Private Classes with Babak Payami

Intensive 1:1 labs and mentorship programs for filmmakers and writers who want to take a project from “promising” to “ready to shoot.”

"Cinema changed my life. Mentors opened doors that schools and textbooks couldn’t: taste, judgment, and work habits. ”

Apprentice with Silver Lion–winning writer/director of Secret Ballot and 752 Is Not a Number, with three decades in narrative, documentary, and international co-productions.

WHO IS THIS FOR

These sessions are for early- to mid-career filmmakers, documentary directors & screenwriters who already have a project, or a serious intent, and want to bring it to a professional level. We work on concrete projects and professional pathways.

      • Fiction Filmmakers developing or rewriting a feature or short.

      • Documentary Directors working on politically or socially charged material.

      • Writers with a script that needs structural surgery, not encouragement!

      • Filmmakers or Producers editing a film.

HOW IT WORKS

Flexible sessions tailored to the project and what needs to be done. Once registration is complete, participants will be required to send a short introduction of themselves and their work ahead of their first meeting.

      • Format: Online sessions via Zoom or Google Meets (based on EST).

      • Languages: English, German & Farsi.

      • Session Length: 60, 90 or 120 minutes. (Not including off-session material review, analysis and notes.)

      • Follow-up: You leave with clear next steps and, if we continue, a plan for the next milestone.

WHAT YOU GET

Flexible sessions tailored to the project and what needs to be done. Once registration is complete, participants will be required to send a short introduction of themselves and their work ahead of their first meeting.

      • Take a feature script from logline → outline → a first draft → polish.
      • Take a documentary from idea→ treatment→ realistic shooting and financing plan→ release and festival strategy
      • Line-by-line craft: structure, pacing, blocking, performance direction, visual grammar, ethical realities in documentary, story in stills.
      • Shooting & Editing: Documentary or fiction. Nuances best practices, working with non-actors. 
      • Industry fluency: Professional notes and practical pathways for finish gin and showing your work.
      • Accountability: Milestones, deadlines, and unvarnished feedback.
 

Call it a lab. Call it a coaching room. What matters is the work gets sharper – and you do too.

To get started, check availability in the calendar
BOOK ONLINE
and prepare a short note
about yourself and your project.

Practical details & Booking policy:

      • When you choose a time in the calendar, your slot is held for 12 hours.
      • Complete payment via the link in your confirmation email; after 12 hours, unpaid slots are automatically released.
      • Include a short note (under 500 words) on your background and what you want to work on.