OPEN CALL FOR PROPOSALS: FILM TALENTS – VOICES FROM PAKISTAN AND AFGHANISTAN

ABOUT THE PROGRAM FOR FILM TALENTS – VOICES FROM PAKISTAN AND AFGHANISTAN:

What? The Prince Claus Fund and Goethe-Institut have collaborated to set up an Open Call for Proposals for the programme “Film Talents – Voices from Pakistan and Afghanistan”. We would like to offer young emerging filmmakers in Pakistan and Afghanistan the opportunity to take part in a mentorship programme for filmmakers through a series of five workshops to take place in 2017 and 2018 in the region.

Who for? This Call is open to final-year film, multimedia and art students and recent graduates in these fields who are willing to commit to participating. Applicants must be nationals of and reside in Afghanistan and/or Pakistan. Selected grantees are not restricted in theme or format (feature or documentary film). However, priority will be given to themes of untold stories, that make unheard voices from Pakistan and Afghanistan heard, for national and international audiences.

Selected participants will be provided support for accommodation and travel from Afghanistan and other cities in Pakistan for the workshops in Karachi. The programme will also cover production costs for short film projects by the selected filmmakers. These projects will be further developed with each filmmaker, under mentorship provided at the workshops. A jury composed of regional and international professionals will choose the successful applicants on the basis of their quality[1], innovation, the relevance of their proposal for the social context of their countries and the expected impact their proposed project could have.
At the end of the programme the successful participants will be supported in making an application to the Berlinale Talents, IDFA and/or similar festivals.

Who by? The Workshop will be conducted by the Goethe-­Institut Karachi, the Prince Claus Fund and award winning Berlin-based filmmaker Till Passow in collaboration with Goethe-­Institut Kabul and a number of mentors, partners and trainers from Pakistan and Afghanistan[2]. They will train the filmmakers on capacities in developing a film project, screenwriting, implementation of the idea, producing a trailer and pitching and presenting their project[3]. The programme focuses on enhancing the career opportunities for young filmmakers both locally and internationally.

When?  The workshops will take place in Karachi in September and December 2017 and throughout 2018. Each workshop is two weeks long.

TIMELINE OF THE CALL FOR PROPOSALS:

Deadline to send in application: 13th of August 2017 at midnight AFT or PKT.
Possible dates for the first workshop:  04/09-17/09
Second workshop: 11/12-22/12 (tbd)
All Applicants will be contacted by mid- August 2017 by email with an answer on their application.

Why? The Film Talents – Voices from Pakistan and Afghanistan programme is intended to support the professional development and creative production skills of young film makers in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Prince Claus Fund and Goethe-Institut firmly believe that young film makers from the region can foster understanding of their local communities both locally and internationally. This collaboration between the Institut and the Fund is designed to help young filmmakers tackle the challenges they face and to bridge a gap between formal education in film and media in Pakistan and Afghanistan and actual production in the field. Through mentoring, this programme will also help young filmmakers develop storytelling methods to engage with audiences and the insights needed to break through to international festivals. In today’s world, documentary research and film offer both tools and platforms to connect people through stories. Among the demographically young populations of Pakistan and Afghanistan there is great potential for talent in creative production to address the social issues they see locally. Both countries are home to very diverse communities. There is a pressing need for young people in this region to become aware of the positive possibilities of a diversity of narratives as well as the potential for a wider (international) impact.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES:

Eligible Candidates
Eligible candidates are individuals working in the field of filmmaking who are based in Afghanistan and Pakistan and who are nationals of the respective country. Applicants must have a proven track record connected to film making either through education and/or trainings.

Eligible Expenses
The collaboration will cover costs of participation and accommodation during the 5 workshops of the program.

Place and Duration
The five workshops will take place in the Goethe.-Institut in Karachi, lasting 2 weeks each.

How to Apply
Complete and submit the application form (in English) and send it to program@karachi.goethe.org.

Selection Procedure
All applicants will be contacted by mid-August 2017 by email with a reply to their application. Short-listed applicants will receive information on the next steps in the application process.

Payment Schedule
Payment of costs of production and accommodations will be made in several instalments, production costs will be based upon proposed projects plan.

[1] We define quality as the ability of projects to combine social relevance, artistic excellence, newness of proposed idea and impact on local contexts with a global relevance
[2] Foreign and Pakistani trainers, among them Till Passow (Germany), Babar Sheikh (Pakistan) and others will mentor the process and discuss contents of projects with the participants.
[3] During the course of the workshops each participant will be supported to produce one or two short films and to present and pitch their projects at international film festivals.

https://www.goethe.de/ins/pk/en/kul/sup/call-for-applications.html