Film-makers encouraged to enter eighth Commonwealth Vision Awards

The application process for the eighth Commonwealth Vision Awards is now under way and film-makers from across the Commonwealth are encouraged to apply.

This competition supports the development of short film production, and is an opportunity for film-makers to raise awareness of crucial global issues and highlight the importance of individual action at the community level.

At the first of a two-stage process, film-makers aged up to 35 years old are requested to provide a written scenario that demonstrates originality and creativity, is relevant to the theme and will impact on audiences worldwide. The closing date for initial applications is 20 October 2008.

Up to 15 of these entries will be shortlisted by a panel and awarded £1,000 each to assist in the production of the finished film.

At the second stage, judging of the shortlisted films will take place in January 2009 and the awards announced and presented in March. The winning film-makers will be invited to attend the Awards Ceremony in London, where the winner will receive £2,500 and a trophy.

The following day, a masterclass with a leading film director and workshop is planned. The winning entries will, from January 2009, be broadcast internationally in both Commonwealth and non-Commonwealth regions, particularly on and around next year’s Commonwealth Day on 9 March.

The Royal Commonwealth Society and the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association, who jointly organise the awards, have announced some changes to the competition.

Alice Kawoya, Project Manager of the Vision Awards, said that the new innovation for this year’s competition is that they have increased the time length for the films. So now broadcasters and independent film-makers from across the five regions of the Commonwealth are invited to submit a written proposal for a short creative film, between three and four minutes in length, on the theme for 2008 - ‘Global challenges and the new generation’.

Ms Kawoya commented: “In the past we’ve asked people to send in entries between 30 and 90 seconds long. We are now looking for short creative films between three to four minutes in length. Greater emphasis will also be placed on the films being as creative and technically professional as possible, to further enhance the status of the Vision Awards as a major international film-making competition.’

Past winners include Avantika Hari, who is currently making a film, Land, Gold, Women, which is expected to debut at the 2009 Berlin Film Festival before being released in worldwide cinemas. Ms Hari has also had the opportunity to pair up with Bollywood producer Vivek Aggarwal to make this film, which is about honour killings.

The awards initiative is supported by Warburg Pincus, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Commonwealth Foundation, the British Council, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the BBC World Service.

Further information on the competition, an application form and brochure may be received by sending an email to VisionAwards@rcsint.org, or by faxing +44 (0)20 7930 9705 or by writing to: Alice Kawoya, Project Manager, The Commonwealth Vision Awards, c/o The Royal Commonwealth Society, 25 Northumberland Avenue, London WC2N 5AP, United Kingdom. Applications may also be made online at www.rcsint.org/vision

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