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The Nanaimo Global Film Festival is putting out a call for submissions to its fifth annual film/video production awards program. For the past five years, the festival committee has been donating proceeds from the festival to an award program to promote the production of films in the local community that deal with issues of social justice. In 2007, thanks to a grant from Global Village Nanaimo and the Mid-Island Co-op, the committee expanded the program to include a second award. This year the awards are expanding again thanks to a generous donation by the Gulf Island Film and Television School.
The Nanaimo Global Film Festival Group is a central Vancouver Island coalition of ten peace and social justice groups interested in screening films about the world situation and the Canadian context. Members of the NGFFG believe that a better world is possible and that ordinary people need better information about the world and its systems.
Eligibility requirements
To be eligible, films and video art must be independently produced by either Canadian citizens, landed immigrants or Canadian independent production companies. We are looking for current films but will program older releases if they are pertinent to current affairs.
We are accepting submissions under three categories:
Youth scholarship to Gulf Island Film and Television School. This scholarship is open to all high-school age youth between the ages of 14 and 18 living in the Mid-island area who wish to apply. Applications for the Youth scholarship to Gulf Island Film and Television School consists of a paragraph to a page describing why the applicant would like the scholarship and how it fits into their future plans.
The Rights and Democracy Student Film Award is entering its fifth year and it’s third year in a partnership with the Malaspina Media Studies department. This award is targeted specifically to Malaspina students. The selected student project will be awarded $1000, plus access to a mentor and equipment to complete a 5 to 10 minute video incorporating one or more of the following themes: democratic development, women’s human rights, globalization and human rights and/or the rights of indigenous peoples. The purpose of the award is to provide funding and support for a student who is either a first time or emerging filmmaker to make a short video related to social justice. The idea behind the award is to encourage students to explore solutions to social justice issues using communications media. This years recipient will also receive a scholarship to the Gulf Island Film and Television School on Galiano Island. Last year’s recipients, Chad Schroter-Gillespie and Nick Middleton are currently finishing the film, ‘Be the Media: A local approach to establishing an alternative voice’, which explores independent media on Vancouver Island and will screen at this year's festival.
The Community Film Award is open to all film-makers both amateur and professional who live in the mid-island region. Proposed projects must deal with issues of economic alternatives relating to social justice including fair trade. This year the selected project will receive $2500 but no access to equipment or mentors. The award can be used for development or completion of a larger project, or for the production of a short film or video. Applicants should demonstrate they have access to the necessary equipment and an ability to complete the project. Producers with larger projects should demonstrate that they have access to sufficient sources of additional funding to carry their project through. Filmmakers under age 18 are eligible as long as they have a co-applicant (parent, teacher or guardian) who will help guide them through the process.
The awards will be announced on Friday, March 20th, 2009 the opening night of this year’s Nanaimo Global Film Festival to be held March 20, 21 and 22nd. at Vancouver Island University (Malaspina). The completed videos will be screened at the 2010 festival.
Proposals for the two film awards should include a short summary (2-3 sentences), a longer project description, budget and production schedule (no more than three pages total). Please include a resume and any support material relevant to the project.
Projects can be documentary, dramatic or experimental in nature, as long as one of the themes is incorporated. Proposals will be evaluated based on creativity, incorporation of one of the themes, and whether the proposal is reasonable in terms of budget and scheduling. “You can think globally but you will need to produce the video locally” says awards committee member Paul Manly.
Deadline for submissions: March 13, 2009
Applications must be submitted via email to paul@manlymedia.com support material can mailed to Box 1093 Stn. A Nanaimo BC V9R 2B2
Send proposals attention to: Nanaimo Global Film Festival Awards
The Nanaimo Global Film Festival gratefully acknowledges the sponsors of the 2008 Film Awards program - the Mid Island Coop, Global Village Nanaimo, Rights and Democracy Nanaimo and the Malaspina University Media Studies Department through the Social Sciences and Humanity Research Council.
The Global Film Festival is also looking for volunteers to help at this years festival on March 20, 21 and 22nd. For information about the award or volunteering contact: Paul at paul@manlymedia.com or check the website www.nanaimofilmfest.org
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