Filmmakers urged to pitch their stories for Netflix competition
The Namibia Film Commission is drawing filmmakers’ attention to an online competition run by UNESCO in partnership with Netflix to find six prospective short films that retell popular African folk stories. The winning filmmakers will be funded to produce their work which will premiére in 2022.
The UNESCO Netflix partnership wants to find the bravest, wittiest and most surprising retelling of some of Africa’s best-loved folk tales.
“We want to share these stories with entertainment fans around the world in over 190 countries and winners of the competition will be trained and mentored by industry professionals and given a production grant of N$75,000 through a local company,” said the UN cultural body and production company in a statement.
Ernesto Ottone, UNESCO’s Assistant Director General for Culture said they approached Netflix as it carried out the first complete mapping of the continent’s film and audiovisual industries. “What we are trying to achieve, is how we can engage those young filmmakers in telling stories of African folklore and in passing on through the generations the culture and the traditions that are in place in Africa,” he added.
He further stated that to partner with a platform on the global scale of Netflix was vital to ensure visibility.
Entrants must be citizens and residents of a country in sub-Saharan Africa and be aged 18-35, pitches must be submitted to www.netflix-growcreative.com.
