by Thinus Ferreira
Netflix and Unesco are teaming up to run a "African Folktales, Reimagined" competition and will choose 6 winners from across Africa who will each get a $75 000 (R1.1 million) production budget through a local production company to create short films that will premiere on the global video streaming service on 2022 as an "Anthology of African folktales".
Young filmmakers between 18 and 35 years old will be able to enter from 14 October until 14 November 2021 with the competition that Netflix says is aiming to "discover new voices and to give emerging
filmmakers in sub-Saharan Africa visibility on a global scale".
"We want to find
the bravest, wittiest, and most surprising retellings of some of Africa's
most-loved folktales and share them with entertainment fans around the world in
over 190 countries."
Netflix says that it wants the winners to be "truly inclusive", no matter their language, race or ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation.
The 6 winners will have to develop, shoot and post-produce their films under the
guidance of industry mentors selected by Unesco and Netflix to ensure
everyone involved in the production is fairly compensated. Besides the $75 000 film budget, each of the 6 winners will also receive an additional $25 000 (R368 000) as prize.
Unesco and Netflix in a joint press release say that they recognize that many emerging
filmmakers "struggle with finding the right resources and visibility to enable
them to fully unleash their talents and develop their creative careers".
"This
competition aims to address these issues and enable African storytellers to
take a first step towards showcasing their content to a global audience".
The "African Folktales, Reimagined" competition is open to emerging filmmakers across sub-Saharan Africa and for the first round applicants will be required to submit a synopsis of their concept in no more than 500 words, as well as links to a recent CV and a portfolio or evidence of any past audiovisual work they have produced.
The film concept cannot be a documentary nor an animation form. These applications can be submitted online at www.netflix-growcreative.com/unesco
from 14 October 14th at 16:00 CAT and proposals can be submitted in English, French, or Portuguese.
A African folktale is considered to be a timeless story circulated orally among African people and handed down from one generation to the next.
"This competition
puts a global spotlight on the emerging, homegrown talents of Africa while
honouring the storytelling tradition of the continent," says Ernesto Ottone R., assistant director-general for culture at Unesco, in the statement.
"By infusing new energy
into the folktales, these young filmmakers enable these stories to transcend
time, space and culture - from their communities, through a digital platform,
into the hearts of audiences around the world."
Ted Sarandos, co-CEO and chief content officer at Netflix, says "Growing
up, entertainment was how I connected with people. I fell in love with the stories
and characters I saw on screen and experienced how storytelling has the power
to inspire, which is why I’m excited about this partnership with UNESCO and the
opportunities ahead"
"Together we will promote local cultures and support the
creative industries in telling stories that cross borders, reflect universal
truths, and ultimately, bring us together."
Ben Amadasun, director of content in Africa at Netflix, says "Africa has a rich storytelling heritage and a wealth of folktales that have been passed
down for generations".
"When you marry these very local stories with Africa’s
emerging talent, there’s no limit to fresh new stories to connect people with
African cultures and bring the world that much closer to each other."
People who want to apply must have a minimum of 2 years and a maximum of 5 years of
demonstrable professional experience in the audio-visual industry and must have developed and produced 1 to 2 theatrical feature films, television
fiction, documentaries, or 2 to 3 short films or commercials.
Applicants must be between 18 and 35 years old.
The shortlisted 20 candidates will be announced in January 2022 and will then be invited to a "How to pitch to Netflix" workshop to guide them on how to prepare, polish, and present
their film concepts.
An independent judging panel, under the guidance of Unesco and Netflix will then choose the 6 winners, who will then develop their 12 to
20-minute short films under the guidance of industry mentors.
The films will launch between September and October 2022 on Netflix.
