The 2021 Film Prize Edition

A training program divided into three parts and held online. Invited to participate are the director, script writer, German producer, Arab producer. 

The first part is dedicated to the project development, taking place from 5 to 6 November 2020. 

As a team, you will be

• developing your project with your mentor over two days
• perfecting your logline and synopsis in a group session.

The second part tackles international co-production issues, taking place from 25 to 27 November 2020. 

As a team, you will be

• working with various international experts
• putting your project into the right context
• learning more about budget and financing strategies
• discovering potential funding opportunities.
• discussing co-production matters
• getting insights into festival strategies and distribution

The third part supports you in elaborating your project dossier, taking place on 17 and 18 December 2020. The project dossier must be sent to the expert one week in advance and finally submitted to the jury by mid-January 2021.

As a team, you will be

• reworking your dossier after the above trainings
• receiving a consultation on your reworked dossier from an expert
• preparing the final dossier to be submitted to the Film Prize Jury.

A training program that prepares the teams in two steps for the pitch to the Film Prize Jury. Invited to participate are the director and the German and Arab producers. 

During the online pitching training, held online on 22 January 2021, the team will be training their pitch in a group with their personal pitching trainer.

At the online pitching rehearsal on 1 February 2021 the team will receive feedback and get finishing touches from their trainer and the Film Prize team. 

Finally, on 11 February 2021, the team will pitch their project to the international Film Prize Jury at the online jury pitch.

Only applications submitted by mixed German-Arab film teams, who want to realise a joint film project, will be accepted for the Film Prize.

Filmmakers should

• have completed at least one short film
• be in the beginning of their cinematographic career
• or be finishing soon their studies at film and media academies
• be able to communicate and defend their ideas in English
• Arab filmmakers should be citiziens of and reside in a member country of the Arab League.

The mixed German/Arab film team should consist of the following field of works:

• director
• producer
• co-producer
• scriptwriter

Further fields like director of photography, editor, sound designer etc. should complement the team in a balance from both partnering countries.

Follow this link for more information

Applicants must be able to communicate and defend their ideas in English. The application and project dossier have to be submitted in English.

• With the Film Prize Nomination, eight teams will receive a Development Prize worth 10,000 euros each
• two teams will win a Best Pitch Award endowed with 10,000 euros each and announced during the Good Bye, Film Prize Event! 
• both the Development Prizes and the Best Pitch Awards will be given by the international Film Prize Jury
• the prize money will be transferred at the very end of the program.

With the Film Prize for International Cooperation Germany/Arab World, the Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH aims to support the general public in promoting art and culture as well as international understanding.

The advertised prize money is intended to provide an incentive to individuals of all countries to conceive or create film products geared towards creating or strengthening mutual understanding among peoples.  

The Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH places particular importance on highlighting the connection between art and culture and international understanding as well as on the fact that cinematographic works, as a particularly powerful element of the visual arts, can function as bridges between peoples/continents/societies in unique ways. This connection is of special significance regarding the judging criteria. 

In this context, the Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH calls attention to the fact that, as a non-profit organization, it does not wish to become politically engaged or to offer political statements within the scope of this project. For this reason, the cinematographic works should not be conceived or created solely to convey a political message. Political messages are defined by the Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH in this context as:

• global political issues;
• national political issues;
• regional political issues;
• local political issues.
   

It is, however, unobjectionable for the creators to demand or take a stance on general conditions in the context of international understanding if these are suited to foster international understanding in terms of improved mutual relationships among peoples, as manifestations in the form of “film cinematic works”.

The Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH reserves the right to attach specific legal requirements to the disbursement of the prize money in keeping with its commitment to the non-profitable purposes of promoting art and culture as well as international understanding.  

Applications will thus be assessed with due regard to the following judging criteria:

• Type of presentation (short film/silent film; black and white film, color film) and its effects on the purpose of fostering mutual understanding among peoples/societies;
• Genre (documentary, comedy, tragedy) and its effects on the purpose of fostering mutual understanding among peoples/societies;
• Actors (leading actors, supporting actors) and its effects on the purpose of fostering mutual understanding among peoples/societies;
• Subject (real, fictional) and its effects on the purpose of fostering mutual understanding among peoples/societies.
   

Political neutrality and political affinity as related to international understanding.