Bobette Buster

Fondazione ANICA ACADEMY of Cinema, Audiovisual and Digital – Third Sector Entity
Established in 2020 with the primary mission of designing, managing, and organizing both foundational and highly specialized training courses in cinema and audiovisual professions, Fondazione Anica Academy ETS is a third-sector entity dedicated to professionals seeking to enhance their existing skills, as well as to recent graduates looking at the audiovisual field as one that offers real opportunities for qualified employment, aligned with their knowledge and competencies. Due to its industrial DNA, the school emphasizes hands-on experience – learning by doing – as a core component of all its courses, tailored to specific contexts, with particular attention to guidance and support for further specialization or workforce entry, especially for young people. Anica Academy is an initiative supported by ANICA, Medusa Film, Netflix, Paramount, Rai, Vision Distribution, and Gaumont Italia. As of 2023, Fondazione Eos – Edison Orizzonte Sociale and Labs di Fapav have also joined.

ALMED – Graduate School of Media, Communication and Performing Arts at Università Cattolica
Founded in 1961 as the Higher School of Journalism and Audiovisual Media, ALMED was restructured in 2002 as one of the Graduate Schools of Università Cattolica, where the university brings together its most advanced educational, teaching, and research activities in the fields of communication and entertainment. In the current academic year, ALMED offers nineteen first-level university Master programs and several Summer Schools. Among its flagship programs is the Master in International Screenwriting and Production, active under various names since 2000 in training screenwriters, story editors, and producers. Alumni of this program have written or produced more than 2,000 hours of prime-time television content, broadcast on major international platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and HBO Max. They have notably contributed to internationally successful series including Doc – Nelle tue mani, Blanca, Medici: Masters of Florence, Hanno ucciso l’uomo ragno, La strada di casa, Buongiorno mamma!, Brennero, Odio il Natale, among many others. Their work has received recognition and awards at festivals in Venice, Cannes, Locarno, and many other international events. In addition to academic programs, ALMED produces cultural events, short films, reportages, formats for television and new media, an up-to-date news website, and a web radio program. It also collaborates with radio, TV, press, or web outlets as a content provider. Each year, ALMED organizes workshops and professional development events, focusing on the latest trends in communication and their impact on training and employment.

Anica Academy ETS, in collaboration with ALMED is offering a limited number of in-person auditor spots – minimum of 25, maximum of 90 – for the masterclass held by renowned U.S. script consultant Bobette Buster. The sessions will take place from September 8 to September 10, at Fondazione Anica Academy ETS (Viale Regina Margherita 286, Rome).
Bobette Buster has worked for years with Tony Scott and later with Disney, 20th Century Fox, and others. She has lectured at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, NorthEastern University in Boston, and Tufts University, as well as at Pixar Animation Studios, the French National Film School La Fémis, and within the MISP program at Università Cattolica. She is also the author and producer of the documentary Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound, which premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. The Masterclass will be held entirely in English.

The course is intended for industry professionals in various roles such as screenwriters, directors, story editors, development producers, script consultants, filmmakers, and producers. The masterclass is also open to graduates and students from academies, Master’s programs, and university courses in film and television, as well as to individuals currently attending – or who have attended – schools of creative writing.

The Masterclass will cover the following topics:

• What Is the Big Idea
• Finding Your Personal Voice
• The Arc of the Story and the Theme of a Film/TV Series
• The Structure of a Story: Going Deep into the Three-Act Structure
• Protagonist and Antagonist: The Alchemy
• Cinema as Orchestration of Emotions
• Visual Rhymes, Gleaming Details, and Other Storytelling Tools
• Visual Storytelling: Cinematography, Costume Design, Sound Design, etc.
• The Work of Development
• Markets and Target Audiences

The masterclass will take place over three (3) days, from September 8 to September 10, running daily from from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM, with a lunch break of approximately one (1) hour. It will be held in person in Rome at the Anica Academy ETS headquarters (Viale Regina Margherita 286 – Rome).

Any changes to the start and end dates will be communicated in advance to admitted auditors. Similarly, individual sessions may be canceled and rescheduled due to force majeure or the unexpected unavailability of the instructor.
In cases of proven necessity (e.g. living outside of Rome, work commitments, health-related issues, etc.), it will be exceptionally possible to attend the masterclass remotely by selecting the appropriate option on the pre-registration form. However, in-person attendance is strongly recommended as full interaction with the class cannot be guaranteed for remote participants.

The masterclass is open to a minimum of 25 and a maximum of 90 in-person auditors with the following requirements:

• Age: Applicants must be at least 18 years old by the date of the call’s publication.
• Nationality: Open to all. Both EU and non-EU citizens may apply.
• Educational Qualification:
  Applicants must hold, by the start date of the course, a secondary school diploma or higher qualification.
• Language Skills:
  An excellent knowledge of English is required.
• Prior Experience in the Audiovisual Field:
  Applicants must be professionals (including junior level) in screenwriting, directing, producing, editing, etc. Alternatively, applicants may be graduates or current students of film schools or university programs focused on audiovisual production or creative writing.

To apply, candidates must pre-register by filling out the online form available on the ANICA ACADEMY ETS website (https://www.anicaacademy.org/).
They will receive a confirmation email at the address provided in the form, along with instructions to finalize their application by submitting the required documents no later than July 27, 2025, to segreteria@anicaacademy.org. Subject line: “Name, Surname – Bobette Buster Auditor Application.”

The applicant must send the following documents via email in electronic format, each file clearly labeled with their full name:

• A copy of a valid identity document
• A short bio/CV in English outlining their educational and professional background

Applications submitted in other ways will not be accepted.

The Anica Academy Board, at its sole discretion, will review applications and assess eligibility in the order in which they are received. Admitted candidates will receive an Official Letter of Acceptance by email along with payment instructions.
Upon receiving this communication, the selected candidate must confirm their participation by signing the necessary documents and paying the registration fee within the timeframe provided.

Applicants will be considered officially registered only once:

• All required materials and documents have been submitted
• All eligibility requirements declared in the application are met
• Proof of payment of the registration fee has been sent by September 1, 2025

Failure to complete the registration within the deadline will result in automatic exclusion, and the first eligible candidate on the waiting list will be offered the available spot.

ANICA ACADEMY ETS reserves the right to verify the accuracy of all declarations and to request certified copies of submitted documents.
Any false or misleading statements will result in automatic exclusion, without prejudice to any legal actions under applicable regulations.

ANICA ACADEMY ETS is not responsible for delays or errors caused by incorrect information provided by the candidate, third parties, or due to force majeure.

The registration fee for the masterclass is €300 (three hundred euros) + VAT, where applicable.