What is DOCROADS?

DOCROADS is a one-year project-driven creative documentary workshop and training initiative, designed for European and Chinese emerging professionals. It consists of two five-day residential workshops & seminars in Guangzhou and Munich, accompanied by specific industry events. Throughout the year, there will be online sessions, operating and linked in close cooperation with GZDOC and DOKfest Munich, as well as with cultural, commercial and industrial organizations, institutions and key persons of the host cities. Each residential workshop is headed, guided and coordinated by the group’s assigned tutor and constantly supervised by a core of experienced European advisers providing feedback advice and suggestions. The selection process of European participants is based on geographical criteria to reflect the European diversity. The Chinese partners will be selected regardless of their geographical origin. A total of 10 Europeans and 10 Chinese will be selected. They will be divided into two groups. For each group 5 European and 5 Chinese participants will be assigned. Both groups work on two different creative documentary projects, based on the same concept. At the end of the workshop both films will be presented in an absolutely not competitive way, analyzed in depth and then elaborated from the participants and their tutors in front of an international experts panel.

What is DOCROADS doing?

DOCROADS’ goal is to strengthen cultural and commercial relations between Europe's documentary scene and young Chinese filmmakers. It aims to promote networking, demonstrate the diversity of Europe's various approaches to China and also help Chinese participants to deepen their understanding of an international documentary audience and to learn about international standards and distribution strategies. DOCROADS will enable participants to understand each other’s views and approaches, develop their own network, exchange ideas, experiences and plans and learn to set up an international coproduction.

DOCROADS benefits for the participants

This program aims to help participants overcome their local barriers and enables Europeans and Chinese film professionals to an artistic cooperation by participating in excellent networking opportunities. Each participant gains an inside view of all stages of the creative documentary developing process. The goal is, to establish long-term professional relationships and develop a new mode of coproduction, which is based on mutual understanding and respect as opposed to pure transfer of technology. Documentarians should commonly try to experience the joint development of a project, elaborate the content (the concept will be given), find new and not necessarily conventional ways to reach and interact with financiers and funders from the host city's industry, commerce and administration key persons. Interdisciplinary collaboration and mutual support within the group will help participants improve their co-production skills, stronger ties with the market/artistic link, strengthen individual skills through excessive teamwork and split of responsibilities and build up a strong network.

DOCROADS structure

DOCROADS’ philosophy, apart from transcultural co-producing training and transcontinental networking is, to make the participants familiar with all steps of a creative documentary from concept to screening.

DOCROADS consists of two phases; each phase has two main types of activities and supportive events:
PHASE 1:
- Concept & script
- Development & preproduction
PHASE 2:
- Production
- Postproduction
- Presentation

Each phase consists of a residential session (workshops, seminars and group-to-group pitches), followed by the work on the projects and supervised by long distance tutoring and other services provided through www.docroads.com.
Each participant has one dedicated position in the team. During the participants’ selection process, DOCROADS’ organizing team will make sure that each position will be filled.
At the end of the second residential session, the finished films will be presented at 2013 GZDOC. The two residential workshops will be held in Munich in association with DOKfest and in Gouangzhou in association with GZDOC.
Over the five day period of each workshop, participants will be involved in various events which provide opportunities for networking as well as activities designed to strength the ties between DOCROADS and the festival on the one side and the hosting city on the other. There will be additional events underlining each hosting city's financial dynamism and cultural peculiarities.
At the first workshop in Munich a concept will be given to both groups, on which the film has to be made. The concept may be connected to car or textile industry, an important industry for the two hosting cities.

DOCROADS details

COORDINATOR
George Kalomenopoulos, 2K Films, Greece
ASSOCIATED PARTNER
Ginger Foot Films, Germany
ASSOCIATED FESTIVALS
GZDOC
DOKfest Munich
TUTORS
Bjoern Jensen, Ginger Foot Films, Germany
George Kalomenopoulos, 2K Films, Greece
PARTICIPANTS
10 European professionals
10 Chinese professionals
TARGET GROUP
Documentary professionals with the aspiration to make films with universal relevance and appeal, marketing potential, addressing to the widest possible audience.
FEES
1880 euros includes workshop and seminar participation, online tutoring, catering and accommodation.
SCHOLARSHIP
Scholarships may be offered and will cover (or partly cover) training costs, catering and accommodation and transportation.
APPLICATION DEADLINE
22 February 2013