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IAWRT regularly calls for members to make proposals a long form global documentary to a theme which is in tune with the vision and ideals of the organisation. The theme for the Long Documentary Production 2017 is Women Covering Conflict: the invisible stories. Applications are now open for the 2017 round.
‘Women making news’ was the theme of the most recent project, resulting in Velvet Revolution, completed in 2017. Two other IAWRT documentaries, which consist of segments of 7-9 minutes from different countries that have been fused into one production, have been made previously. See: Reflecting her (2015) and Hands on: Women. Climate. Change. (2014).
Chandita Mukherjee the Executive Producer, Long Documentary 2018 writes to potential contributors:
Dear Friends,
We are eagerly seeking proposals for the LONG DOCUMENTARY 2018: Women covering conflict: the invisible stories
You are invited to propose 10-minute documentary film stories based on the theme of making the invisible visible, set in your own cultural contexts.
Seeing the rise of intolerance and the ascendancy of forces of polarisation all over the world, we find that plural societies and ideas of democracy and freedom are threatened. The spiral of decline goes from discrimination against a group to persecution – violence – escape – migration – refugee status – refusal of refuge – inability to settle or integrate into a new land – this is the spiraling crisis destroying the world.
There is a gender aspect to all such stories which become invisible in the coverage by the mainstream media. Our focus will be on making the invisible visible. We are looking for visual stories from IAWRT members that bring out the state of the women caught in the conflict.
Some suggestions of countries and issues:
On women resisting invisibilisation: a story could be set in a society such as Iraq or Afghanistan where there has been a conflict for many years and women had to ‘disappear’ from view to survive.
On women seizing their own guardianship: a story on the campaigners against the male guardianship system under Sharia law. The location could be several communities in South Asia, the Middle east and Africa.
On women making human rights abuses visible. The location could be several countries in South America and Africa, the Philippines, Pakistan and so many others.
On women fleeing from conflict and how they struggle to normalise their existences. The location could be Rohingya camps in Bangladesh, Syrian refugee camps and settlements in Jordan, Turkey, Greece, Germany.
On women resisting deportation: a story could be set in the United States, based on a young woman from the generation of ‘Dreamers’, born in the US, but whose parents came as undocumented immigrants from another country such as Sri Lanka or Mexico.
Please send in your proposals by November using the two templates (for content and budget) sent out by Geeta Sahai on 31st October.
If this is exciting, do write to me, Chandita Mukherjee [email protected] with your ideas and queries immediately, and let us get the discussion going. If the idea is clear in your mind, and you want to send in the proposal immediately, without any exchanges, that is welcome too.
The formal proposal, that is the completion of the two forms attached, has to be in by Sunday the
Looking forward to some great proposals!
With warm regards
Chandita Mukherjee
Executive Producer, Long Documentary 2018
Time Line
December 1 2017 – Deadline to receive all film proposals then the following process will be followed.
– The EP and long documentary committee pick the final proposals.
– Financial disbursements to selected directors.
– Filming and rough cut delivery.
– Final edit by EP in India 2018.
In order to apply to direct one of the short documentaries, you must be an experienced filmmaker with proven credentials. All applicants will need to submit a résumé and upload a show reel.
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