Editor Wanted
ComMattersKenya, a company that specialises in arts, culture, communications and development issues, is looking for an editor for its flagship, ArtMatters.Info.

ArtMatters.Info is the premier critical arts and culture publication in eastern and southern Africa, and the Indian Ocean Islands. It is the reference point, widely used by seekers of information, media practitioners, researchers and policymakers and arts and culture supporters operating in south-eastern Africa.

The editor will coordinate a team of writers in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zanzibar, Madagascar, Mauritius and Reunion.

The editor is expected to write, edit, and train writers at various stages of their career in arts and culture journalism.

The ideal candidate should be:

• A committed arts and culture activist and promoter
• Knowledgeable about arts and culture and development issues
• Have good command of British English and Standard Kiswahili. Working knowledge of French will be an added advantage
• Ready to work for long hours
• Trained in journalism, writing and editorial work
• Ready to work under strict journalistic deadlines
• Experienced in journalism, writing and editorial work
• Knowledgeable about the creative and cultural landscape of the referred geographical region
• Based in Nairobi, Kenya
• Aged 19-25 years

Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

ComMattersKenya, an Equal Opportunity company, is a non-religious and non-political organisation founded on humanist principles.

Application material—including letter of intent, curriculum vitae, and proposed salary—should reach the undersigned not later than October 30, 2006:

Chief Executive Officer
ComMattersKenya Limited
Philadelphia House, 4th Floor
Tom Mboya Strreet/Hakati Road
Tel 315258/213318/0733703374
P O Box 842-00208 Ngong Hills
Nairobi, Kenya (EA)

University Of California Announces 2nd International Competition With Us$10,000 Prize For Plays About Science And Technology

The Professional Artists Lab and the California NanoSystems Institute at the University of California, Santa Barbara, continue their collaboration with the second STAGE International Script Competition, open to plays about science and technology.

Scripts will be judged by an esteemed panel of jurors from both the arts and sciences.

Submitted plays must explore scientific and/or technological stories, themes, issues or events. (The competition is not open to plays written in the genre of science fiction.) . Plays and theatre pieces incorporating multi-media are encouraged. Material presented in a new form or not entirely script-based is also eligible. Entries must be postmarked by January 15, 2007. The winning play will be announced on June 15, 2007.

For details about the competition and submission guidelines, visit www.cnsi.ucsb.edu/stage. For questions or additional information, please e-mail stage@cnsi.ucsb.edu

Punto De Vista Documentary Film Festival Call For Entries 2007

"Punto de Vista", the Navarra International Documentary Film Festival, is inviting submissions for the next edition of the festival which will take place February 23 – March 3, 2007, in Pamplona (Spain). Rules and application form are available in the festival’s website www.cfnavarra.es/puntodevista, but ONLY available for films produced from the 1st of August 2006 on.

The competition is open to participation by documentaries of any nationality made after June 1, 2005. Fiction, institutional or publicity films will not be admitted, nor reports or works of a journalistic nature.

There are no limits with regard to subject matter, length or original language.

The "Punto de Vista" Documentary Film Festival is a space for celebrating, discovering and analysing the form of cinema generically grouped under the heading of ‘documentary’. It is held annually in Pamplona (Spain) in February.

The deadlines for receiving the films are the following ones:

• CLOSED: Films produced between June 1, 2005 and the August 1, 2006: AUGUST 10, 2006.
• OPEN: Films produced from August 1, 2006 on: NOVEMBER 9, 2006.

PRIZES

The Navarra International Documentary Film Festival has the following awards: Official Prizes:

• “Punto de Vista” First Prize for the best film: 9.000 euro
• Prize Jean Vigo for the best Director: 5.000 euro
• First Prize for the best short film: 3.500 euro Special Prizes:
• The Audience’s Special Prize for the best film: 2.500 euro
• Special mentions: The Jury will be able to award up to three special mentions, worth 1.000 euro each.

Should “Punto de Vista” First Prize be awarded to a short film, Prize for the best

short film will not be awarded at all and its sum will be kept for the Jury in order to increase the sum of the Special Mentions or to award new ones. DE VISTA
Festival Internacional de Cine Documental de Navarra
Departamento de prensa
Gonzalo de Pedro
publicpv@cfnavarra.es
676 203 273

Call 4 Video Podcast Proposals

Within the framework of its international project Harnessing ICTs for the audiovisual industry and public service broadcasting in developing countries,

UNESCO is launching a call for submissions of video podcast proposals for a series of production grants.

