Summer Fellowship Applications with Southern Exposure Now Open
Southern Exposure: Documenting the Struggle and Successes for Environmental Protection in Alabama A Multimedia Summer Fellowship Sponsored by the Alabama Rivers Alliance
June 17 – July 26, 2019
Deadline to apply: March 1, 2019
Returning for the seventh year, Southern Exposure provides a positive and challenging learning experience to exceptional film students and emerging filmmakers from across the country seeking to explore and develop their own voices as environmental advocates through nonfiction storytelling. This innovative summer fellowship equips students with the skills, equipment, content knowledge and contacts to create authentic, engaging, inspiring films intended to raise public awareness about important issues facing Alabama’s environment — from the mountains to the coast.
The selected film fellows will spend the summer working in partnership with Alabama Rivers Alliance’s partner groups and other state environmental organizations, who will provide guidance on film topics and crucial community contacts to help the fellows create the short documentaries that will be most useful for raising awareness and advocating for the protection of Alabama’s special places.
To watch the films from previous fellowship years, visit: www.SouthernExposureFilms.org
Components of Fellowship:
- Production of an original short film to document a contemporary topic of environmental concern that will support environmental advocacy work in Alabama
- Field trip visits to some of Alabama’s beautiful natural resources
- Orientation with Alabama Rivers Alliance and representatives from local conservation partner groups
- Feedback sessions with representatives from ARA, conservation groups and filmmakers
- Workshops to examine various styles and techniques of the documentary as a persuasive medium
FELLOWS SELECTION PROCESS
Southern Exposure seeks the best and brightest up-and-coming documentary filmmakers committed to protecting our natural resources, improving human health, and achieving environmental justice through film, journalism and collective action. Selected fellows come from across the country and represent a broad base of backgrounds, including broadcasting, law, psychology, literature, science, anthropology, education and film production. This makes for a thriving interdisciplinary environment in which filmmakers share skills and build long-lasting relationships.
Although participants are not required to have backgrounds that would necessarily lead to careers in filmmaking, applicants are required to have completed at least one short film in order to be considered. Applicants must have a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively, as this fellowship is a highly interactive and interpersonal experience. A weekly stipend and dormitory style or other suitable housing will be provided.
The following materials must be received via email by the Alabama Rivers Alliance by March 1, 2019 in order for you to be considered for the program.
- Cover letter that answers the following two questions:
- What is it that you hope to gain from participation in this fellowship program? 2. What is one environmental issue that you are passionate about and why? 2. Resume, including full name, current email address, mailing address, and cell phone number.
- Academic transcript (unofficial is acceptable). To qualify, all applicants must have had at least two film production courses. Please remove or redact your birthdate and social security number from your transcript.
- Link to a film for which you have had creative control. Upload a sample of your video or film work
to YouTube or Vimeo and copy the link on a one-page summary of the creative work including a brief synopsis, running time of the clips, the circumstances of production and your role. Do not submit work on which you have had only a “production assistant” role. A submission may be 10 minutes or less of a single film or a compilation reel from several films. Please follow the YouTube or Vimeo guidelines for uploading so that you have the highest resolution and highest video quality possible for your video. 5. OPTIONAL: Letter of recommendation from an academic or professional reference that speaks to
your accomplishments and potential.
All application materials should be combined into one pdf and emailed to southernexposure@alabamarivers.org.
Films should be uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo as indicated above and .jpgs can be emailed separately to southernexposure@alabamarivers.org. File sizes should be reduced so that no emails are larger than 8 MB. If you choose to submit a letter of recommendation, the letter should be emailed from the account of the person who writes the letter directly to southernexposure@alabamarivers.org.
Applicants will be notified of their status by mid-April 2019.
Learn more at www.southernexposurefilms.org or on ARA’s website at www.alabamarivers.org/southern–exposure/