Submissions open for Teledoc Campus Project (Netherlands)

NPO, Netherlands Film Fund, CoBO and the NPO Fund are committed to the development of documentary talent. A collaborative project has been developed for this purpose: Teledoc Campus. They want to offer teams of novice directors and producers the opportunity to gain experience, after which the leap to long productions can possibly be made. Within the same frameworks – television and cinema – in which they will later operate, these makers now have the opportunity to develop their talents.

Film plans can, after selection by public broadcasters and Film Fund, receive a grant for development: for research, test recordings and writing a documentary script. After development into a script, selection takes place again by public broadcasters and Film Fund for possible realization.

Principles

• Subject choice and cinematic design are crucial with the following principles:
  • Stories are set in the present, not historical documentaries; references to the past are possible.
  • Exploring boundaries in an accessible way.
  • A clear Dutch link.
  • Contrary, curious, non-moralistic, spontaneous, involved, daring, optimistic, playful.
  • The involvement of the maker is palpable. Atmosphere, tone and the surprising form are decisive, stimulating, narrative and above all cinematographic.

Funding Information

• The budget for development including test shots is a maximum of € 7,500 plus a compensation for guidance from the producer of € 1,000 and the option for an additional €750 for a coach; the budget for implementation is a maximum of €65,000.

Eligibility Criteria

• This project is open to filmmakers living in the Netherlands who:
  • Have made at least one (short) documentary in which their talent and ambition are visible, which has also been broadcast on national or regional television, shown at a national festival or has been in cinema circulation.
  • Have completed an audiovisual training with a film.
  • Have completed another training course in which a (short) documentary was produced.
  • In all cases, a director may have made a maximum of three (short) documentaries.
  • Students are exempt.
  • Directors are not affiliated with a broadcaster and can submit a proposal together with a producer they would like to collaborate with.
  • The director and the producer cannot be one and the same person.
  • Projects are submitted by a production company and only plans from independent documentary producers will be considered.
  • Preference is given to aspiring producers with relevant training.
  • In principle, a producer can produce (realize) a maximum of 2 Teledoc Campuses simultaneously and 2 develop.
  • The director can be involved in a maximum of 1 Teledoc Campus at a time and preferably has no production in another trajectory (for example Wildcard).

Selection Criteria

• Film Fund and CoBO assess the applications on the basis of the above-mentioned formal conditions and submit approved applications to the Teledoc Campus meeting:
  • In this meeting, the Film Fund and public broadcasters will make a further selection of the plans.
  • CoBO chairs the meeting, the secretary of Talent Development of the NPO Fund is present as an observer involved.
  • Film Fund, NPO Fund, CoBO and a public broadcaster jointly commit to a project.
  • After the meeting, CoBO will inform all submitters of the outcome by telephone.
  • Rejection requests cannot be further communicated.

Application Requirements

• A development application is submitted under the following conditions:
  • By e-mail/digitally at CoBO
  • A synopsis of maximum 2 pages, plus 1 A4 page for director’s vision (to give an idea of personal style) and motivation. Pages are easy to read and provided with a (working) title and a page number.
  • Clear resumes/filmographies of the director and producer, including telephone number and e-mail address. The resume must show whether the applicants meet the criteria. The filmography must indicate the following for the films mentioned:
  • The lengths;
  • Whether the film was made as part of a training course;
  • Broadcast date and name of the broadcaster if broadcast;
  • Data on any cinema rotation (number of screenings, where) and festivals.
  • A written statement of consent or cooperation must be included for the subject (main characters/organizations or main person(s) involved in the film plan).
  • Relevant previous work must be viewable via a link. The link is included in the application.
  • The whole (plan, explanation and curricula vitae) does not exceed 4 pages excluding any declaration of consent.
• In a number of cases an application is not eligible for a contribution:
  • Film plans that do not meet the aforementioned conditions.
  • Film plans that have previously been rejected by the Film Fund or the NPO Fund.
  • Film plans previously submitted for Teledoc Campus, except when a public broadcaster or the Film Fund grants permission for a second submission.
  • Film plans that have already received a grant for development from another fund.
  • Only complete applications will be processed.

For more information, visit Dutch Film Fund.