The Royal Film Commission Jordan | OPPORTUNITIES BULLETIN #215 April 2021

OPPORTUNITIES BULLETIN #215 April 2021

N.B. The information below is provided directly by the organizers of events, festivals, audio-visual organizations or independent film projects. The Royal Film Commission - Jordan (RFC) cannot be held accountable for it.

In this bulletin:

1. Call for application: The Jordan Film Fund (JFF)
2. Call for funding: AFAC Documentary Program
3. Call for submissions: Think Reel
4. Call for submissions: Producing Lab
5. Call for submissions: Raindance Film Festival
6. Call for submissions: Nespresso Talents 2021
7. Call for submissions: Animofest
8. Two new films at The RFC's Film Library

With a budget of JOD 250,000 (two hundred and fifty thousand Jordanian Dinars) this year 2021, the JFF will support feature-length narrative and documentary projects (60 minutes and above) at their development, production and post-production phases, Short (5 to 25 minutes) narrative or documentary (including animation), at production phase only and the development of TV series.

An independent jury of established film and TV professionals will evaluate eligible applications and will decide on the selection process. Their assessment will consider the project’s originality, creative merit, feasibility, as well as the filmmakers’ credentials and abilities.

The application deadline is Tuesday 20th April 2021 at midnight (Jordan time).

To apply, please visit the website/ JFF page and review the JFF Guidelines and Regulations for important details regarding the eligibility requirements and the way funds are allocated.

For more information, please refer to the FAQ page, also you can call the JFF team at +962 797557229 (Sunday to Thursday during working hours) or send an e-mail to: apply@film.jo.

The AFAC Documentary Program supports creative documentary films in the Arab region. The program welcomes submissions of short and medium-length documentary in production and post-production, and feature documentary film projects that are in development, production or post-production phases.

The program provides annual grants ranging from a few thousand U.S. dollars up to a maximum of ten thousand U.S. dollars for Development grants, up to fifty thousand U.S. dollars for Production and a maximum of twenty-five thousand U.S. dollars for Post-production grants. 

In the event that the grantee does not sign the grant contract within 60 days upon receipt thereof, the grant will be canceled. Projects must be completed within 2 years of signing the contract, during which grantees are expected so submit the necessary financial and narrative reports.

No grantee will be awarded more than two deadline extensions during the grant period; such extensions should be justified by the grantee and approved by AFAC.

AFAC does not offer mobility grants. Travel costs can be covered by the AFAC grant only when they are part of the implementation of a project.

Eligible Candidates:

AFAC is open to receive project applications from Arab directors and producers living in the Arab region or in the diaspora. A non-Arab producer can apply for a grant provided that the film director is Arab. It is highly recommended that film projects applying to the production and post-production grants have producers attached to them. Project applications are accepted irrespective of age, years of experience, country of residence, ethnicity, gender or religion.

A film producer is eligible to apply with a maximum of two projects per category per cycle provided the two projects are not attached to the same director. However, if a film producer has one open grant, s/he can apply with one project. If s/he has two open grants, s/he is not eligible to apply before closing one grant at least.

Eligible Expenses:

AFAC only covers project-related expenses (including Artist fees). Neither running operating costs nor purchase of equipment can be covered by the grant.

Place and Duration:

AFAC will not provide support retroactively, i.e. to projects already completed. For projects that have already started, AFAC will cover the expenses that will occur only after the signature of the contract if the project is selected.
Projects may be implemented anywhere as long as they are created by Arab filmmakers.
The project’s time frame should not exceed 24 months.

How to Apply:

Applications are only accepted through the online application forms available on the website. Applications submitted via regular mail or e-mail will not be accepted.

The applicant will receive a confirmation e-mail once the online application has been received. AFAC will not contact applicants if any part of their application is incomplete.

Incomplete applications will not be taken into consideration.

To apply, please login with your username and password. visit the program page you are interested in applying to and click on apply. In case you don’t have an existing account, please create one here.

The deadline is May 14, 2021

For more information, please visit: https://www.arabculturefund.org/Programs/7 

Think Reel is a new support program in collaboration between the Royal Film Commission – Jordan (RFC) and Think Barter (TB) to help Jordanian filmmakers during these difficult times, as a result of the pandemic.

Think Reel will:

• Match freelance filmmakers with suitable job opportunities from TB network members.
• Offer freelance filmmakers opportunities to receive needed services with the use of TB credits.
• Provide professional mentoring to develop skills.
• Waive the 350 JOD yearly membership fees at TB.

Once you have registered in the Production Directory, click here to apply for Think Reel

Filmmakers, accepted to be part of Think Reel, will then be able to enter in a direct agreement with TB, without the involvement of The Royal Film Commission - Jordan or any responsibility from its end.

For some information about this program, please check FAQ .

For any further information, please contact: thinkreel@film.jo

The Producing Lab helps further the careers of its Fellows by introducing them to film professionals, who can advise them on both the craft and business of independent producing. In addition to attending lab sessions with legal, financial and production experts, each Producing Lab Fellow will be paired with an experienced Creative Advisor with whom they’ll work to develop their project over the course of the program. Taking place during the course of one week in October, the Lab culminates with a pitch session with established executives, offering participants valuable practical experience and the chance to introduce their projects to a larger cross-section of the industry.

