THE NFB CATEGORY IS CALLING FOR ENTRIES IN INNOVATIVE NEW FORMS OF SOCIALLY RESPONSIVE MEDIA
Deadline 9 February 2007
We are particularly interested in exploring how to leverage the versatility, mobility and borderless nature of new platforms even further by tapping into global communities that can talk to each other and create innovative new forms of socially engaged media in any genre-whether documentary, animation, drama or hybrid variants of those. How can we inspire an exchange of story telling practices among diverse communities? How can we foster a global dialogue on issues that have local roots by the creative use of media? How can we unleash creative talents of marginal voices and communities and make them heard? Adapting the old adage of "think globally, act locally" we are interested in developing socially responsible media projects relating to the Protection of The Environment (Global Warming), Human Rights, Poverty, Hunger, and Genocide...Projects can be event based, should be cross platform and multiplatform involving the best features of each media, to ensure maximum global audience participation, taking full advantage of the range of new platforms, with a particular emphasis on on-line, interactive and mobile. Just "showing it" is not necessarily a political goal unto itself. Work with the partners to harness the project's momentum to effect real participation, and real positive change. Projects may come from anywhere in the world but they must be multi-platform concepts, creating User Engagement, through innovative use of digital networks and devices. An added bonus would be demonstration, of direct point of contact and interaction with communities in Canada, as part of the development plan.
SPECIFIC TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR THE NFB CATEGORY
Entries can come from anywhere in the world. The winning producer will receive a co-production development deal from the National Film Board which will include up to 5,000 Euros in development funding. The funding prize is contingent on signing a co-production development deal with the NFB. These terms are subject to French law and jurisdiction.
TIPS AND GUIDELINES FOR THE NFB CATEGORY At the NFB, projects like Homeless Nation (www.homelessnation.org) has given creative and social voice (and a virtual address) to people who have no real address. CitizenShift (citizen.nfb.ca) is both a site that gathers user generated media on a range of social themes and is a creative work in and of itself.
Among the most innovative of the NFB projects is the Filmmaker-in-Residence. Working with Toronto’s St Michael’s Hospital, the world’s leading pioneer in delivering inner city health care, the NFB is changing the face of socially engaged media (www.nfb.ca/filmmakerinresidence). The manifesto developed for this new kind of media making is a good starting point for thinking and adapting to other kinds of socially engaged media projects.
Filmmaker-in-Residence Manifesto
1. The original project idea and goals come from the community partner. 2. The filmmaker’s role is to experiment and adapt documentary forms to the original idea. Break stereotypes. Push the boundaries of what documentary means. 3. Use documentary and media to “participate” rather than just to observe and to record. Filmmaker-in-Residence is not an A/V or a PR department. 4. Work closely with the community partner, but respect each other’s expertise and independence. 5. Use whatever medium suits – video, photography, world wide web, cell phones, ipods or just pen and paper. It can all be documentary. 6. Work through the ethics, privacy and consent process with your partners before you begin, and adapt your project accordingly. Sometimes it means changing your whole approach – or even dropping it. That’s the cost of being ethical. 7. The social and political goals – and the process itself — are paramount. Ask yourself every day: why are you doing this project? 8. Always tell a good story. 9. Track the process, the results and spend time disseminating what you’ve learned with multiple communities: professionals, academics, filmmakers, media, general public, advocates, critics and students. 10. Support the community partner in distribution and outreach. Spend 10% of the time making it and 90% of the time getting it out into the world. Just “showing it” is not necessarily a political goal unto itself. Work with the partners to harness the project’s momentum to effect real participation, and real positive change.