OPPORTUNITIES BULLETIN #238 March 2023 |
N.B. The information below is provided directly by the organizers of events, festivals, audio-visual organizations or independent film projects. The Royal Film Commission - Jordan (RFC) cannot be held accountable for it. |
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In this bulletin: - Apply now to Rawi Screenwriters Lab’s 18th Edition
- Amman International Film Festival: Submit your Film
- Amman International Film Festival: Submit your Project
- Call for submissions: The 76th Locarno Film Festival
- Call for fund: Sundance Institute Documentary Fund
- Call for application: Film Independent Episodic Directing Intensive 2023
- Call for submissions: Raindance Film Festival
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| 1. Apply now to Rawi Screenwriters Lab’s 18th Edition |
| Submissions will open tomorrow to the 18th edition of Rawi Screenwriters Lab organized by the Royal Film Commission – Jordan. Rawi Screenwriters Lab is an annual five-day screenplay development workshop aimed at independent Arab screenwriters working on their first or second narrative feature screenplays. Screenwriters joining the lab will be experience one-on-one mentoring sessions with internationally acclaimed screenwriters (Rawi’s Creative Advisors) from all over the world. The emphasis of the lab is to develop the writer’s individual voice as a storyteller. Advisors and fellows will engage in an in-depth dialogue about the craft of screenwriting and rewriting process, as well as the fellows’ individual visions for their stories.
Over the past 17 years, the lab has supported 131 emerging screenwriters, with a number of Rawi’s Alumni successfully completing their films, which have toured regional and international film festivals receiving many awards. Each year, fellows and advisors work intensively for five days on their feature narrative screenplays. Each fellow will have several one-on-one story sessions with the lab's creative advisors. The advisors’ guidance ranges from improving the fellow's technique as a screenwriter, to life lessons and practical suggestions to be explored in their next draft. Emphasis is placed on each fellow's individual voice and story. An advisory committee of writers, established film critics, screenplay editors, script doctors, scholars and film professionals work with the Rawi Screenwriters Lab team throughout the selection process. They are referred to as “Creative Consultants”. The primary short listing is based on script merits: story, originality, characters, dialogue, structure, writing style, individual voices, the status of the screenplay and its suitability to benefit from the Lab. Where applicable, we look very closely at the directing work of the writer. Important information: Submission deadline: Saturday, April 15th, 2023, before midnight (Jordan Time). Lab days: between 23 and 29 November 2023. For submissions and more details about the Lab, please visit:
https://bit.ly/RFC-Rawi For further information and inquires please write to rawi@film.jo or call The Royal Film Commission at 0096264613835, ext. 104 or 108. |
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| 2. Amman International Film Festival: Submit your Film |
| Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film (AIFF) is the first of its kind in Jordan and is aimed at début achievements in film from all over the world. The AIFF seeks works that manifest artistic boldness, strength of form and originality in the use of the medium of film. Based on the success of its three previous editions, the Festival’s fourth edition will be held 15 – 22 August 2023. International jurors select the Best Feature-Length Narrative Arab film, Best Feature-Length Documentary and the Best Arab Short. The audience selects the Best Début non-Arab movie.
All winning films receive the Black Iris trophy and a cash award. Additional awards are granted to the Best Fist-Time Lead Actor / Actress (for the feature-length narrative category), Best First-Time screenwriter, Best First-time Editor (for the feature-length documentary category). Rules and Regulations • Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film (AIFF) requires all submitted films to be Jordanian premiere. Films previously screened in Jordan are not eligible.
• Films that are available in Jordan on any VOD, online platforms, TV, or any other similar media are not eligible.
• Only film rights owners and/or their official distributors are eligible to submit films to the festival.
• All films must be in their original language. If not in English, the film must be subtitled in English.
• Submitted films must meet the conditions mentioned above, in addition to the specific selection criteria as described per section.
• The final selection of all films and their placement in the program are the responsibility of the Festival. Sections: Arab Feature Narrative Film Competition • Only films that are 60 minutes or longer are accepted for this section.
