PRO HELVETIA CALL FOR ANT-FUNDING APPLICATIONS

Pro Helvetia is pleased to announce a call for funding applications for the period 2012-2013. This Ant Funding is made available through a renewed agreement with the Swiss Agency for Development & Cooperation (SDC) who, for the past 13 years, have supported the arts in the Southern African region.

The funding is available for projects in dance, theatre, music and visual arts that provide increased public exposure of high quality contemporary work across national borders (e.g. presentation of a South African work in Zimbabwe). Priority countries are South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, but motivations for opportunities in other SADC countries will be considered. 

The primary focus of this is funding is to assist in the distribution of new and existing works to a broader Southern African audience. Projects will be supported for up to a maximum of ZAR 50 000.00 and applicants are encouraged to seek additional funding from other sources. 

 1. The funding will be available through four consecutive calls, as outlined below:

 1st Call 2012

 The call for funding is made from 26 March 2012.

 Deadline for receipt of applications is 2 May 2012.

 Decisions concerning the allocation of funding will be released by 14 May 2012.

 2nd Call 2012

 The call for funding will be made on 16 July 2102.

 Deadline for receipt of applications is 3 September 2012.

 Decisions concerning the allocation of funding will be released by September 15 2012.

 3rd Call 2013

 The call for funding will be made on 10 December 2012.

 Deadline for receipt of applications is 4 February 2013

 Decisions concerning the allocation of funding will be released by 15 February 2013.

 4th Call 2013

 The call for funding will be made on 25 March 2013.

 Deadline for receipt of applications is 2 May 2013

 Decisions concerning the allocations of funding will be released by 17 May 2013.

 Projects funded under this call are to be completed by 31 December 2013

 Approximately 6 projects will be funded per call.

 2. As the primary objective for this funding is to support the mobility of performances and distribution of exhibitions, applicants should have at least letters of expression of interest from the host or venue. Programmers / hosts should in turn have letters of acceptance from artists/organisations they have invited.

 3. Applicants are encouraged to describe how their project/performance will contribute to the increased capacities of the cultural sectors in the respective countries, by strengthening networks and creating links. While the emphasis is on performance and exhibition, opportunities for the mutual exchange and collaboration should not be ignored.

Pro Helvetia’s overall objective with this funding is to contribute to the development of a strong, independent, well-networked and organized and high quality arts sector in the region, that manages to create livelihoods for innovative young professional artists, who create a role for the professional arts in providing an independent voice in society.

High-quality projects are therefore sought that can effectively partner with Pro Helvetia towards making this vision a reality.

 4. Applicants are requested to download the application form from the website:

www.prohelvetia.org.za

 5. As the amount available for this funding is modest, applicants are requested to submit their budget with the following line items included:

 •Per diems (no more than R170 per day per person)

 •Travel

 •Accommodation (limited to R500 per person)

 •Insurance

 •Marketing and Publicity

 •Artists Fees

Additional budgetary items that pertain specifically to the project activities should also be indicated.

Indication should be given about part-funding that might be available from other sources, as well as any contributions in kind that might be as a result of the partnership/relationship with the host/receiving organisation.

The maximum funding per project is ZAR 50 000.00. The amount awarded will depend on the individual needs of the project.

http://www.prohelvetia.org.za/

Call for Filmmakers to register for the 65th Cannes Film Festival

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) will once again host a South African Pavilion at Cannes International Film Festival. 

The festival, which takes place from 16 May 2012 to 27 May 2012 in France (Cannes) has been recognised as the most prestigious film festival on the global calendar and the participation in it through exhibition or competition is considered a "must".

The NFVF on a yearly basis leads the SA delegation and facilitates the country's presence at the festival. Therefore all filmmakers and delegates attending Cannes are requested to register with the NFVF in order to be included in all South African activities, marketing and promotions of SA films.

To register your festival attendance with the NFVF please email your full details (full names, email address and mobile number) to Naomi Mokhele on naomim@nfvf.co.za and/or Carla Dias on carlad@nfvf.co.za.  

CALL FOR BIODIVERSITY CONTENT

The Virtual Museum (VM) provides the platform for citizen scientists to contribute to biodiversity projects. This innovative concept was developed by the Animal Demography Unit. For many people, a “museum” is a place to see stuffed animals on display. But the ADU’s Virtual Museum is not like this.

The scientific part of a museum contains collections of specimens, frequently large numbers of specimens of the same species from different parts of the range, all carefully preserved and labelled with the date and place where they were collected. The ADU’s Virtual Museum is like this, except that instead of specimens in draws or bottles, we have digital photographs arranged in a database. Members of the public are encouraged to submit digital photographs for the Virtual Museums listed below, along with certain basic information. Species identifications can be made by the observers, and are confirmed by a panel of experts.

