AWARDS and OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDEPENDENT PRODUCERS at BAVC

Whether you are are an emerging independent producer in the Bay Area who needs guidance to get your first project to public television, an international filmmaker looking to build an interactive web portal and 3D game environment to accompany your human rights documentary,  an experimental video artist needing technical mentorship to build a locative museum installation with an MMS component, or a narrative filmmaker with socially-conscious project seeking an opportunity to work with community partners to develop open source curriculum for young people – BAVC is your place.

Applications Available Now!

Applications are now available online for the 2009 Mediamaker Awards and the 2009 Producers Institute for New Media Technologies.

Mediamaker Awards Application Deadline: November 24, 2008
Producers Institute Application Deadline:  January 12, 2009

Grant information session at BAVC on October 28th. More info >

Mediamaker Awards

BAVC's Mediamaker Awards are in-kind training and postproduction grants for independent artists with a particular focus on supporting emerging artists and under-served communities. The Awards are designed to give independent artists direct access to the latest digital media technologies.

NEWS from 2008 Mediamakers: This year's award winners, Leo Chiang, Gabrielle Mullem, Banker White, and Michele Turnure-Salleo have had a great year. Leo's project, A Village Called Versailles, is currently featured on Frontline/World in the PBS Abroad at Home series, and Gabrielle was recently awarded the very competitive ITVS LINCS grant. Banker White, the producer of the award-winning Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars is using his Mediamaker Award to develop an interactive UGC website for global media called WE OWN TV. He is working with Black Nature, one of the featured musicians from the film, who recently completed the Elements training program at BAVC. 

Producers Institute for New Media Technologies

Funded by generous lead support from the MacArthur Foundation and additional support from the Nathan Cummings Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the intention of the Institute is to develop socially relevant media projects for emerging digital platforms. The Institute is a ten-day residency for eight creative teams (independent producers or public broadcasters) with a shared goal of developing and prototyping a multi-platform project inspired by, or based on a significant documentary work-in-progress.  Producers participate in high-level industry roundtables, intense one-on-one project development with technical mentors, new media storytelling workshops, and hands-on prototyping. At the end of the Institute, producers present their ideas to a panel of funders, technology advisors, and community partners.
 
Patrice O'Neill of the Working Group, producer of the "Not In Our Town" series, says “I've been doing this for twenty years. The Producers Institute is the most support I've felt from an institution EVER.”

RESOURCES for PRODUCTION and POSTPRODUCTION

Tired of working at home alone? Need more software tools? Crave community? Need a consultant to help take your project to the next level?

The Community Innovation Lab and Postproduction suites at BAVC are available at subsidized hourly, weekly, and monthly rates for offline and online editing, web development, advanced video compression, motion graphics & 3D effects, Second Life builds, audio mixing, and more. We also have a talented group of passionate, knowledgeable media experts to consult on your project.  Tell us what you need!

For more information, contact BAVC's Digital Production Manager Ja Shia.