• This section is open to any feature-length narrative film released in 2022 or 2023, as long as the director is Arab or of Arab origin, and as long as it is the first feature-length narrative film by the:
o Director and/or
o Screenwriter and/or
o Lead actor and/or
o Lead actress and/or Arab Feature Documentary Film Competition • Only films that are 52 minutes or longer are accepted for this section.
• This section is open to any feature-length documentary film released in 2022 or 2023, as long as the director is Arab or of Arab origin, and as long as it is the first feature-length documentary film by the:
o Director and/or
o Editor Arab Short Film Competition • Only short films (no longer than 30 minutes) are eligible for this section.
• This section is open to any short narrative, experimental, or animation film released in 2022 or 2023, as long as the director is Arab or of Arab origin, and as long as it is the first narrative short film by the director.
• Short documentaries are not eligible for this section The deadline for submissions is 30 April, 2023 For more about AIFF: www.aiff.jo
For more information about the rules and regulations: http://aiff.jo/rules-regulations/
To submit your film to the Arab competitions: http://aiff.jo/arab-competition/
To submit your non-Arab début film to the international section: http://aiff.jo/international-section/ |
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| 3. Amman International Film Festival: Submit your Project |
Amman Film Industry Days (AFID) – as part of Amman International Film Festival (AIFF) - is organizing three Pitching Platforms for feature-length projects in development by Jordanian and resident Arab filmmakers in Jordan and for projects in post-production by all Arab filmmakers.
Up to 15 projects will be selected to pitch their film projects in a public presentation to industry professionals attending Amman Industry Days, where the best projects will receive in-kind &/or cash awards to help them advance in the materialization of their films. Rules & regulations for submitting your project a) Project in Development:
• The project must be a feature-length narrative or documentary in its development stage; shorts are not eligible.
• Projects by all Arab directors (including Jordanians) are accepted for this platform. b) Project in Development - Awal Project:
• Only projects by first-time Jordanian directors or first-time Arab directors resident in Jordan are accepted for this platform.
• The project must be a feature-length narrative or documentary in its development stage; shorts are not eligible. c) Project in Post-Production:
• The project must be a feature-length narrative or documentary in its post-production stage; shorts are not eligible.
• Only projects by Arab directors (including Jordanians) are accepted for this platform.
• You must have a producer attached to your project to be eligible for this platform. The deadline for submission is 30 April, 2023 For more information, please visit: http://aiff.jo/pitching-platforms/ |
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| 4. Call for submissions: The 76th Locarno Film Festival |
The 76th Locarno Film Festival will take place in Locarno from August 2-12, 2023.
The Locarno Film Festival aims to promote arthouse cinema of artistic merit; to provide a showcase for major new films of the year from around the world; to make room, in its competitive sections, to new perspectives and forms of filmmaking expression, focusing specially on new directors and new ways of filmmaking that attracts international attention.
Entry conditions
a) The selected films must have been completed within the 12 (twelve) months preceding their Festival screening, therefore, the festival will only consider films completed after August 31, 2022.
b) Films selected must not have been previously released outside their production countries prior to the official presentation at the Locarno Film Festival. World premieres (first public screening) are favored. Films available on Internet, broadcasted on television or commercially released on VOD, DVD, Blu-Ray or any other format are not eligible.
c) All Swiss productions and co-productions must be world premieres.
d) Works that are solely promotional, educational or scientific in character are not eligible.
e) Films submitted for previous editions of the Festival may not be resubmitted, not even in a new version.
A selection committee (with an advisory brief) made up of film experts will assist the artistic director in the scouting and selection of works for the Festival.The deadline for submission is 03 May, 2023 For more information, please visit: https://www.locarnofestival.ch/LFF/Film-Submission.html |
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| 5. Call for fund: Sundance Institute Documentary Fund |
In a changing media landscape, the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund has been a stable, progressive force in supporting work that has expressed the world in creative, complex, beautiful, and provocative ways, and it has created real cultural and social impact around some of the most pressing issues of our time. Recently supported films have included Always in Season, All That Breathes, Ascension, Collective, Crip Camp, Faya Dayi, Of Fathers and Sons, Fire of Love, Hale County This Morning, This Evening, Hidden Letters, I Didn’t See You There, Mija, Minding the Gap, The Mole Agent, Softie, and Writing With Fire.
