Call for applications: backstory – film residency in Beirut

Applications are now open for Backstory, a two-month film residency in Beirut for emerging filmmakers from the Middle East and Northern African countries (MENA Region), and Germany.Launched by the Goethe-Institut Lebanon, Beirut Art Residency and Metropolis Art Cinema Association, the programme is designed to support regional filmmakers in shaping their professional careers by providing creativity-enhancing working conditions, to initiate and facilitate networking in the region and between the region and Europe, to provide opportunities for exchange and exposure, to enhance the skills of filmmakers, and to give professional guidance and technical support for film projects…

Applications are now open for Backstory, a two-month film residency in Beirut for emerging filmmakers from the Middle East and Northern African countries (MENA Region), and Germany.

Launched by the Goethe-Institut Lebanon, Beirut Art Residency and Metropolis Art Cinema Association, the programme is designed to support regional filmmakers in shaping their professional careers by providing creativity-enhancing working conditions, to initiate and facilitate networking in the region and between the region and Europe, to provide opportunities for exchange and exposure, to enhance the skills of filmmakers, and to give professional guidance and technical support for film projects.

Backstory offers filmmakers the chance to concentrate on their projects by providing them with accommodation at the Beirut Art Residency, a stimulating workspace in the heart of Gemmayzeh (Beirut’s artistic district), administrative and logistical support, access to technical equipment according to project needs, specialised master classes, flights to and from Beirut, and a monthly grant of $1,000.

Two residencies will take place in 2017: the first from 29 May to 30 July 2017, and the second from 1 September to 31 October 2017.

Backstory is open to emerging filmmakers who are able to work on their projects independently and:

• who are citizens of and currently reside in an eligible country: Algeria, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Libya, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar, Yemen, Sudan, or Germany;
• who already have professional work experience and are under 40 years-old;
• who plan to realise a film project or part of it (in the stage(s) of pre-production including scriptwriting, production or post-production);
• who are working on any film genre (including feature, documentary, experimental film, animation, and short film), with the exception of commercial ads.

To apply, please fill in the online form here, and include a picture, a biography or CV, a scan of your passport, as well as an outline of or script for your project and any other project material.

The submission deadline is 1 February 2017.

The jury selection will take place in March 2017, and successful applicants will be notified in March 2017.

For more information, please click here or contact Mr. Abdallah Annan, the Backstory coordinator, at +961 1 570125, Ext.: 205, or [email protected] – [email protected]