African filmmakers are invited to submit proposals for the Al Jazeera-Encounters Pitching Forum in Johannesburg on Saturday, 10 June 2017, during the 19th Encounters South African International Documentary Festival.
A maximum of 12 African filmmakers will be selected to pitch to an Al Jazeera commissioning editor. The call is open to projects at any stage of development or production. Each selected filmmaker will have a maximum of seven minutes to pitch their film, with an additional seven minutes allocated for feedback and questions from the Al Jazeera commissioning editor.
Submission Details:
Interested parties should send not more than:
• A one-page synopsis of their film
• A one-page biography of the filmmaker and producer, including complete contact details (Skype contact, telephone number, city of residence, home and work addresses)
• One page of further background information and/or visual treatment of the subject.
• Links to previous works and promo of proposal, if available.
Send to: pa@encounters.co.za with Al Jazeera Pitching Forum in the subject line.
Submission Deadline: On or before 16h00 (South African time), Friday, 5 May 2017.
*Any submissions that do not follow the strict page limitations will be disqualified.
Projection equipment will be provided for those that have DVDs or other visual presentations to augment their pitch. Selected applicants who cannot attend will be able to participate via Skype.
The Pitching Forum has been highly successful in creating opportunities for filmmakers; last year Al Jazeera commissioned two one-hour documentaries from projects at the forum.
About pitching to Witness
Witness is an immersive, character-led strand on Al Jazeera English with a focus on observational, visual storytelling.
The strand has one-hour and half-hour slots each week. The former are usually acquired or co-productions, while the latter are normally commissioned projects.
These are the elements we look for in our half-hour commissions:
• A strong central character/s who “owns’ the film and tells their own story
• A specific journey that the character/s are on with the potential to capture an unfolding narrative, compelling storylines and a sense of transformation
• Actuality-driven narrative style with well-shot observational scenes and confidently crafted sequences
• Few or no formal sit-down interviews. We prefer “in-situation’ interviews filmed while characters are immersed in the events driving the film
• Films that are character-driven, rather than issue-driven, but still have a current affairs theme as a backdrop. We aim to provide depth and context to topical issues through the lived experiences of the characters
• Docs that have a timeless quality and therefore are usually not built around fast-changing news events.
Visit the Al Jazeera website to gain a sense of the Al Jazeera Witness documentary style.
About Documentaries, series and stand-alone films
• There are non-strand slots for series and stand-alone documentaries of half-hour and hour durations, which are commissioned, acquired or co-produced. These documentaries should be by, about and from a range of people, places and perspectives, challenge dominant views, and seek to reflect the human experiences and stories behind current affairs in our docs.
About Investigative programmes
• There are also weekly strands which commission “reportage’ – journalist-led investigative programmes, like People & Power and occasionally Africa Investigates.
