NFB - About the NFB

THE NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA AND THE
MEDIA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE LAUNCH
CROSS-MEDIA CHALLENGE AT THE ASIA FACTUAL FORUM

$15,000 SGD / $10,000 CAD co-production competition for innovative content creators

The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) and Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) are pleased to issue a call for proposals from Singaporean producers for the CROSS-MEDIA CHALLENGE SINGAPORE at the Asia Factual Forum, November 25 - 27, 2007.

The CROSS-MEDIA CHALLENGE is a co-production competition for innovative, interactive, globally engaged content with applications for mobile and broadband. It will award producers a $15,000 SGD /$10,000 CAD co-production development deal with the NFB. Deadline for entries is February 1, 2008. Three semi-finalists will be announced on March 3, 2008. The winner will be announced at an NFB-sponsored event at MIP-TV, the world's audiovisual and digital content market, taking place April 7 - 11, 2008, in Cannes, France. Applicants must be able to attend MIP-TV 2008 to be eligible.

This initiative follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the NFB and the MDA in 2006 to encourage co-productions in film and new media between Canada and Singapore.

ABOUT THE CHALLENGE

Inspired by the NFB's legendary Challenge for Change program of community filmmaking, today's NFB is adapting the adage "think globally, act locally" to develop globally engaged media projects relating to issues such as the environment, health care, human rights, poverty and violence against women.

How can we inspire an exchange of storytelling practices among diverse communities? How can we use media creatively to foster an international dialogue on issues that have local roots? How can we unleash the creative talents of marginal voices and communities and make them heard?

The NFB is interested in projects that use the versatility, mobility and borderless nature of new platforms to enable communities to talk to each other. Projects must be documentary based.

Eligible projects must be cross-platform and multi-platform involving the best features of each medium to ensure maximum audience participation. Projects should take full advantage of the range of new platforms, with particular emphasis on interactive, mobile and on-line. Projects must demonstrate direct contact and interaction with communities as part of the development plan.

SUBMISSION DETAILS
Submitted proposals must be in English and should be a maximum of 2 pages, providing a succinct overview of your project, a development plan and development budget summary along with any supporting audiovisual material. Proposals must be received by February 1, 2008.

Proposals (including your full name and address) must be submitted via e-mail to both the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) and the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA).

For the NFB:
Heather Gibb
Programming and Reporting Coordinator
E-mail: crossmediachallenge@nfb.ca

For the MDA:
Lim Su Ling
Manager, Business Development Division
E-mail: lim_su_ling@mda.gov.sg

Supporting audiovisual material may also be mailed, with cover letter specifying the name of the project, to:

Heather Gibb
Programming and Reporting Coordinator
National Film Board of Canada
3155 Côte de Liesse Road
Montreal, Quebec, CANADA
H4N 2N4

Lim Su Ling
Manager, Business Development Division
Media Development Authority of Singapore
140 Hill Street
#04-01 MICA Building
Singapore 179369

The winning project will be announced at MIP-TV 2008.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

To find out more about the CROSS-MEDIA CHALLENGE, visit www.nfb.ca/crossmediachallenge.

For a better idea of how creativity and social issues come together in innovative cross-platform programming at the NFB, you may want to check out these NFB projects:

CITIZENSHIFT
www.citizen.nfb.ca
Web platform for alternative media and social change

FILMMAKER-IN-RESIDENCE
www.nfb.ca/filmmakerinresidence
A pioneering multimedia community engagement project

PREVIOUS WINNERS

The winner of the first CROSS-MEDIA CHALLENGE was announced in June 2007 at the Banff Television Festival. The winning project, Who We Are (www.whoweare.ca), harnesses the potential of multiple platforms to engage Canadians in an exchange on the subject of immigration, giving people who are helping to create a new Canadian cultural heritage a new way to share their stories. Who We Are is co-produced by Kung Fu Numerik, Turbulent Media and the NFB.

The second CROSS-MEDIA CHALLENGE winner was announced on November 10, 2007, at the Sheffield International Documentary Festival. The winning project, My Dangerous Loverboy, is an interactive Web and mobile site that will raise awareness of global sex trafficking and create a virtual community for at-risk young girls. My Dangerous Loverboy is a co-production of Vita Nova Films, Quba New Media and the NFB.

GENERAL CONDITIONS

CROSS-MEDIA CHALLENGE - SINGAPORE is open is open to all companies that are incorporated in Singapore with at least 30% local shareholding and central management and control in Singapore.

Any submitted proposal will not be returned to a participant.

All information submitted to the CROSS-MEDIA CHALLENGE from a participant will be used only for the purposes of conducting this Challenge unless otherwise indicated by participant.

Semi-finalists must be available at MIP-TV 2008 in Cannes, France and pay their own expenses to attend.

The NFB will not be responsible for the participant's inability to get through on the Internet during the Challenge period.

Proposals are subject to verification and will be declared invalid if they are illegible.
The winner will receive a $15,000 SGD /$10,000 CAD co-production development offer from the NFB.

The winner must accept the terms and conditions of the standard co-production development agreement for the offer to be valid. The award must be accepted as is and cannot be transferred, substituted, or exchanged in whole or in part for money.

By participating in this CROSS-MEDIA CHALLENGE, the winner relieves the NFB of all liability for damages the winner may suffer following acceptance of the award.

The winner shall consent, if required, to the use, without compensation, of his or her name and/or image, in particular, photo and /or voice, for publicity purposes related to this CROSS-MEDIA CHALLENGE.

The NFB is not liable for computer system, software or phone line malfunctions; the loss or absence of network server connections; or any defective, incomplete, jumbled or scrambled computer transmissions or transmission failure by any computer or network that might restrict or prevent participation in the Challenge. The NFB is not liable for any damage or loss caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, by the downloading of any software or form or by the transmission of any information in regard to the Challenge participation.

The NFB reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to modify, cancel or suspend the CROSS-MEDIA CHALLENGE.

By submitting a proposal, participants agree to these rules.

Subject to all applicable laws and regulations, these rules govern all aspects of the CROSS-MEDIA CHALLENGE and bind all participants.

RESTRICTIONS

Employees of the National Film Board of Canada, the Asia Factual Forum, the Media Development Authority of Singapore and Ballinran Productions, as well as members of their immediate family and persons residing with them, are not eligible for the CROSS-MEDIA CHALLENGE.