This project aims at putting ICTs, particularly brand new formats, to the use of content development on major societal and development issues such as human rights, peace, tolerance and the fight against discrimination by providing developing countries with training, production and distribution opportunities in these areas. Objective: UNESCO wishes to produce and distribute a series of video podcasts targeted to all publics, but particularly attractive for young adults (20-35), aimed at increasing understanding of the development and societal issues identified as priority fields by UNESCO, namely:

1. Human Rights;
2. Peace;
3. Tolerance;
4. Fight against discrimination, based on race, gender or other issues (e.g. HIV status);
5. Millennium Development Goals, particularly poverty-alleviation and gender equality and women empowerment;
6. Freedom of Expression;
7. Intercultural communication.

UNESCO is NOT interested in approaching these issues from an institutional point of view, but rather through a critical analysis of sub-regional/regional situations that can provide audiences with a fresh perspective on development issues as well as with reflection on alternatives, at individual and community levels, to current state of affairs. Development topics have traditionally been approached through conventional forms of audiovisual language. UNESCO does NOT wish to reproduce conventional approaches on these sometimes over-exposed issues but rather provide talented people with an opportunity to explore new, challenging and creative ways of encouraging reflection and debate on development issues through new uses of audio-visual language.

Criteria for selection

• Genre: Video podcasts (drama, comedy, children, animation, music, documentary);
• ONLY production proposals that are daring, challenging, innovative and creative in their own right for their form, and/or content and original or unusual approach will be selected for production;
• Proposals that are public service oriented;
• Proposals should not have any dialogue so that they can travel easily worldwide.

Target: All publics, but particularly young adults (20-35). UNESCO is interested in local approaches to global issues and will favour proposals that are addressed/accessible to a wide range of peoples and cultures in the world (universality through locality).

Format: Digital video. Maximum length: 3 minutes. 1-2 minutes preferable.

Regions: proposals from developing countries are strongly encouraged.

Submission mechanism: Interested producers, directors, filmmakers should submit:

1. A cover page indicating your name, country, age, gender (male/female), a synopsis (one or two paragraphs) and an indication of which development and societal issues the proposal addresses (see list of issues above under the « Objectives » section)
2. A complete and detailed script (including storyboard, if possible, with timing);
3. A production project, including background, vision, production team members and their CVs, time framework, budget breakdown;
4. Examples of past work on DVD (DVDs will not be returned), or a link to websites where the work can be fully screened (trailers are not acceptable);

Amount of grants: Grants will not exceed US$3,000 and depending on duration can be less. UNESCO will issue a contract with each selected producer.

Time framework:

• The deadline for submission is 15 October 2006.
• UNESCO will study all proposals and notify those selected early November 2006.
• Production work: December 2006-March 2007
• Submission of pre-edited version (rough cut) to UNESCO before end of March 2007.
• Evaluation of rough cuts by UNESCO and corresponding adjustments: April 2007
• Post-production work: May 2007
• Final delivery (Final cut on AVI and Quicktime) is expected by June 2007.

Copyright

UNESCO will request the unlimited, non-exclusive rights of podcasts and will disseminate them electronically worldwide. It is the responsibility of the selected producers to clear all neighbouring rights related to the productions.

Proposals shall be sent:

By mail:
UNESCO
ICT@PSB project
Communication Development Division
1, rue Miollis
75015 Paris, France

By e-mail:
creativecontent@unesco.org

Black Man Film Festival: Call For Films

The Fifth Annual Black Man Film Festival continues its Call for Films

The Festival is now in its fifth year. It is set for Nov. 3-5, 2006, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

The Festival seeks films that explore "the life and journey, culture and style, creativity and spirituality, vices and vision of the Black man," said Festival director Yemi Toure.

Deadline is Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2006.

VHS and DVD formats are eligible. There is no entry fee.

Mailing address is Yemi Toure,
P O Box 4689, Atlanta GA 30302.
blackmanfilmfestival@hotmail.com