AKFF ACADEMY 2023

During the AKFF ACADEMY 2023, six emerging talents will work out an initial idea into a film plan for several months under professional guidance. The aim of the workshop is to help talented Kurdish makers in their development and contribute to the creation of an artistically high-quality development plan for a documentary.

The programme

Participants will receive substantive guidance in developing research, developing story structure and writing a film plan. In doing so, it focuses on developing the authorship of the participants and encourages them to explore new narrative forms within the documentary genre and pay attention to the intended target audience(s) of their plan.
This year, the programme will be held for the first time. The workshop kicks off in early January 2023 with a comprehensive and personal introductory meeting, combined with inspiration sessions from renowned international filmmakers invited as part of AKFF ACADEMY. The next workshop meetings will take place between February and April 2023. These meetings are designed to take the plan considerably further in a ‘pressure cooker’. The final film plans may lead to a development application to international funds under the guidance of AKFF.

AKFF CEGERXWIN Talent AWARD 2023

During the meetings, the plans will be examined collectively under the guidance of the workshop tutors and several guest lectures will be organised with (international) professionals from different disciplines for inspiration. These film plans, will be submitted to a jury at the end of the workshop which will choose the winner of the AKFF CEGERXWIN  Talent AWARD 2023. The prize consists of a cash sum of up to €3,000 for the further development of the plan.

AKFF will further help participants with their film plans to other professional relations from the documentary sector. AKFF also facilitates the link to relevant (international) professional partners with the aim of further development and possible production of the project. 

Profile

The workshop focuses primarily on emerging Kurdish makers, who have at least one (short) production within the documentary genre to their name. More experienced makers who want to explore a new form with a clear motivation can also apply. 

Applications will include a synopsis and motivation. For the synopsis, it is important that the film idea has urgency and originality and that the development challenge is clearly formulated. There should also be demonstrable steps in the research. Regarding motivation, participants are expected to be able to clearly explain why they want to attend the workshop and what learning goals they set for themselves. The language of the workshop is Kurdish, but some meetings will be in English. All participants are expected to commit to the workshop and attend all meetings well prepared.

Planning

– Applications closed by January 31st 2023.
– A selection committee will select six candidates from all applications.
– The first meeting will take place 01 February 2023.
– The documentaries can be short or mid-length.
– From early February, a series of meetings will be scheduled over several days.
– Participants are expected to be able to work on the film plan 2-3 days a week.
– The final presentation and presentation of the AKFF CEGERXWIN Talent Prize will take place during AKFF 2023. 
– The Academy meetings will take place online via zoom.

The application can be sent to this email by January 31st 2023: akffacademy@akff.nl