First Time Filmmakers Grant - Vietnam

The Discovery Asia channel in co-operation with Uproar Asia and with sponsorship from the Ford Foundation has launched a documentary film competition with the aim of bringing Vietnamese stories to the world and helping develop the documentary storytelling skills of Vietnamese film makers.

Vietnamese Nationals who have experience in factual documentary production are invited to submit a story outline or treatment for a half-hour documentary programme that explores issues or events relating to the series theme the ‘Urban Transition in Vietnam’. Twelve proposals will be selected. These 12 filmmakers will attend a three-day television documentary production workshop in Hanoi in September 2009. Five films will be chosen by experts from Discovery, Uproar Productions, Vietnamese Cinematography Department, and the Ford Foundation for this grant for production.

The grant will be used to produce their films over the following six months. Five directors will make their films under the supervision of Uproar Asia, the executive producer. Final editing for each 30-minute film will take place with technical advice from Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific in Singapore in March 2010.