is cancelled by FTII, course fee will be refunded.
However, due to any reason,
if the course is postponed OR cancelled by the organisers, course fee will be
refunded.
(10) Last date to
apply: By 5 pm, 09th Oct. 2026.
(11) Course Director:
Ms Rajashree
(12) Medium of
Instructions: English and Hindi.
(13) Selection
Criteria: First – Come – First – Served basis. Selected candidates
would be communicated by email. List of the selected participants will be
published on FTII website.
(14) Certificates: All
participants would be given participation certificate on successful completion
of the course which will carry logo of FTII and will be jointly signed by FTII
Director and the Course Director. Minimum 90% attendance is mandatory to get
certificate.
(15) Queries: For
any queries contact
- Mr.
Milind Joshi, Asst. Outreach Officer – 020 -
25580085, info(dot)cfol(at)ftii(dot)ac(dot)in
- Future
Story Cinelabs, Mumbai – Ms Dhwani on 9315220725
(16) Communication with
participants: All communications with the participants will be carried
out through email only. List of shortlisted participants will be published on
FTII website and selection email will be sent to the selected participants on
their registered email.
(17) Accommodation: Outstation
participants may please note Future Story Cinelabs, Mumbai, will facilitate for
accommodation in Mumbai. Please call Ms Dhwani on 9315220725 for the same.
(18) Participants
need to assure general decency, decorum etc. on the course campus. Failing to
do so will lead to cancellation of admission without refunding course fee apart
from taking internal disciplinary action and dealing the matter as per law of
the land. All rights in this regard are reserved with FTII.
(19) How to apply:
1. Click on the following link:
2. Fill-up the application
form with requisite details and proceed for payment.
3. Make necessary payment of
Rs 9,900/-
4. Once payment is done,
please note "SBI collect Reference Number" (mentioned in payment
confirmation receipt). This may be required for future reference.
5. If possible, digitally
store the receipt of payment. This can be carried out in one of the following
ways;
(i) by taking printout of
receipt of payment, scan & save it
(ii) by taking screenshot of
payment (if using mobile) or print screen (if using computer)
(iii) by simply taking a
photograph from mobile
(iv) check your bank account
to confirm whether money (course fee) has been deducted or not
(v) After a day or two, once
again check to see whether money (course fee) has been refunded.
(vi) In case of refund, it is
a transaction failure and if so, once again apply for the course afresh.
6. No document/ certificate
related to educational qualification, age etc. is to be attached. Participants’
self – declaration in the application form is sufficient.
7. Terms &
conditions: By agreeing to the terms & conditions in the
application form, participants are confirming that they have read &
understood the website advt. They are eligible to apply and fulfill all the
requirements as stated in the advt. Also, it is presumed that participants will
be staying and or attending the course at their own risk & cost and FTII will
not be held responsible for anything or matter of what-so-ever nature. Further,
participants agree that decision of Director, FTII regarding admission to the
course and its conduction in all respect will be final.
(20) About Course Director:
Ms Rajashree
Rajashree is a National
Award-winning writer-director and bestselling novelist. She has written seven
commissioned features and series, including a thriller for Sudhir Mishra and a
romantic comedy for JioHotstar. She has independently developed bibles for
series and screenplays for feature films. She has worked as a producer on shows
such as Indian Idol and directed television shows, short films and ads. An
alumna of the Film and Television Institute of India, she has also taught at
her alma mater. She has served on the jury of several film festivals and as the
Convenor of the Events Committee at the Screenwriters Association. Her debut
novel, Trust Me, is among the highest-selling Indian chick-lit novels, according
to The Times of India and The Telegraph. Her novels have been officially
selected for the Word to Screen Market at MAMI, Mumbai, and Book to Box Office
at the Film Bazaar, IFFI Goa. She is represented by New York-based literary
agent Isabel Atherton.
(21) Course Overview
AI can be a powerful tool for
screenwriters, but only when the writer understands the craft of screenwriting
and knows how to use Al effectively. This course combines the craft of
screenwriting with the possibilities of AI, taking participants through the complete
process of writing a script, from finding and developing an idea to creating
characters, building the story and structure, writing scenes and dialogue, and
rewriting. Concepts will be taught and illustrated with excerpts from films and
series, put into practice through hands-on exercises, and then applied by
participants to their own writing and scripts. Al will be used throughout the
process as a tool for exploration, questioning, screenwriting and feedback.
Participants will work with ChatGPT, Claude and specialised AI screenwriting
tools, learning how to get more out of them while recognising their
limitations, avoiding generic "AI slop" and retaining what matters
most: the writer's own voice.
Screenwriting Craft
Finding Stories & Ideas:
Drawing from life, memory, imagination, experience and research.
Finding Your Voice: Developing an
individual voice and overcoming writer's block.
Character: Developing
protagonists, antagonists and the other characters, working on
characterisation, backstory, character arc and relationships.
Setting: Building the world
of your film or series.
Story & Structure:
Developing conflict, plot, sub-plot and narrative structure.
Audiovisual Writing: Telling
stories through action, speech, images and sound.
Screenplay Format: Writing in
the standard international screenplay format.
Theme & Point of View:
Conveying socio-political and ethical ideas.
Writing Across Formats:
Developing short films, features, series and micro-dramas.
How to Pitch: Learning to present
a story clearly and compellingly.
Al as a Screenwriting Tool
Working with Al:
Understanding what AI can do,
where it falls short, and where the writer's judgement matters most.
Prompt Engineering:
Communicating effectively with AI.
Al Screenwriting Tools:
Exploring tools for ideation, story development, screenwriting and rewriting.
Training Al to Speak in Your
Voice: Teaching Al your vocabulary, rhythms, style and sensibility so that its
writing sounds like you.
Ideation & Development:
Using Al to generate possibilities, test ideas and challenge your thinking.
Characters & Story: Using
Al to explore characters, conflict, structure and narrative possibilities.
Writing for Al Video: Writing
films that can be made well using Al video generation.
Rewriting & Feedback:
Using Al to question, test and strengthen your writing.
Avoiding "Al Slop":
Recognising generic AI writing and learning how to push beyond it while keeping
the writer at the centre.
Project: Participants will
write a short-film script on a subject they care about, using Al consciously
and creatively. They will take their idea through the complete writing process
- from ideation, characterisation, logline, story and pitch deck to step-outline,
screenplay and dialogue. The finished project will be a production-ready
short-film script.