RBC Focus: Filmmakers’ Immersion

The trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff), in association with RBC Royal Bank, invites applications for the third annual RBC Focus: Filmmakers’ Immersion.

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Deadline for applications: 12 July 2013

From the circulated announcement:

Mission and objective
RBC Focus: Filmmakers’ Immersion is an intensive development programme that provides ten selected filmmakers from the Caribbean and its diaspora with the opportunity to learn from film professionals. It will be held over four days during the ttff/13 (17 September–01 October 2013). Focus will include group discussions on a range of topics concentrating on the artistic side of narrative filmmaking, sharpening the skills and abilities of participants. There will be a particular emphasis on enhancing the filmmakers’ creative voice and storytelling capabilities.
Each filmmaker will enter Focus with a concept for a feature-length narrative film, from which they will be expected to develop a detailed treatment.

Pitch session and competition
At the end of Focus, the facilitators will choose their top five participants. These five participants will be given an opportunity during the ttff/13 to pitch their project to a jury at a public event. The participant with the best project and pitch, as determined by the jury, will win a cash prize of TT$20,000.

Eligibility
Focus is open to Caribbean filmmakers (citizens of Caribbean countries living and working in the Caribbean); filmmakers of the diaspora (persons of Caribbean descent resident outside of the Caribbean who intend to shoot at least part of their prospective project in the region); and international filmmakers living and working in the Caribbean. Applicants must have completed at least one narrative film (short or feature-length), but no more than two narrative features.

Applications
All applicants must submit a maximum five-minute excerpt of a previous film (narrative short or feature) on DVD, stating their role(s) on the film (writer, director and/or creative producer). They must also submit their résumé and a cover letter stating, in 100 words or less, the concept of the project they would be bringing to Focus and what makes it unique. Participants will be determined based on the strength of all three of these items.

Applications should be sent via email to hello@ttfilmfestival.com

The deadline for applications is 12 July, 2013. Successful applicants will be notified by 01 August.

Expenses
All selected participants will be provided with the materials for the immersion, lunch, a festival pass (which provides access to all film screenings and industry events), and invitations to festival-related activities. Participants not residing in T&T will be allocated accommodation (inclusive of breakfast), and local transport to and from festival-related activities.
Photo caption: Participants in the 2012 RBC Focus: Filmmakers’ Immersion