FAQ

Pour Français cliquez ici  / Para Español pinche aqui

• Who is eligible to apply? 
• What kind of projects does the Fund support?
• What are the selection criteria for documentary projects?
• What are the selection criteria for Other Activities?
• Which forms do I have to fill out?
• In which language can I send the application?
• When should the application arrive?
• How do I send the requested materials?
• What formats do you accept for a trailer, edited sequence, rough-cut or previous work?
• When will I receive confirmation?
• When will the results of the selection be known?

Who is eligible to apply?
A producer or filmmaker attached to the project. Projects without a producer will also be accepted. The filmmaker and the producer must meet the requirements stated below.

Requirements for the filmmaker: 

• The filmmaker must have the nationality of a developing country and must also live and work in a developing country by which we mean a country on the DAC- list.
• The fund supports both starting and experienced filmmakers.

Requirements for the producer/organiser: 

• The producer must be based in a developing country.
• If a producer from a non-DAC country is attached to the project, it is also necessary for a producer from a developing country to be involved. (In this case, we need a co-production agreement.)
• The application to the fund should be made by the producer in the developing country.

What kind of projects does the fund support?
The Jan Vrijman Fund is looking for creative documentaries. In a creative documentary, the director gives form to his or her subjective vision of reality in a creative manner. Please read more about creative documentaries on the following site: IDFA’s Vision of the creative documentary. We do not apply rigid criteria, but judge each project on its own merits.

The Jan Vrijman Fund is looking for local documentary related events which stimulate the documentary film climate in developing countries. Activities that stimulate the exhibition and distribution of documentaries, the audience participation and that give professional support to filmmakers.

What are the selection criteria for documentary projects?

• Quality of the content of the documentary
• Cinematic qualities of the project
• Originality of the idea, the subject, the story, or the perspective towards the subject or story
• Importance of the subject
• Quality of the visual material send with the project
• The situation of documentary production in the region or country
• Previous work of the director

What are the selection criteria for Other Activities?

• Quality of the content of the event
• The importance of the event
• The situation of documentary production in the region or country.
• Preference will be given to initiatives from countries from the two left columns of the DAC list (the Least Developed Countries and Other Low Income Countries) or countries in conflict areas.

Which forms do I have to fill out?
You have to fill out 2 forms: an entry form on MyIDFA and a projectform depending on the category that you’re applying for (Script & Project Development Form / Production & Post-production Form / Distribution Form / Film Festival Form / Workshop Form). 

Entry form

• You can fill out the entry form in the MyIDFA section of our website. If you have registered you can login. If not, you first have to register. You will then receive a password by email. Go back to MyIDFA and login with your emailaddress and password, then click on Accreditation & Entry forms. After that click on the blue box which says: create a new entry or accrediation. A list of possible entry forms will appear, please choose the Jan Vrijman Fund entry form.
• Once you have filled out the whole form, you can submit it at the bottom of the page.
• You can only submit the form if you have filled in all obligatory information.
• You can only submit the form once.

Project form 

• Please choose the right form according to the category that you’re applying for.
• All fields are required! Incomplete forms will be rejected.
• Synopsis: Give a clear and simple description of your subject. What is it about? Where will the story be set?
• Motivation: Why do you absolutely want to make this documentary and why are you and your team/company the right ones to make it? Why should this documentary be made? What is the unique selling point of your film? What makes your film different from other projects? (the subject? the situation? the market demand or opportunities? other reasons?) Why will international audiences want to see this?
• Treatment: In this section you explain what kind of documentary you’re going to make. It’s the visual approach of the film: How is the film going to look like? Describe the visual style, use of sound, pacing and rythm, interviews or not, form, structure, point of view and also the characters.
• Story Outline: In this section you should tell about the narrative structure you have in mind. It’s the dramatic approach of the film. How are you going to tell the story? How will the story evolve?
• Implementation plan of research or trailer production: In this section we would like to know what research you still have to do and what the research is you want to finance with support from the Jan Vrijman Fund. Or when applying for the production of a trailer, please explain how you’re going to make this trailer.
• Production plan: Time schedule and planning. (preparation, shoot, post-production, when available?)

In which language can I send the application?

• We need all applications in English, except applications from francophone Africa and Haïti, which can be in French.

When should the application arrive?

• The entry form and all the requested materials should be in our office on the day of the deadline at the latest. (A postmark on the day of the deadline is not sufficient.)
• DVDs can arrive up to a week after the deadline.

How do I send the requested materials?

• When you submit the entryform, we’ll receive it automatically.
• Please send the project form and other requested materials by e-mail as attached documents to janvrijmanfund@idfa.nl.
• We prefer to receive the application by e-mail, but you can also send it by regular post to: Jan Vrijman Fund / Att: Melanie de Vocht / Frederiksplein 52 / 1017 XN Amsterdam / The Netherlands / +31 20 6273329
• DVD’s can be sent to the same address
• Links to Vimeo (with the password, if required) or Youtube can be send in an email, preferably the same email with which you send the project form

What formats do you accept for a trailer, edited sequence, rough-cut or previous work?

• DVD (PAL or NTSC), NO HD DVD!
• A link to Vimeo or a link to Youtube. NO mov/avi or any other file which we have to download
• NO Powerpoint presentations
• NO mini-dv’s or dv-cams
• DVD’s will not be returned
• Please don’t send rushes or research material of your project. Most of the time they are not representative for the endresult and are not helping your appliction. In the case you don’t have a trailer or rough-cut make a selection of the material and try to make an edited sequence.
• Please only send previous work when it’s related to the project you’re applying with.

When will I receive confirmation?

• Once your application is complete (entry form and requested materials according to the category you’re applying for), we’ll send you a confirmation. Please note that it takes a while to process all the projects we receive, especially around the time of the deadlines.
• We do not confirm receipt of entry forms only.
• If we have questions or if we are missing any information, we will contact you, but please make sure you send all the requested materials. (See regulations)

When will the results of the selection be known?
Two months after the deadline of the selection round we will publish the results on the website. In the letter of confirmation you will receive we will inform you of the date that we will publish the selection.