Doc Society and AIDC are inviting applications for a year-long creative mentorship and impact strategy fellowship set to begin in October.
Supported through Screen Australia’s Enterprise Funding Program, the Art & Impact Fellowship will assist five Australian project teams to build strategies for using an independent documentary project as a tool for change, focusing on the development of storytelling, impact, distribution, engagement and financing pathways.
The program includes a five-day story and impact lab, a year of support and mentoring, access to the AIDC 2022 marketplace, and a capstone market pitch to key international and Australian decision-makers.
Global director of Good Pitch at Doc Society Malinda Wink and Doc Society director of Australian programs Hollie Fifer will lead the program, which begins on October 18.
Wink said the fellowship was designed to support ambitious documentary projects that brought a unique perspective.
“In the context of threats to democracy, our climate, social movements, rising economic injustice, and the ongoing global pandemic – never has the work of independent storytellers been more urgent and necessary,” she said.
“Documentary storytellers applying for the program should be ready to stretch their storytelling muscle, benefiting from global and local mentors across the year-long program, intimate access to global markets and documentary forums, and emerging with a bold new vision for their projects, distribution and audience.”
Fifer said the Doc Society was excited to be working in partnership with AIDC for the initiative.
“[AIDC] offer invaluable insight and access to world-class documentary knowledge, networking and business forum to selected lab participants,” she said.
AIDC CEO/creative director Natasha Gadd said organisation also looked forward to the collaboration,
“AIDC values the opportunities that Doc Society offers global documentary storytellers to realise ambitious market outcomes for finance and distribution, storytelling and impact,” she said.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Doc Society on the Art & Impact Fellowship and to further AIDC’s commitment to elevate and innovate the Australian documentary and factual community through bold new initiatives with impactful results.”
Applications are now open, with a submission deadline of September 10. Find out more information here.