Moonstone MD, Tara Halloran and Artistic Director John McGrath announced that, in addition to the support of its funders, the Lab is being supported for the first time by the Film Council's Training Fund.

FC Training fund head, Helen Bagnall confirmed that the Film has joined forces with the European MEDIA Programme, Scottish Screen and Screen Training Ireland/FAS in supporting Moonstone International.

Moonstone has selected the following participants and their projects for the Screenwriters' Lab:
England - Smita Bhide (Ramraj), Rupinderjit K Dhami and Annalisa Hounsome (Sweetheart Bingo), Deola Folarin (Stained Glass), Ian Rashid (Soft Shoe Shuffle)
Ireland - Anthony Byrne (Short Order), Brian FitzGibbon (Edge of Dawn), Fergus Tighe (Blood's Cross)
Northern Ireland - Terry Loane (Jonjo Mickybo)
Scotland - Ross Dunsmore (1919)

Moonstone runs three Labs per year: two for screenwriters and one for filmmakers.

Confirmed advisors are Ronan Bennett (Face), Walter Bernstein (The Front), Trevor Griffiths (Reds), Troy Kennedy Martin (The Italian Job), Julian Mitchell (Wilde), Jeremy Pikser (Bulworth), Judith Rascoe (Eat a Bowl of Tea), Matthew Robbins (Sugarland Express), Susan Shilliday (Legends of theFall).

Recent successful Moonstoners include Lynne Ramsay with Ratcatcher, Hans Petter Molland for Aberdeen and Sara Sugarman's Very Annie Mary. Last year, Moonstone took on Wanton Muse's Philippa Goslett for her young Dali focused script that has attracted so much attention from European production companies.

Moonstone International was founded in 1997 in consultation with Robert Redford's Sundance Institute, the organisation that supports and develops the work of independent screenwriters and directors of vision. Michael Caine is Chair of Moonstone's Artistic Advisory Panel.