Program overview
The five-month program focuses on individual short documentary project development, offering tailored mentorship, lectures, masterclasses, and talks.
- 1st phase (November 10 to 17, 2024) : Online: The initial stage of the program consists of one week online sessions. During this week, participants are inititated into the medium of cinema as an art form . Sessions on documentary landscape of the world prepare them for better understanding of creative non-fiction. The faculty for this phase includes Surabhi Sharma, Rajan Kathet, Sachin, Mukul Haloi, and Siddhant Sarin.
- 2nd phase (Nov 27 - 11 Dec, 2024) : In-Person: The second stage of the program includes an intensive 15-day residency. During the first week, participants delve into the fundamentals of documentary filmmaking, both in theory and practice. The second week focuses on individual project development, writing, and pitching. In addition to the three assigned mentors, two guest mentors guide this phase. The faculty for this phase (offline) are RV Ramani, Arya Rothe, Mukul Haloi, Sachin, and Sidhhant Sarin. Arun Bhattarai and Dorottya Zurbo will also join online.
- 3rd phase (Dec-Feb, 2024-25) : Online: Following the two weeks of residency, participants return to their hometowns or production locations to commence project development. They dedicate 2 months for key production of their individual films, during which they receive individual and group online mentorship. This online phase features important masterclasses and guest lectures conducted by acclaimed filmmakers and educators. Furthermore, we host film screenings and talks by filmmakers who have made significant contributions to the documentary circuit with their exceptional films. The faculty (online) includes Ben Rivers, Payal Kapadia, Rajula Shah, Saumyananda Sahi, Mehdi jahan, and Ranabir Das.
- 4th phase (February 11 - 16, 2025) : In-Person: The fourth phase of the program is a 6 day residency, during which all participants and assigned mentors collectively view and analyze the work-in-progress cut. Following this intensive mentoring session, participants return to their respective production fields for a two-month period to continue work towards completion of their films. The faculty for this phase includes the three mentors.
- 5th phase (Feb - April, 2025) : Online: In the fifth phase, participants continue to receive both individual and group mentorship. This phase focuses on the post-production of the films. This online phase also includes masterclasses and guest lectures led by internationally acclaimed filmmakers, festival curators, producers, and educators. The faculty for this phase (online) includes Deepa Dhanraj, Heejung Oh, and Boris Mitić.
- 6th phase (April 11 - 17, 2025) : In-Person: The final phase of the program, spanning 7 days, is solely focused on providing guidance to participants in creating a final output. Screening of the 15 films takes place on the last day of the program. The faculty for this phase inludes the three mentors.
Course highlights
- To each their own cinema
- Introduction to documentary history and forms
- Global documentary landscape – Focus on India & South Asia
- Writing for Documentary
- Introduction to Documentary skills (cinematography & sound)
- Point of View and Cinematic Expression
- Storytelling Techniques
- Mise-en-scene
- Editing and Narrative structure
- Politics of Image
- Pitching and Presentation
- Producing and funding-National and International
- Festival Strategy for Creative Documentaries
- Creative Documentaries-The Way Ahead
What to expect
- Exploration: Participants experiment with various methods of non-fiction practice. They are encouraged to discover their own voice in storytelling, in relation to their personal, social, and political contexts.
- Mentorship: Participants receive tailored mentorship and guidance at each stage of the course, as well as during the production of the short documentary.
- Safe Space: A safe space for participants and faculty to engage in critical discussions and conversations, free from hierarchical rigidity.
- Production support: A limited amount of production and post-production support is available, which includes providing limited number of cameras and sound equipment etc.
- Certificate: Participants recieve a completion certificate at the end of the program.
- Screening and distribution: Further guidance and consultations will be provided to help participants create a festival and distribution strategy for their films.
- Way ahead: Throughout the program, participants gain insights and knowledge into navigating the global documentary landscape.