Sahapedia announces the Sahapedia Film Fellowship 2020 and invites early-career Indian filmmakers to make short non-fiction films which will document India’s diverse and vibrant cultural practices, communities and spaces. The short films produced through this fellowship will be published on Sahapedia’s web portal (www.sahapedia.org) and its associated social media platforms.
This year, fellowships will be awarded to six filmmakers based on the relevance of their proposed subjects, the strength of their past work and their ability to creatively approach documentation through visual storytelling. We are looking for proposals which exhibit clarity of vision as well as curiosity towards their subjects. The fellowship will span over a total of 9 months, during which the fellows will be encouraged to exhaustively research their subjects and fields to produce fresh 15- 20 minute non-fiction films.
Each Sahapedia Film Fellowship 2020 will include:
● A total award value of Rs. 1,75,000 (subject to tax deduction as per applicable rates) to cover the entire costs towards pre-production, production and post-production, to be awarded against agreed upon milestones spread over 9 months.
● Publication of the film on Sahapedia.org and associated social media platforms.
We look forward to receiving the applications for the Sahapedia Film Fellowship 2020. Kindly go through all the Annexures and Terms and Conditions before applying. If you have any questions, please contact us at film.fellowships@sahapedia.org.
Eligibility
The fellowship is open to filmmakers who have professionally produced at least two short non-fiction films, or have worked independently/professionally on video-based documentation projects before. Candidates will have to furnish the links to these projects while applying. Preference will be given to proposals which aim to build upon pre-existing research and storytelling interests in a subject pertaining to Indian culture and heritage. Candidates are encouraged to share documents which might have arisen out of recce or similar homework in their respective fields/subjects. Work that has already been exhibited/published earlier or which is already in an advanced stage of completion, will not be considered. The Fellowship is available to only those candidates holding an Indian bank account.
Application process
Proposals are invited in the English language, but the proposed films can be in any language with subtitles in English. Proposals must consist of:
● A logline (2-3 sentences) The shortest possible summary of the film.
● Summary of the project (Up to 1000 words) Candidates must locate and describe the socio-cultural importance of the theme, relevance or relation to contemporary contexts, and the possible sub-themes, challenges and questions that the project will highlight. Candidates are encouraged to describe their own relation/location vis-a-vis the proposed theme, as well as strategies to enter the field, especially as the ongoing Covid crisis will bring out issues of access, trust and risk between the documented and the filmmaker in sharper relief.
● Filmmaker’s statement (Up to 500 words) Candidates must outline their motivations to make the film, their unique perspective as well as experience that they bring to the project. They must describe the narrative aspects of the project: the story, the anticipated structure and narrative trajectory. How will the filmmaker secure access to the human characters in the film, and how will they tie the film together? Even if the precise characters are not located, anticipated roles must be identified. For example, master craftsman, subject experts, local artisans, etc.
● Treatment note (Up to 500 words) This section relates strongly to the praxis of visual storytelling. In this section, the applicant will outline the use of cinematic language or any particular artistic approach that informs the storytelling. Everything that contributes to the overall look and visual output must be outlined along with the rationale, including use of moving media other than live-action footage.
● Work Samples Here, candidates will provide links and passwords for at least two previously completed/exhibited samples. Links and passwords should be valid for at least six months from the date of submission of the proposal. Additionally, they are encouraged to briefly describe one of the submissions: its narrative, aesthetic or communication intentions as well as relevance of the work to the proposed project, if any.
● Contact Information This includes a valid email address, telephone number and mailing address (to be valid for the duration of the fellowship).
Duration
The fellowship has to be completed between January 01, 2021, and September 30, 2021. Failure to complete the fellowship within the stipulated time frame will result in the cancellation of that fellowship. Candidates are advised to refer to the timeline outlined in Annexure II.
The Course of the Fellowship
Fellowship will be declared successful and complete upon the submission of all required documents (the details will be shared in the contract) as well as fulfilment of milestones by the fellow. There will be two kinds of milestones- those that signify the progress/health of the fellowship (like timely correspondence relaying status of processes, submission of working scripts, etc.) and those attached to the disbursement of money.
Funding
Selected candidates will be granted an award of ₹1,75,000. Applicable Income Tax will be deducted at source as per the provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1961. The resulting sum will be released in three installments, based on the completion of specific deliverables. The procedure for disbursements will be shared upon signing the agreement.
Candidates are advised to refer to the following annexures for further information: