You Can Attend This Filmmaking Lab with Apichatpong Weerasethakul in the Amazon

The modern master of Thai cinema, Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Uncle Boonme Who Can Recall His Past Lives, Tropical Malady, Memoria), is holding a special 10-day lab in the Peruvian Amazon jungle this June—and he's inviting you along.

Fifty selected filmmakers from all over the world will descend upon the Inkaterra Field Guides station in Tambopata, Peru, to engage in a once-in-a-lifetime filmmaking workshop. The methodology from this workshop was developed first by Abbas Kiarostami and then heralded by Werner Herzog, and now it's Weerasethakul's turn at the helm.

“I always think of a film as a body. What one as a filmmaker wants to do with all the parts —with that collection of images and sounds that make up a film, which are its organs— is to give life to that body, turn it into a living organism.”

Every participant in the program will conceive, develop, shoot, and edit a film in the span of the 10-day workshop. Out of the completed films, a selection will be up for a chance at distribution to some of the world's top festivals. Needless to say, this is a huge opportunity for anyone looking to get outside their comfort zone, spend time in the presence of a master, and have a chance to get their work seen.

I personally attended the 2018 version of this workshop with Werner Herzog, and I can confidently say that it changed my life. Don't miss your chance to apply now!

• Dates: June 18-June 28, 2022
• Deadline for application: April 25
• Cost: 5,200€ ($5,700), which includes workshop fee and accommodation and food for 12 days in Inkaterra Field Station. 

For more info and a full schedule of the workshop, head to the Playlab Films website.

To apply to the lab, fill out this form, which requires a written letter of motivation, links to your work, and a CV.