NFB - About the NFB

The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) and the Sheffield International Documentary Festival in the United Kingdom are pleased to announce the three semi-finalists for the CROSS-MEDIA CHALLENGE.

The CROSS-MEDIA CHALLENGE is a co-production competition for innovative, interactive, socially engaged content with applications for mobile and broadband. It will award one producer a $10,500CAD/£5,000 co-production development deal with the award winning NFB. A world leader in developing content for new platforms, the NFB is making sure the digital future has room for artistic innovation and social relevance.  The NFB is actively creating new programs, building new production models and experimenting with new modes of creation in partnership with creators, independent producers and public and private sector partners domestically and internationally.

The CROSS-MEDIA CHALLENGE is one way of reaching out to potential new production partners. Twenty-three proposals from four different countries were submitted to the inaugural Sheffield edition of the competition.  An internal NFB jury evaluated all of the proposals and selected the following three semi-finalists who will be presenting their projects at the CROSS-MEDIA CHALLENGE panel session, part of  DigiDocs 360 at the Sheffield Doc/Fest,  on November 10 at 12:30 pm.

Andy Glynne
Executive Producer, Mosaic Films (UK)
Belonging:  Voices from the Muslim World

A web based documentary project bringing together diverse voices from Muslims throughout the world.  This web portal will combine 20 short commissioned films (possibly more) by Muslim Filmmakers as well as user generated content.  Geo-positioning data will be used to form a "documentary map" of the world. The project aims to challenge and enhance current thinking on different experiences of Muslims.

Fee Plumley
The-Phone-Book Limited
Pocket Citizen Journalism ("Local News for Local People")

A pilot project providing the opportunity for a small Yorkshire community to produce their own mobile video reportage.  This project provides training and tools to people who have plenty of their own news to cover and share, in a self-moderated space.

Virginia Heath
Vita Nova Films & Quba New Media
My Dangerous Loverboy

An interactive website and ground breaking mobile site that will raise awareness of global sex trafficking and create a community for at risk young girls and their wider peer group to tell their stories, warn others of potential dangers and gain the self esteem that will enable them to make choices about their lives.

The Sheffield International Documentary Festival takes place November 7 " 11, 2007, in Sheffield, England.

For more information on DigiDocs 360, visit
www.sheffdocfest.com/view/digidocs