Netflix and UNESCO have collaborated to launch a short film competition themed “African Folktales, Reimagined.” The contest is designed to discover and give life to retellings of some of Africa’s best-known folktales.
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For centuries, even millennia, folktales have been part of Africa’s cultural fabric. They have conveyed timeless lessons and painted a picture of the ideal that has captured the imagination of whole societies.
The competition will reward emerging filmmakers who can come up with compelling versions of these folktales, and work to develop films based on them. Submissions should present the stories in ways that are relevant to Africa’s contemporary reality.
Benefits
Participants in this film competition could benefit from it in the following ways:
- Finalists will take part in ‘How to Pitch to Netflix’ workshops
- They have the chance to prepare quality work and present them with the assistance of film production experts
- A judging committee working with Netflix and UNESCO will mentor six winners to develop short films with lengths of between 12 and 20 minutes
- Six winners will each win $25,000, plus a production budget of up to $75,000 to make their short film
- the winning films will feature on Netflix in 2022 as part of ‘An Anthology of African Folktales, Reimagined’
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Eligibility
Persons who intend to take part in the competition should meet these conditions:
- They should be less than 35 years old
- Be a citizen of a sub-Saharan country (such as Nigeria)
- Be a filmmaker with limited experience (between two and five years), and have produced one or two documentaries, television fiction, or theatrical feature films; or two or three short films or commercials
- Submit a concept synopsis that clearly defines their creative vision
The Lead Up To Winning
Applications will remain open until Sunday, November 14, 2021.
Applicants are expected to submit a summary of their concept in a Creative Statement, and a link to their CV and portfolio of their audiovisual works.
The top 20 finalists for the competition will be announced in January 2022 and will be invited to the ‘How to Pitch to Netflix’ workshop, slated for February.
An independent judging panel will select six winners, with the guidance of Netflix and UNESCO.
If you would like to apply for the Netflix UNESCO Short Film Competition 2022, click here.
Featured Image Source: Opportunity Desk
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