U.S. Embassy Doha will nominate ten mid-career filmmakers with at least one produced project as a writer, producer, or director for the Global Media Makers Los Angeles Residency (GMM) in the summer of 2024. Filmmakers with Qatar citizenship or residency are invited to submit their interest here.
The Global Media Makers is a six-week residency and cultural exchange program that connects international filmmakers with leading U.S. entertainment professionals. Selected filmmakers will participate in filmmaking tracks focused on screenwriting, directing, creative producing or documentary filmmaking where they develop their current projects. Filmmakers also attend master classes, learn about best practices for American filmmaking, and participate in electives to learn new filmmaking technology. Mentorship continues remotely through the remainder of the year via video call sessions. Global Media Makers fully covers the program’s cost, including transportation and accommodation for the filmmakers selected to travel to Los Angeles. The program is supported through a partnership between the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and Film Independent.
Review and Selection Process
- Submit the interest form here to U.S. Embassy Doha by Tuesday, August 1, 2023.
- GMM will contact qualified nominated candidates with instructions and a link to an online application form. The application submission deadline is Monday, October 2, 2023.
- Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for a follow-up Zoom interview starting in late January 2024.
- GMM selects up to 12 filmmakers for the GMM LA Residency, composed of two parts: one virtual week and five weeks in person in Los Angeles in May/June 2024.
Eligibility
To qualify for the GMM Los Angeles Residency, eligible applicants must:
- Be a citizen or a permanent resident of a country in one of the following regions: Middle East, North and Sub-Saharan Africa, and South and Central Asia.
- Be currently working and residing full-time in Qatar.
- Exceptions can be made for filmmakers who have been displaced from their home countries and are living in exile in another country to which they have relocated.
- U.S. citizens, residents, or green card holders are not eligible for this program.
- Be a mid-career filmmaker with at least one to three produced projects as a writer, producer, or director (in film, television, or serial web content). Please note that 2022-2023 college graduates are not eligible to apply.
- Submit an online application about a project currently in advanced development or production that addresses issues of local importance in the applicant’s home country or region. Selected participants must focus on and develop the project with which they applied to the program. (Global Media Makers will contact qualified nominated candidates with instructions and a link to an online application form.)
- Fiction filmmakers must have a completed screenplay or teleplay, and documentary filmmakers must have at least a 40-minute assembly edit.
- English language proficiency is required to participate in the program, as it will be the common language of Global Media Makers. All materials must be submitted in English.
- Selected filmmakers must be available to attend all components of the six-week program. The final selection of the filmmakers who will travel will be made pending J-1 visa approval.
- The LA Residency is an immersive and demanding program, and participants may not be accompanied by family members or dependents.
GMM will give preference to creative teams consisting of writer/director, writer/producer, or director/producer, but individuals will also be considered and are encouraged to apply.
About Global Media Makers
Since its launch in 2016, Global Media Makers has grown into a global filmmaking network, connecting visual storytellers from around the world with leading U.S. entertainment professionals through specially tailored mentorships, workshops, and master classes. We have brought more than 150 film, television, and new media makers to Los Angeles for the LA Residency. Our Fellows have come from 21 countries: Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Syria, Sudan, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
About the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) builds relations between the people of the United States and the people of other countries through academic, cultural, sports, professional and private exchanges, as well as public-private partnerships and mentoring programs. These exchange programs improve foreign relations and strengthen the national security of the United States, support U.S. international leadership, and provide a broad range of domestic benefits by helping break down barriers that often divide us.
About Film Independent
Film Independent is the nonprofit arts organization that champions creative independence in visual storytelling and supports a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation, and uniqueness of vision. Film Independent helps filmmakers make their movies, builds an audience for their projects, and works to diversify the film industry.