Eligibility Criteria:
The Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program (DFP) prioritizes support for independent non-fiction films with budgets under one million in U.S. dollars.
Creative and editorial control must be held by members of the films’ key creative teams.
For United States productions, the DFP prioritizes films led by artists from historically underrepresented communities. Projects that focus on historically underrepresented communities must have a key creative from the community or with deep ties to the community in a power-holding position represented on the team.
For international productions, priority is for films led by artists from Africa, China, India, Latin America, and the Middle East. Indigenous artists globally and artists from the above regions who are living in the diaspora are also prioritized.
Applicants may submit at any production phase from development through post-production. All proposals must convey some vision for a finished film. Projects that have not yet secured characters or subjects, are unable to articulate a story or structure, or are unable to explain the project's driving central question are discouraged from applying.
Once your film premieres, post-production funding support can’t be provided. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to apply at least six months before an anticipated premiere. Picture-locked cuts are also ineligible for post-production funding.
Only projects that has advanced considerably in storytelling vision and intent are accepted, preferably at a later stage of production. More than three applications to the Documentary Fund over the life of a project are not preferable. Projects that have previously received a grant through the Documentary Fund are not eligible to apply for additional funding through this open call. Contact DFP staff for more information.
The deadline to submit applications is April 18, 2023For more information, please visit:
https://apply.sundance.org/prog/2023_documentary_fund_grant_application/ |
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| 6. Call for application: Film Independent Episodic Directing Intensive 2023 |
The Episodic Directing Intensive is a three-day program designed for directors looking to break into episodic directing and learn foundational skills to build a sustainable career. Applicants must be alumni of Film Independent Labs/Programs.
Over the course of the program, Fellows will learn about directing scripted episodic content from industry veterans, working directors, showrunners, and executives. Topics include how-to make the most of general meetings, what it takes to land the first episode and building a life as a working TV director.
Applicants will need to submit at least two directing samples, this can include short or feature films, or web series.
This full-time Lab takes place virtually on June 13-15, 2023.
Application:Please complete and submit the electronic application form. You will be able to save your application and add documents or information until the application deadline. Once you click "submit," the application will be considered final and no additional information will be accepted. If you do not click "submit," the application will not be considered.
The deadline to submit applications is March 20, 2023
To apply and for more information, please visit:
https://filmindependent1.submittable.com/submit/250329/film-independent-episodic-directing-intensive-2023 |
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| 7. Call for submissions: Raindance Film Festival |
Raindance Film Festival is the largest independent film festival in the UK, currently rated amongst the top 10 international film festivals for filmmakers to consider, according to Studiobinder. It is based in the heart of London’s buzzing West End film district.
Raindance Film Festival is officially recognised by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences USA, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and the British Independent Film Awards. Winners of Best Animation Short/Best Documentary Short/Short of the Festival categories will qualify for Oscar®, and selected shorts also for BAFTA considerations.
Rules & Terms:
The 31st Raindance Film Festival will take place in the autumn of 2023
- Films must be submitted via online screener ONLY. The festival does not accept subsequent cuts or more complete versions of submitted films, therefore changing or updating the originally submitted link is not accepted. Only one version of the film will be reviewed by programmers.
- All submissions must have been completed after 1 January 2022.
- Raindance requires at least a UK premiere for any feature film.
- There is a London premiere policy for UK films.
- There is no premiere policy for short films and music videos.
- Work-in-progress and films with distribution are accepted.
- Feature Films must be at least UK Premieres: they must not have been released in the UK on any format, nor screened publicly online.
If, after you submit, the premiere status of your feature film changes rendering it no longer available for at least UK premiere, please let us know immediately and withdraw your film from submissions.
- There is no premiere policy for short films and music videos, they may have screened at other Festivals and/or online.
- The Festival accepts London premiere for UK films
Submission Deadlines:The early deadline is Monday 10th April 2023.
The final late deadline is Monday 12th June 2022. Early entry is encouraged but in no way guarantees acceptance.
To apply and for more information, please visit: https://filmfreeway.com/Raindance |
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