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Building on the success of the 2021 film collection Tech Tales: Films about Digital Rights in the Asia-Pacific, Tech Tales Youth aims to support a new group of young filmmakers and visual storytellers in the Philippines and Thailand to produce short films about human rights in the digital age. The project will broaden young filmmakers’ knowledge of how human and digital rights are intertwined and how their films can be used for social change.
This Tech Tales round emphasises mentorship and peer and community support through meetings facilitated by impact production resource persons and through learning sessions. The project aims to grow the digital rights space and the number of digital rights defenders in Thailand and the Philippines by connecting established changemakers with young filmmakers.
The film collection will contribute to growing the digital rights movement not only by bringing in new allies and audiences to the space but also producing more digital rights films that can be used by the movement in its advocacy.
At A Glance: Tech Tales Youth
- Tech Tales Youth is a collection of eight short films (each with a total running time of five minutes) under the documentary, fiction, animation or hybrid film categories, produced by 18- to 30-year-old filmmakers from the Philippines and Thailand.
- Up to USD 3,000 will be given to four Thai and four Filipino filmmakers. This will cover film production costs and travel support to attend the DRAPAC23 Assembly on May 22 to 26, 2023, in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and the Philippine and Thailand premieres of the collection. The final breakdown of costs will be provided to successful applicants.
- This opportunity aims to stimulate new ideas and stories and encourage various discussions related to digital rights from the point of view of young filmmakers from the two countries.
- Watch the first Tech Tales film collection here.
FAQs
Can I apply?
- Eligibility: You are eligible for the film grant if you are:
- A Filipino based in the Philippines or a Thai citizen residing in Thailand
- 18 to 30 years old at the time of application
- Proficient in English
- Time commitment: Selected filmmakers must be able to complete the film project by December 2023. Applicants must assemble a production team to ensure the project’s timely completion.
- Travel availability: Selected filmmakers must be available to attend the DRAPAC23 Assembly on May 22 to 26, 2023, in Chiang Mai, Thailand, for mentoring sessions. Filipino applicants must have a valid passport at the time of application. A portion of the film grant will be allocated to cover travel expenses.
- Previous filmmaking experience: Applicants should have a body of work with high-production quality and creative appeal, and that is aligned with human and digital rights values.
How do I apply?
- Fill out this short form by Wednesday, April 12, 2023, 23:59 Bangkok time (UTC+7). You will be asked to provide the following information:
- Personal information
- CV and links to body of work
- At least four references (names and contact details only)
- Answers to a questionnaire related to digital rights and the production process of Tech Tales Youth
When is the premiere of Tech Tales Youth?
- The films will be screened between the last week of February and the first week of March 2024 in Manila and Bangkok. Additional screenings will be held outside the capital city of each country.
What is EngageMedia’s role?
- EngageMedia will be the sole producer of the films and will provide mentorship and outreach support for the project and the filmmakers.
- As producer, EngageMedia will facilitate a working environment that provides filmmakers with the creative space to complete the project. EngageMedia will also support the studio mastering of the eight films to ensure these conform to broadcast standards.
- As part of the mentorship aspect of the project, EngageMedia will convene discussions on digital rights to deepen the filmmakers’ understanding of these issues. EngageMedia will also conduct storytelling and impact production labs and feedback sessions. The first mentoring session will be held during the DRAPAC23 Assembly, where filmmakers will have the opportunity to shape the direction and focus of their film projects in coordination with EngageMedia and Tech Tales Youth mentors.
- EngageMedia will lead outreach and engagement for the film collection, including launching communications campaigns and coordinating the translation and subtitling of the films into relevant Southeast Asian languages to widen the films’ reach and impact.
What are the distribution and ownership arrangements for films produced under Tech Tales Youth?
- The films will be released under Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND). This license allows others to download and share the licensed material as long as they credit the original creators, but the material cannot be changed or used commercially. As advocacy materials, this type of licensing ensures the free distribution of the films to various sectors of society that will benefit from viewing the films.
- As the executive producer of Tech Tales Youth, EngageMedia will be the sole distributor of the films three months after their release. After this period, a co-ownership arrangement between the filmmaker and EngageMedia will be made possible.
What will happen after I submit my application?
- EngageMedia’s digital rights and video teams will screen the applications following the process below:
- Second week of April:
- Evaluation of body of work and answers to the questionnaire
- Reference checks
- Third week of April:
- Online interview conducted by key EngageMedia project staff members
- Fourth week of April:
- Announcement of eight grantees
- Second week of April:
