Shorts from real life
Opportunity to create short documentaries
IDocs was initiated to promote idea-driven short documentaries that discuss and evoke issues affecting our daily lives with the objective of sensitising young filmmakers to stimulate greater public debate where ideas are evolved from real life and expressed cinematically. Realisation of a series of actuality shorts, IDocs was an integral part of our year-round mentoring programmes, in association with Goethe Institut, Kolkata and generously supported by Yes Foundation.
Selected filmmakers were invited for two stages of mentoring sessions, and a final selection of 5 projects were given a project grant.
The series would be completed soon for public viewing in digital platforms.
This year, DRI launches another endeavour to support filmmakers at an early stage of their careers...
Selected Participants
- Tushnik Chaudhuri / Soumya Chakraborti Stories From The Exile
- Rahul Pawar Never told story, Kaha nahi = Kahani
- Sourabh Kanti Dutta Liberation, Vimukti
- Subhajit Prasad Hills of Resistance
- Shilpi Batra Adwani Sheenkhalai - The Blue Skin
- Anshul Uniyal Namgyal Ji
- Aarti Shrivastava Nature Tunes
- Hemant Gaba When Bullying Brought Death
- Nirupama Singh As I See It
- Sagar Shiriskar Tukaramji
- Divya Hansda Bablu
- Parth Vyas Gandhi In Taiwan
PLEASE NOTE : In case any of the selected participants are not able to attend, the position will be offered to the next candidate in the list in order of merit that is currently with the administration.
Let’sdoc Fellowship Programme aims to celebrate the fresh independent documentary vision and foster emerging talent through two mentoring sessions of 4 days each. Sessions will be mentored by some of the prominent Indian and international professionals in the field of documentary. This is the first edition of Let’sdoc/DRI fellowship programme intending to empower and encourage talented, emerging documentary filmmakers in India, invigorating them with necessary input for international partnership and co-production. The sessions offer advanced knowledge and skill of writing for documentary and creating a visual trailer to deal with the increasingly competitive environment of international co-production.
PART I: GUIDELINES
Project Focus
Mentoring and preparing Indian projects at an early stage of development through robust incubation labs.
What the fellowship offers
The Let’sdoc Fellowship offers two sessions of mentoring by four mentors of four days each to twelve Indian filmmakers selected from the open application process. The sessions will take place in Kolkata.
During each session, mentors will work closely with each fellow to guide him/her to help evolve the current work, offering hands-on advice, strategies and relevant input.
On successful completion of the mentoring sessions and submission of the required deliverables within the stipulated time frame, all the participants will be eligible for the two development grants selected from the participants for further enhancement of projects.
The two winners of the development grant will additionally be provided with individual online mentoring for their respective projects.
Types of Media & Subject
Let’sdoc is open to socially relevant, creative documentary narratives, told with unique personal viewpoint.
Eligibility
This fellowship is created to support documentary filmmakers. We want to hear stunning stories from the documentary community. The ideas/concepts are expected to have the potential for a socially engaging creative documentary with universal appeal.
Applicants may be filmmakers of any age but at an early stage of their filmmaking careers. Applicant must be an Indian citizen willing to travel to Kolkata for the workshops for mandatory participation.
Grants
Each of the twelve participating filmmakers would get a Participation Grant of INR 7,500 on successful completion and submission of required deliverables at the end of each mentoring lab.
Two out of 12 selected projects after the the successful completion of the second mentoring session, will be awarded a Development Grant of INR 1,00,000 each.
Disbursement of Development Grant
The Let’sdoc Fellowship (Seed Grant) will be disbursed as per the following:
50% - on signing of the agreement.
50% - on submission of the final deliverables.
Deliverables
Session 1
The filmmakers need to submit a clear delineation of the Narrative Outline of their projects within 15 days of attending the first session of mentoring.
The filmmakers will also need to submit a Revised Treatment of the project along with a Revised Visual Clip of 3-5 minutes.
Development Grant
The filmmakers will be required to submit an edited cut of 10 to 15 minutes of their project as the final submission for the Development Grant they receive.
They will also have to submit a final revised written proposal of their projects complete with the Logline, Synopsis, Treatment, Character Sketches and Director’s Statement within the stipulated word limit as guided by the Let’sdoc team.
Obligations
All the sessions are mandatory. Filmmakers failing to attend any of the sessions will not be eligible for the participatory and final grant.
Filmmakers are required to make their own arrangement for travel, accommodation, and food during the course of the mentoring sessions in Kolkata. Documentary Resource Initiative will only pay a consolidated sum of INR 7,500 as Participation Grant to each participant for each session.
The timeline for the sessions and their deliverables are non-negotiable. Any filmmaker failing to submit the required deliverables within the desired timeline will need to reimburse/refund the Participation Grant given to the filmmaker.
Similarly, the grant awardee failing to submit the required deliverables within the desired timeline will have to reimburse/refund the grant amount given to them.
The grant awardee will be eligible for the final installment of the grant only after satisfactorily submitting the required deliverables at the end of the first installment.
The grant winners will be required to include Let’s Doc/DRI Logo along with the following text in the credits of their final films.
‘This film was developed at the let’sdoc Fellowship’
(the logo and content will be supplied by DRI)
PART II: APPLICATION
How to Apply
The application for Let’sdoc can be made only through the online application process. The online application will be available till 23:59 (IST) of August 31, 2017. Applications made over mail or not submitted before the deadline will not be accepted.
Application Requirements
Logline: The brief idea in one line only.
Synopsis: 600 words max.
Give a clear description of your film, the intended story. What is it about - person, group, environment, social issue.
Treatment: 1200 words max.
The treatment may include background information, story outline, visual approach, main protagonists, artistic intervention to evolve the story and ensuing moments that reflect the story flow. Provide a clear overview of what’s going to happen (or what you think will happen) with regard to the core conflict/drama in the story.
Visual Clip: Trailer of current project / Previous work (3 to 5 mins. max.)
Make sure the clip is representative of the final film you have in mind and that the visuals compliment the written proposal.
Selection Process
The selection (by an independent jury) will be based on the filmmaker’s creative and artistic vision, besides the relevance of the subject. Unique/innovative point of view and artistic command of the filmmaker will be given additional consideration. The selection is final and no communications will be entertained with regard to the evaluation process after the final selection is announced.
Important Dates
| Application Call Opens |
|
August 5, 2017 |
| Application Call Closes |
|
August 31 (23:59 - IST), 2017 |
| Selection Result |
|
September 15, 2017 |
| Session 1 (Kolkata) |
|
October 5-8, 2017 |
| Session 2 (Kolkata) |
|
November 10-13, 2017 |
| Seed Grant Announcement |
|
November 13, 2017 |
| Signing of the agreement |
|
November 14, 2017 |
| Disbursement of grant - 50% |
|
November 20, 2017 |
| Online Mentoring |
|
December 10-11, 2017 |
| Final Submission |
|
December 15, 2017 |
| Disbursement of grant - Final 50% |
|
December 20, 2017 |
(The dates and other conditions may vary)
PART III: QUERY & CONTACT
The filmmakers are welcome to direct any of their additional queries to letsdoc@docresi.org
Please click on "I Agree" to go to the application form.