CFC and the National Film Board of Canada invite accomplished directors with new documentary projects to take part in an immersive experience at the Canadian Film Centre commencing in November 2010.   The goal is development of successful Canadian documentaries in a rapidly evolving distribution environment.  The program’s ambition is to develop, for production consideration, original documentaries for Canadian and international audiences.

Successful documentaries require a set of creative strategies to entice, engage, entertain and challenge audiences.  The skills necessary to achieve this will be reconsidered, reinvestigated and revitalized by participants in the documentary program.  If you are an experienced Canadian documentary director with a great idea, you will want to join this unique year-long program: a fertile incubator nurturing up to four new projects.  The creative process will be rigorous, the cinematic and narrative standards high. 

The program combines four to six, thorough, two to three day modules at the CFC with cycles of supported inquiry focused on concept development.  The program also includes the possibility to shoot and edit work to demonstrate the power of characters and proposed visual approach.

Specifically tailored to the precise needs of up to four successful applicants, the documentary program is centred on personal guidance from some of Canada and the world’s greatest documentary minds.  The two to three day sessions will feature hands-on workshops, screenings and debate. These sessions will be reinforced with on-going support throughout the program from recognized experts in creative and craft categories. Residents will benefit from on-going dialogue with session leaders who have been carefully selected to complement individual projects. The goal is not academic enlightenment but the direct and creative application of the best practices that the documentary world has to offer the documentary program projects.

Program content is customized to the unique creative challenges posed by the selected projects, focusing on the unique cinematic challenges of each individual project.  This might include research approach, shooting style, approaches to structure, forceful storytelling, sound design, editing, emerging digital technologies and distribution. Session leaders will be familiar with participants’ proposals, and there will be ongoing reference to these projects.

A participant fee, valued at $5,500 will be waived for successful applicants. In addition, a commitment of up to $15,000 cash and services to support development of individual projects will be included.

The program is designed around one-on-one support from the creative mentors, specialists, and craftspeople involved in the program.  Directors are required to continually develop and enhance his/her own project through concentrated contact with top professionals and their peers. It is a practical, demanding and results-oriented program of development; designed to reflect the needs of the chosen participants and to mirror and enhance the real-world documentary development process. Among this group: producers, researchers, writers, directors of photography, web designers, sound engineers, editors, composers, video-post production engineers, and other industry professionals.

This is a program for directors, not producers.  It aims to strengthen and support unique directorial voices.

Participants’ projects will be reviewed for production consideration at the conclusion of the Documentary Program.  The National Film Board will have an option to produce or co-produce one or more projects. 

Ultimately the CFC/NFB Documentary Program aims to provide an incubator for talented directors with viable documentary ideas and the goal of seeing these projects become Canadian documentary successes.