Dart Documentary Film Fellowship

Published by Abinaidah Chaseba

Deadline: 16 October 2024

Open to: Professional documentary filmmakers from all over the world

Benefits: Fully funded

DESCRIPTION

The Dart Center Documentary Film Fellowship, designed for senior and mid-career filmmakers who wish to deepen their knowledge of emotional trauma and psychological injury, delve into documentary ethics and craft challenges, and enrich their professional engagement around violence, conflict and tragedy, will be held February 9-15, 2025 in Orlando, Florida.

Applications are now open for the second annual Dart Center Documentary Film Fellowship, an immersive, weeklong fellowship for senior and mid-career documentary filmmakers who wish to deepen their knowledge of emotional trauma and psychological injury, delve into documentary ethics and craft challenges, and enrich their engagement around violence, conflict and tragedy.

“Today’s documentary filmmakers immerse themselves in the most difficult human experiences, bringing audiences into intimate engagement with stories of violence, crisis and tragedy,” said Bruce Shapiro, executive director of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma. “This Dart Center fellowship harnesses the energy and innovative spirit of documentarians committed to trauma-aware storytelling, equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to work with vulnerable individuals and communities ethically and effectively, and to advance the well-being of documentary teams on these demanding and crucial projects.”

The week-long fellowship will bring 12 filmmakers together with leading experts on core issues of trauma science as well as innovators in documentary practice, providing a forum for the exchange of ideas, experiences and challenges in the profession.

ELIGIBILITY

  • Open to professional documentary filmmakers from all over the world.
  • Your work sample should have been published or broadcast within the last five years, and be no longer than 15 minutes: it can be a standalone piece, or a section from a longer film. Password-protected Vimeo links are preferred.
  • You must have worked as a Director, Producer or Editor on the project.
  • If your work sample is in a language other than English, please submit it with English subtitles. If subtitles are not possible, you may submit an English-language transcript alongside the video file.

BENEFITS

  • The program will equip filmmakers with the knowledge and skills to approach victims and survivors with sensitivity and depth; understand the complexity of trauma survivors’ experiences; tell more insightful, multi-dimensional and nuanced stories about those impacted by trauma; make more informed, ethical choices when covering traumatic events; and create self-care and peer support plans that span development through distribution, awards and streaming runs.
  • The fellowship covers round trip travel, seven nights of lodging, meals and expenses directly related to participation, such as ground transportation in Florida. The program does not cover health or travel insurance, visa costs, additional nights of lodging beyond the program’s duration or ground transportation in fellows’ home cities.

HOWN TO APPLY?

To apply for the fellowship, you must create a free account on Submittable.

To submit a completed application, you will need:

  • Resume / CV
  • Professional Bio
  • Letter of interest: Your letter should discuss your work as a filmmaker, your experiences covering violence and trauma, challenges you’ve encountered or particular events or experiences that have informed your outlook and/or professional trajectory, and what you hope to take away from the fellowship. (No more than 2 pages)
  • One recent and relevant documentary work sample:
    • Your work sample should have been published or broadcast within the last five years, and be no longer than 15 minutes: it can be a standalone piece, or a section from a longer film. Password-protected Vimeo links are preferred. 
    • You must have worked as a Director, Producer or Editor on the project.
    • If your work sample is in a language other than English, please submit it with English subtitles. If subtitles are not possible, you may submit an English-language transcript alongside the video file. 
  • Two letters of recommendation from professional references: You will be asked to provide an email address for each of your recommenders, and they will be contacted directly by Submittable to upload their recommendation for your application. The deadline for recommendations is October 23, 2024.

Applications will not be accepted by employees of Columbia Journalism School or student filmmakers.

Application deadline: October 16, 2024 at 5:00pm EST. Recommendation letters will be accepted through October 23, 2024.

For further information, please visit the official website.