June 19-26, 2009 on the campus of Colgate University in Hamilton, New York
Congratulations to the three filmmakers who were selected from 27 applicants as 2009 Docs In Progress Fellows:
Saltanat Berdikeeva
A native of Kyrgyzstan, now living in Washington DC, Saltanat is at work on a film about women’s rights issues in Saudi Arabia.
Andre Dahlman
A Maryland-based filmmaker, Andre is working on a film about the struggles of a homeless chess savant .
Sandy Waters
A Washington DC-based filmmaker and student at Howard University, Sandy is working on a film about the impact of tenuous U.S.-Cuba relations on Cubans and Americans alike.
Application Process
Up to three documentary filmmakers will have the opportunity to participate in the 2009 Robert Flaherty Flaherty Film Seminar as Docs In Progress Fellows. As an incubator for independent documentary filmmakers, Docs In Progress believes strongly that filmmakers can be empowered and energized by experiencing unique opportunities to share ideas and experiences with others. Therefore, we are pleased to offer this Fellowship Program, possible through a generous cost-share with the Philadelphia Foundation. The Docs In Progress Fellowship covers the registration fee (which includes room, board, and all special events throughout the week) and travel costs in getting to the seminar.
Read the Eligibility Information Below. You may also want to read an interview with several alumni and the Flaherty’s Executive Director.
Download and submit the Docs In Progress Flaherty Fellowship Application.
DEADLINE HAS PASSED
Deadline for RECEIPT of application is no later than Wednesday, April 15, 2009.
Eligibility to Apply for the Docs In Progress Fellowship
- Applicants must have either completed or be in-progress on at least one documentary film. This may include student projects.
- Preference will be given to residents of the Mid-Atlantic region (Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, or West Virginia).
- Applications must be RECEIVED by Docs In Progress no later than midnight on Wednesday, April 15, 2009.
- Fellowship Recipients must be available to travel to and attend the Fellows pre-session on June 19 and the entire Flaherty Seminar, which takes place from June 20-26, 2009 at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York (Upstate New York).
- Fellowship Recipients are asked to assist with various work assignments during the Seminar, from assistance with administrative needs and hospitality to audio recording Seminar discussions. These tasks will be kept to a minimum so as not to interfere with your participation in the Seminar.
- Fellows will also be required to submit a final report to both Docs In Progress and the Robert Flaherty Film Seminar about their experience and may also be asked to speak, write, and/or be interviewed about the experience for Docs In Progress.
While the Docs In Progress Fellowship is limited to filmmakers and film students, please be aware that the Flaherty Seminar also welcomes participation by film scholars, critics, curators, and enthusiasts. Those in these categories should visit the Flaherty’s website to find out more information about registering directly for the Seminar (see link below).
Background on the Flaherty Seminar
Every summer since 1955, the Robert Flaherty Film Seminar brings together more than 100 emerging and mid-career media makers, film scholars, critics, and students from around the world for a unique opportunity to expand their knowledge of cinema. Neither a festival nor a scholarly conference, the week-long Flaherty Seminar focuses on ideas and the creative process rather than on financial or technical concerns. Sharing screenings, discussions, and meals in a relaxed retreat environment in upstate New York gives participants a sense of community and connection to the creative process.
Each year the Flaherty Seminar is programmed by a scholar who is a past seminar participant and follows a particular theme. The programmer this year is Irina Lembacher, the former Artistic Director at San Francisco Cinematheque and Co-Founder and Co-Curator of kino21, a non-profit film screening series in San Francisco. The theme of this year’s Seminar is “Witnesses, Monuments, Ruins” and will feature works which will explore the act of bearing witness — bringing memory, experience and history into the present – through an eclectic range of topics and formal approaches, in works from the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, Europe, and the United States.
Besides interacting with the group at large, Flaherty Fellows take part in private meetings and discussions with the featured artists and other special guests in attendance, including programmers, writers, and academics. The program is rigorous and rewarding; Fellows arrive on campus a day before the Seminar begins to learn about the history of the Seminar, discuss pre-assigned readings relating to the theme, and watch and discuss each other’s films, by way of an informal “Fellows Film Festival.” Fellows will be able to return home with creative inspiration, experiences and connections, which will aid them in furthering their own careers and artistic endeavors. For more on the Flaherty Seminars, visit their website.
