ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING CHALLENGE – 2
Last May, we challenged East Africa’s film-makers to propose and produce quality documentaries on the region’s most critical environmental issues. Film-makers from four countries took the leap with our support. The results speak for themselves: ten compelling half hour programs that will soon be available to a nationwide audience. You can find (and view) them on our dedicated web site, www.givingnatureavoice.org.
Now it’s time for round two. East African film-makers burning to put their vision on-screen should send us their pitches for 2017. Proposals received before by January 31st will be given priority. The films can be as varied as the continent: from efforts to save critically endangered vultures to communities battling to save their forests from unrestricted charcoal burning. The key is to identify and research actual stories with compelling characters and a gripping narrative. It’s not enough to describe a topic and attach a budget. We need to know how you will tell the story in a compelling 25-minute film.
So … research your story before putting words on paper. Search the web for background on the issue. Talk to your main characters, if not in person, then by phone. Find out when they will be most actively involved in their story and try to build your shooting plan on real events. Think visually and describe how you can evoke the scene’s majesty. Outline a plan to capture both the triumph and pathos of your subjects.
We can help you with equipment and training, but it’s up to you to find and develop a story you really care about. Winners will have the option to use our equipment or from a rental house. Everyone will benefit from a day-long seminar on documentary story-telling given by experienced film-makers and journalists associated with the Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media.
Your proposal should include:
A one page synopsis outlining the issue, the characters and narrative of your film.
Separate from the one-page story description, please include a timeline : when you will research, film and edit your work.
Bios and links to clips produced by your team: director, camera, editor, sound.
A proposed budget: the grants are modest but enough to produce the first round.
Please submit all proposal to [email protected]. If you have any questions beforehand please email [email protected] or [email protected] or call +254 719 231 530.
Giving voice to the truly voiceless, East Africa’s threatened biosphere and the people who call it home, is the goal of Aga Khan University’s Environmental Reporting Programme. And our goal is made possible by giving a voice to young African filmmakers producing compelling, illuminating, and impactful environmental films.
Website by Appropriate. Photo by Andrew Tkach
