Celebrating Life 2011 Film Making Workshops

Since last year, the film competition had transcended its definition to include capacity building to elevate the quality of participation and production under the banner of Celebrating Life. Experience has taught the organizers that despite an immense interest in film making, there exists a tremendous lack of capacity in film making. This is why the film making workshop was introduced - to enable creative minds to be able to produce better and more professional films.

For three months, April to June 2012, three media personalities will serve as the resource persons for film making workshops. The workshops will not only be theoretical, but will also include actual productions in the last month. Three groups will produce three films, under the closer supervision and direction of the resource persons themselves. The workshops represent a tremendous opportunity for budding film makers and freshers who are interested in film making to learn the process of professional film making step by step.

The three productions of the three workshops will be professionally organized, funded fully by Celebrating Life. The films will be broadcasted on television, and viewers will vote to rank them. The participants of each workshop will become part of the production team behind each film. Furthermore, these three films will be showcased next to the winning films of Celebrating Life 2012.

The participants of these workshops may participate in the film contest on their own accord, meaning their output within the workshop cannot be used as their own entry into the contest since the workshop will create space for a team production. Participants that wish to be a part of both the workshop and the film contest are encouraged to do so, but they must do so separately. The workshop is a capacity building exercise where they will work in a team; on the other hand, the film contest will require each participant to submit his or her own original work. The film contest of Celebrating Life is still open to the general public meaning those that do not participate in the workshop are free to submit their own work to the Film Contest of 2012.

• Applicants of 30 years of age or less can apply

• Applicants with experience in the field will have to submit a show-reel in DVD, no longer than 5 minutes, of their previous works.
• Applicants without previous experience can apply with a reference letter from renowned directors or anyone renowned in the media sector saying that they are capable of taking up the workshop while citing types of works done with them, or have assisted them with their works.
• Applicants have to submit a script based on their own original idea they have conceptualized of showcasing on the screen. The script has to be shortened so that it can be screened in no more than 10 minutes and typed within 1000 words in one A4 page. Note: the idea has to be the applicant’s own original idea and not based on existing literature and/ or productions.
• Application Deadline: 30^th April 2012

• Each participant, if admitted, will be required to pay a workshop participation fee of Tk. 30,000, payable in advance at the beginning of the workshop.

• A total of 30 participants will be selected based on show reel/ recommendation/ essay.
• Workshop will be held for 3 months starting in April and ending in June, 2012.
• 9 most underachieving participants will not be allowed to continue in the workshop after the first month of the workshop.
• 6 most underachieving participants from the remaining 21 participants will not be allowed to continue in the workshop after the second month.
• The remaining 15 participants will go on to finish the workshop with the workshop facilitators.
• The three directors will choose their own team of 5 from the 15 remaining participants to create a film depending on the director’s choice of format from each team.
• The whole workshop will be conducted by the three directors, with visiting lecturers chosen by them. The last month of the workshop will be used to produce the three, each under one of the conducting directors.
• Application for participating in the workshop cannot be emailed. It has to be sent to the address below.
• Interested applicants can apply with FULL NAME, MAILING ADDRESS, MOBILE PHONE NUMBER, OTHER CONTACT NUMBER, EMAIL, SHOW REEL/ RECOMMENDATION & ESSAY. Send your applications to the same address as entry submission.
• Participants for the Film Making Workshop of 2012 will be selected throughout the month of March 2012. Apply now! For more details log onto www.celebratinglifebd.com.