As part of the 25th edition of the RIFF, we will host a special Masterclass with Academy Award-winning screenwriter Paul Haggis and film editor Jo Francis.
Building on their longstanding artistic collaboration on internationally acclaimed films such as Third Person (2013), In the Valley of Elah (2007), and The Next Three Days (2010),
Haggis and Francis will explore the interplay between two fundamental components of cinematic storytelling: screenwriting and editing. Through reflections on their professional experiences, the duo will offer audiences a unique insight into the creative processes that transform a story into a cinematic work. From the development of a screenplay to its reworking in the editing room, their conversation will examine the many ways a film can be written and rewritten, revealing new meanings, rhythms, and emotional nuances along the way.
How much can a story change as it moves from page to screen? And how can editing reshape what the screenplay originally envisioned, opening up new narrative and emotional possibilities? These questions will guide a discussion that highlights the profound interconnection between two creative practices which, each through its own distinctive tools, help shape a film’s identity.
The workshop will offer an opportunity to delve into the heart of the creative process behind filmmaking and discover how screenwriting and editing are not merely successive stages of production, but complementary forces capable of transforming one another and giving rise to unexpected narrative possibilities.