Distribution maps for each species are available online and serve as conservation and education tools. These maps include Virtual Museum records and sometimes also other distributional records which are contained within the ADU’s databases. Virtual Museum records help expand the distribution databases for these taxa; they not only confirm the presence of a species at a particular point in time, but they also provide new distribution records for species and sometimes lead to extensions of the known range of a species.

http://vmus.adu.org.za/

AFRICA IN MOTION: CALL FOR ENTRIES

Africa in Motion (AiM), one of the UK's largest African film festivals, in its seventh year of existence, is currently accepting film submissions - features, documentaries and shorts - for its 2012 festival edition, which will take place from 25 Oct. to 2 Nov. 2012, at Filmhouse Cinema in Edinburgh, under the theme Modern Africa. AiM is focusing its programme for 2012 on films and events that represent Africa as part and parcel of the modern, globalised world; and will be seeking to discover and explore - through film and other popular culture manifestations - how modernity manifests in African cultures.

We regard “modern” not as belonging solely to the “West”, and through the festival we want to emphasise Africa’s important role in the modern world - we want to unearth the urban, the new, the provocative, the innovative and experimental. As such, the festival will primarily deal with manifestations of African cultures in the contemporary era, moving away from the stereotypical view of the continent locked in ancient traditions and superstition.

We will celebrate African creativity and the rich diversity of African cultures in their contemporary manifestations through showcasing films covering themes such as the role of African Diaspora; Africa's current political and economic position(s); how the digital revolution is affecting the continent; modern arts expressions in African cultures - i.e. dance, modern street fashion, conceptual art, etc. - and how modern life has affected African traditions.

Article by The Callsheet Newspaper on Thursday, March 22, 2012 at 11:54am 

http://www.facebook.com/notes/the-callsheet-newspaper/aim-2012-taking-a-closer-look-at-contemporary-africa/321223821274830

African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA)

African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), Africa's most prestigious awards for filmmakers, receives 328 entries from across Africa, up from 220 in 2011. Nomination night is 17 March 2012 in Banjul, Gambia.

African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), the continent's most prestigious  awards for filmmakers, has received 328 entries from across Africa, up from 220 in 2011. This includes 134 feature films, 88 short films, 57 documentaries and six animations. 43 entries came from Africans in the Diaspora, with the other entries coming from 23 countries across the continent, including South Africa.

Dr. Asantewa Olantunji, director of programming of The Pan African Film Festival, headed this year's jury, which included June Giavanni, programmer for Planet Africa at The Toronto International Film Festival; Keith Shiri, founder and film curator at the London festival, Africa at The Pictures; Dorothee Wenner, a curator at The Berlin Film Festival; Shaibu Husseini, an actor, dancer and The Nigerian Guardian arts journalist;  Steve Ayorinde, editor-in-chief of The Daily Mirror;  Ayoko Babu, executive director of The Pan African Film Festival; Dr. Hyginus Ekwuazi, a film scholar and critic ; and directors Berni Goldblat and John Akomfrah, OBE.

Husseini, chair of AMAA's College of Screeners, said, "‘The growing awareness of AMAA, the integrity of its screening process, the global recognition that comes with winning and the opportunities afforded winners has given rise to an increase in entries.  Among other benefits, winning at The AMAAs enhances the reputation and visibility of any filmmaker in Africa and helps their marketing and financial drives."

The nominees will be announced this Saturday, 17 March 2012, in Banjul, the capital of Gambia, at an exclusive ceremony attended by celebrities, top government officials and capitals of industry from Gambia and other African countries. Naomi Lucas, head of AMAA's Business Development Unit, says, ""One of AMAA's key objectives is to unite Africa through film, so the choice of Gambia affirms AMAA's positioning as a pan-African event. It also offers guests an exotic experience to explore the beauty and splendor of a West African country that has become one of the most important tourist destinations in the world."

AMAA founder Peace Anyiam-Osigwe is available to discuss the nominations and the upcoming awards, to be hosted by Heroes star Jimmy Jean-Louis on 22 April 2012 in Lagos, Nigeria.

For more information, keep an eye on http://www.ama-awards.com <http://www.ama-awards.com/> /.

MIPTV

MIPTV is the spring market with the freshest international showcase of TV - in all its forms. Shape and make deals, make new connections and unlock new business opportunities.

Hosted annually in Cannes, France, MIPTV is where deals are made that will shape the future!

Together, the entertainment community creates bridges across the diverse and expanding industry, united by a passion for TV, making new connections and unlocking new business opportunities.

Held over four days from Sunday 1 April to Wednesday 4 April, is the heartbeat and pulse of the production world. In  2011 MIPTV was attended by 11 500 participants, 4 000 buyers and 1 550 exhibitors from 100 countries.

Benefits of attending MIPTV comprises of meeting the entire content production value chain, including major studios, broadcasters, content creators, TV and film distributors, film commissions, government and regional trade organizations, ad and brand agencies, and financial institutions.  Financial models and co-production opportunities, Pitching sessions to global commissioners, Discussing the future of the industry and exploring new media trends and technologies to name but a few!

This year there is a special offer for first-timers, who can attend MIPTV for only €675 (about R6 690) plus VAT instead of €1 145 (about R11 350) plus VAT.

http://www.mipworld.com/en/miptv/

CALL FOR PARTICIPATION