Leveraging International Networks for Co-Productions and Training (LINCT)
- make filmmakers - in particular, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) - aware of the potential and value of international co-operation;
- facilitate the synergetic exchange of information through training about trade practice and potential markets;
- open dialogue for future co-operation at the individual level and collaborative financial ventures at the industry level;
- create a platform of shared knowledge towards developing a dependable environment for future partnerships, including investigating the start-up of an internet-based platform; and
- establish the basis for a long-term project of intercultural co-operation between professionals in the non-fiction audiovisual sector with other regions such as Africa, South America, North America, and Southeast Asia.
LINCT draws on a combination of in-person exchange and connection through information and communication technologies (ICTs). The process comprises a combination of one long-term and one short-term training that will include residential workshops, consulting sessions, online sessions, lectures, group sessions, one-to-one meetings, screenings, and targeted training for professionals. Proactive trainers are working to initiate sessions by sharing primary contextual information and facilitate and channel interactive professional dialogue in a structured manner. This strategy is designed to allow for maximum interaction among participants of the two regions to pursue their specific areas of interest and arrive at conclusions/resolutions. The trainers are expected to watch out for the best networking potential and to trigger group formations.
Specifically, LINCT is engaging with 3 sets of stakeholders in documentary making:
- Filmmakers
- Broadcasters/Commissioning Editors
- Non-Broadcast sector - includes NGOs, United Nations (UN) agencies, autonomous bodies, and government agencies/ministries that fund films. ("We would like to develop a framework by which such organisations can become active stakeholders in the broadcasting and commissioning process. This would allow the substantial funds they invest in film-making to be utilised for developing programming on mainstream television.")
Members of any of these sectors were invited to join in a process of dialogue and networking by registering as a user of the LINCT online platform. (Those who do not belong to any of the 3 sectors, but who were interested in registering as an observer, were encouraged to do so). Registrants were able to participate in LINCT's series of moderated online conferences: the first conference, for filmmakers, took place July 2-3 2009; the second, for the non-broadcast sector, took place July 23-24 2009; the third, for broadcasters/commissioning editors, took place September 3-4 2009; and the fourth, for all sectors combined, took place September 23-24 2009. In the last online conference, there was a consensus that the process of online conferences should continue. So LINCT will proceed with one online conference every two months to maintain the networking and sharing of ideas across the EU and India. The LINCT website features backgrounders and conference reports (available to anyone), and continuing opportunities to participate in discussions, to network, and to upload documents or videos to share with other registrants.
The process is slated to culminate in a residential conference held in New Delhi, India, from November 16-21 2009.
Media Development.
ZeLIG School for Documentary, Television & New Media; Formedia; and the Thomson Foundation. Funding provided by MEDIA International.
Emails from Neelima Mathur to The Communication Initiative on August 25 2009 and September 29 2009; and LINCT website, accessed September 29 2009.
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