The Southeast Asian Student Documentary Award

a competition to encourage the art of documentary filmmaking in the region, using the medium of film and television as a platform to engage with pressing environmental issues.

The competition involves the participation of Cambodia , Indonesia , Thailand and the Philippines inviting students aged 18 – 25 to submit a short documentary film (maximum 15 min. in length) on the subject of biodiversity by October 15, 2010. FOR THE PHILIPPINES , ENTRIES MUST FOCUS ON THE THEME OF BIODIVERSITY IN AND AROUND THE PASIG RIVER .



A jury of film, television and science experts in each country will make a selection of three films and the national winners will participate in an intensive hands-on workshop for regional participants in Thailand on nature documentary filmmaking and the subject of biodiversity from November 25 – 30, 2010. All travel and accommodation costs are covered by the organizers.



The three overall regional winners are selected by an international jury and receive a cash prize of 500 US$ each. Furthermore, the first place winner receives a production budget for a feature length documentary (up to 5,000 US$) to be included in the Science Film Festival 2011.



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Theme Outline:

Biodiversity encompasses the variety of life in its entirety – from the global ecosystem to the genetic diversity of individuals within a species to the microcosms that can be found in a drop of water. The focus on biodiversity should remind us that no living organism lives in isolation, but is a part of a chain of interdependence that constitutes the precarious balance of the natural world – a balance that has increasingly and dangerously come under threat through the effects of environmentally negligent human activities.



Biodiversity is a fundamental part of the earth’s support system and its effects on human life are far-reaching and consequential. Continued loss of biodiversity at the existing rate will have a drastic impact on food security, industrial materials, medicine and overall natural heritage for future generations. The competition asks student filmmakers: What does biodiversity mean to you? What effects do you witness in your local environment related to changing climate patterns and the influence of human activities? FOR THE PHILIPPINES , ENTRIES MUST FOCUS ON THE THEME OF BIODIVERSITY IN AND AROUND THE PASIG RIVER .



SEADocs gives voice to the views of the upcoming generation of filmmakers and challenges viewers to refocus their attention on the issue and to react to the cases made by the young directors.





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Submission Guidelines:

1) The online application form must be filled out at www.goethe.de/sciencefilmfestival with acknowledgment that the submission guidelines have been read and understood.

2) Eligible applicants are students aged 18 – 25 before the application deadline. Only one student per film is invited to the regional workshop. Professionals in television and film are not entitled to enter the competition.

3) Eligible entries are short documentary and docudrama films on the subject of biodiversity with a running time of maximum 15 minutes in length (including opening and closing credits).

4) Final entry deadline: Entries must be postmarked by October 15, 2010 or earlier.

5) Mail all entries to:

SEADocs

c/o Bevs Beltran

E-Media

4/f ABS-CBN Foundation

Mo. Ignacia Ave. corner Eugenio Lopez Jr. St .

1103 Quezon City

6) Entries are to be submitted in DVD format together with a printed and signed copy of the application form. Films may be in English, Thai, Khmer, Tagalog or Bahasa. Entries must have a full transcription of all dialogue and narration for translation purposes to be accepted into the shortlist round.

7) Films that are submitted must be the entrant’s original work and shall not infringe on any copyrights. Contestants agree that they have obtained all required permissions regarding music, sound and images presented in the film. By entering the competition, the entrant agrees that SEADocs will not be held liable for any copyright infringements perpetrated by the entrant or the film. SEADocs reserves the right to not screen any film(s) for any reason it deems valid.

8) Entry materials submitted will not be returned to the entrant. SEADocs is not responsible for late, lost, damaged, misdirected, postage due, stolen, or misappropriated entries.

9) Regional short list participants are selected by a local judging panel of film professionals and biodiversity experts who may be substituted at the discretion of the competition organizers. Shortlisted films will be subtitled with English language. All entries are judged equally based on these four areas: Content (quality of factual story telling, relevance to the thematic subject and original approach to the theme), Production (cinematography, lighting, and composition), Post-Production (editing, transitions, pacing and continuity), Sound Quality (clarity, consistency of audio levels, and lack of noise).

10) Regional winners are selected by an international judging panel of film professionals and biodiversity experts who may be substituted at the discretion of the competition organizers. All entries are judged equally based on the same criteria as the shortlist.

11) Shortlist candidates will be announced October 29, 2010 by e-mail and will also be listed on the website www.goethe.de/sciencefilmfestival. The regional winner and runner-ups will be announced at the competition award ceremony during the closing gala of the Science Film Festival in Bangkok, Thailand on December 1, 2010.

12) The first three regional winners as selected by the international jury panel each receive a cash prize of 500 US$. The first place winner receives a budget of up to 5,000 US$ to produce a feature documentary to be included in the Science Film Festival 2011.

13) Applicants entering the competition declare themselves available to attend the compulsory workshop from November 25 – 30, 2010 in Thailand. The organizers cover travel and accommodation costs.

14) By entering SEADocs, contestants agree to accept and be bound by the decisions of the competition and its judges, which are final and binding in all matters. The entrant agrees to be bound by all terms of these official competition rules and regulations as established herein.


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For further information please visit www.goethe.de/sciencefilmfestival or call Bevs Beltran at 924-4101 loc. 3786.