Mentoring
The Program
The mentoring program of Film Network Berlin brings together Berlin-based film talents with experienced filmmakers in a three to six month one-to-one mentoring. This gives a new generation of filmmakers the opportunity to draw on the practical knowledge and professional experience of established professionals. During the mentoring program, the mentees are individually supported in the further development of their careers and projects. A special feature of our mentoring program is that there is no “pool of mentors”. Instead, we find a suitable mentor for each mentee in accordance with their individual needs.
Our mentoring program is aimed at professional filmmakers in the fields of directing, screenwriting, cinematography and production who are either working on a project or planning a new career step. The call for applications goes out once a year – usually in early autumn. Each year five mentees are selected. Participation is only possible for members of the Film Network Berlin.
Application
One of the unique qualities of our mentoring program is that you can apply either with a concret film project or with a specific career step you are planning. If you apply without a project, the mentoring is intended to support you as a filmmaker in developing your profession or in reaching a certain career goal. In this case, the project outline is not required as part of the application. Instead, we ask you to describe your professional situation as concretely as possible in your letter of motivation. In addition, we ask you to suggest two possible mentors who live in Berlin and who you would like to work with.
Please send the following documents by email as a merged PDF to info@filmnetzwerk-berlin.de:
- Curriculum vitae with filmography
- Letter of motivation (1-2 pages) including the naming of two potential mentors
- Only for applications with a project: project outline (max. 2 pages), which shows the current state of the project
The current deadline to apply for our mentoring program is September 11th 2022.
Selection Procedure
The selection of mentees for the mentoring program is composed of two steps. After reviewing the application documents, a pre-selection of approximately ten qualified applicants will be invited to our applicants’ day at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin. These candidates take part in a workshop and subsequent one-on-one interviews with the jury. The jury is made up of alternating members of the associations Bundesverband Regie (BVR), Verband Deutscher Drehbuchautoren (VDD), Produzentenverband (VDPF) and Bundesverband Kinematografie (BVK). During the interviews, open questions can be discussed and a common vision of the potential mentoring can be formed. Participation in the applicants’ day is a prerequisite for a successful application.
The applicants’ day with interviews is expected to take place on October 6th, 2022.
Matching and Mentoring
For our mentoring program, we always select mentors individually and in consultation with our mentees. Once the mentees have been selected, the matching process begins: Together with them, the team of the Film Network Berlin develops an idea of who could be the right mentor for the respective aim and gets in touch with this person.
After successful matching, the three to six-month mentoring period begins with a kick-off meeting during which the goal of the mentoring and shape of the collaboration are determined. A total of at least three personal meetings between mentee and mentor take place and email contact is possible during the entire time of the program. At the end of the mentoring period, the mentee and mentor will present the status of their work at a final meeting and provide feedback on the achievement of their goals and their collaboration.
You can find more information about the Film Network Berlin mentoring program in our FAQ. You can read our conditions of participation by clicking here.