Producers may apply with feature length narrative projects that are in active development or post-production. Through the Lab, Fellows develop strategies and action plans to bring their projects to fruition.

Who Can Apply?

The Producing Lab is open to any producer formally attached to a full-length, fiction feature film with a completed script and director in place. Applicants must control the rights to the project with which they apply. Projects do not need financing in place at the time of application. However, each application must demonstrate serious attention to the film’s budget and articulate the reasoning behind the budget level. Producing partners are welcome to apply as teams and need only submit a single application. International applicants are welcome to apply. Documentary, short film, new media and episodic projects are not eligible to apply.

How to Apply

Applicants must submit the following materials for consideration:

• A cover letter explaining your interest in the Producing Lab

• An artist statement detailing why you are attached to produce

• One complete, feature-length screenplay

• A logline and synopsis

• Bios of attached key cast and crew

• Project status and history

• Budget top sheet and finance plan

• Look book (if applicable)

• Work sample and/or rough cut

The deadline is May 26, 2021

For more information, please email: artistdevelopment@filmindependent.org .

The Raindance Film Festival is officially recognised by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences USA, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and the British Independent Film Awards. Winners of Best Animation Short/Best Documentary Short/Short of the Festival categories will qualify for the Oscar® race, and selected Shorts also for BAFTA consideration.

The 29th Raindance will take place between October 27th and November 6th 2021 in central London.

Rules & Terms:

1. Submission Format

Films must be submitted via online screener only. Films sent over by DVD are not accepted. Subsequent cuts or more complete versions of submitted films are not accepted, therefore changing or updating the originally submitted link is not accepted. Only one version of the film will be reviewed by programmers.

2. Submission Eligibility

- All submissions must have been completed after 1 January 2019.
- Raindance requires at least a UK premiere for any feature film.
- There is no premiere policy for short films and music videos.
- Work-in-progress and films with distribution are accepted.

3. Premiere Status

- Feature Films must be at least UK Premieres: they must not have been released in the UK on any format, nor screened publicly online.
If, after you submit, the premiere status of your feature film changes rendering it no longer available for at least UK premiere, please inform immediately and withdraw your film from submissions.
- There is no premiere policy for short films and music videos, they may have screened at other Festivals and/or online

The deadline is May ,10 2021.

For more information please visit: https://filmfreeway.com/Raindance

Nespresso Talents is a celebration of creative filmmaking. Now in its sixth year, this unique competition empowers filmmakers to tell a story through the format of vertical video.

The winners of the competition will be invited to major international film festivals, mentored by cinema experts and much more…

€50,000 in total prize money!

The Contest 2021:

Theme 2021: "Doing is everything"

There has never been a time when being a force for good has been so needed by the world. As a filmmaker, you know from the films that you make that the smallest action can create an extraordinary positive change for an individual, a family, a community or even the whole world.

International contest: All videos received globally are eligible /3 winners

What to deliver:

• Film length: between 2 minutes minimum and 3 minutes maximum
• Vertical format (9/16)
• All genres are welcome (e.g. comedy, drama, educational…) in the form of fiction, documentary, or animation.

The Awards:

1st Selected Talent

• 5000€, an invitation to Cannes Film Festival 2021 and mentoring session with cinema experts.

2nd Selected Talent

• 3000€, an invitation to Cannes Film Festival 2021 and mentoring session with cinema experts.

3rd Selected Talent

• 2000€, an invitation to Cannes Film Festival 2021 and mentoring session with cinema experts.

The deadline is May 16, 2021

For more information please visit: https://www.nespresso.com/talents/int/en/contest

The International Animated Film Festival Animofest invites all creative filmmakers in secondary schools all over the world to participate with their films and compete within the festival to win a prize of 500 EUR. The age of competing for students participating in this competition is 15 - 20 years.

About the Festival:

Animofest was meant as an award of the Head teacher of the Academy of animation for the best animated film of the year. The establishment of holding a regular film festival was the logical result of efforts to present and confront students’ work from all over the world.

Awards:

1st place: 500 EUR, 2nd place: 300 EUR, 3rd place: 200 EUR, Honorable mention, Spectator Award and Special Jury Award.

Eligibility:

• Films created by secondary students or students of similar institution in a particular country (in case of foreign films), at the age from 15 to 20 years.

• Films produced after 1 January 2018.

• Minimal length 1 minute.

• The films must be in good technical condition and in the following formats: M-PEG 4, MOV., H264 or other HD format.

• There is no entry fee.

• Films must be provided with English subtitles.

The deadline is June 10, 2021.

For more information, please visit: https://filmfreeway.com/Animofest

New films are available to watch or borrow from the Film Library of The Royal Film Commission - Jordan.

• "Doubt" by John Patrick Stanley
  
  (trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8S0ANEp4vc)
   
• "Black Swan" by Darren Aronofsky
  
  (trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jaI1XOB-bs)
   

For further information, please call: 064613835 ext. 111 or send an email: filmlibrary@film.jo 

Location