Call for entries for documentary film showcase

Last year, the first DCF was held and proved to be a tremendous success. From 170 projects initially received, 58 were selected to be pitched at the Preliminaries, 9 of which secured a broadcaster, went through to the consultation round and were submitted to IDFA. Two of these projects were selected to pitch in final competition at IDFA.

Of the 16 final projects selected to pitch at the DCF at Sithengi, five projects secured international broadcasters and proved that the DCF was a vastly influencing Developmental initiative, which contributed directly to increased opportunities and improvement in documentary filmmaking in Southern Africa.

Deadline to submit preliminaries: 11 June 2004, 5pm

Preliminaries

Sithengi and Encounters will register all proposals for any documentary over 24 minutes received by the entry deadline, after which there will be a selection process for the Preliminaries. The Preliminaries, in which filmmakers have five minutes each to pitch their proposal to a Selection Panel, will be held in Cape Town and Johannesburg during the 6th Encounters South African International Documentary Festival 2004
Cape Town: 16 July - 1 August and Johannesburg: 31 July - 8 August 2004.

The Selection Panel consisting of local broadcasters, distributors and producers, will make recommendations, and put forward between 10 - 20 projects for further development.

These proposals will be considered by South African broadcasters, who may make an offer on, or write a letter of intent for, a project for co-production.

Consultations

Filmmakers whose projects are selected at the Preliminaries should be available for the Consultations, which will be held in September with guest documentary filmmakers. They will then be required to submit a Treatment and a Budget for this process.

In addition, projects selected at the preliminaries, with the necessary criteria, will be packaged and entered into the International Documentary Forum Amsterdam, IDFA, on behalf of the filmmakers.

Pitching Workshop

In November there will be a two-day Pitching Workshop in the week prior to the 9th Sithengi Southern African International Film & Television Market Cape Town 16 - 19 November. At the Pitching Workshop, an expert will advise filmmakers on their presentations and on the international commissioning editors and broadcasters who will be attending the DCF.

A finite number of proposals will be slated for the DCF. Those that are selected from the Preliminaries and which have been through the Consultation and the Pitching Workshop will be in line for an opportunity to pitch at the DCF. All African filmmakers who have proposals (which must consist of a Treatment, Budget, CVs), but who have not been through the Preliminaries, Consultations and Pitching Workshop, are not excluded from the DCF. However, to be considered for the DCF these proposals must have secured a minimum of 20% of the submitted budget, and the attachment of their local broadcaster
is beneficial.

Log-on to www.sithengi.co.za to register.