• Where to hang a lamp at dawn?
• Where to find a bed when tired?
• Where to boil some tea when you want to have a rest?
• Where to put your favorite books, collections, albums and underwear? Where to hug your beloved?

Where to drink with your friends under the moonlight?
Where to start the new journey when the sun rises?

Once “homeland” was associated with beautiful pastoral landscape, was the home for our body and soul and a harbor where we embarked on a new journey; however, today in front of global warming, ecological crisis, lack of energy, urban sprawl, overexploit of land, water crisis, desertification, new viruses and inadequate food as well as escalated conflict between man and nature, where should we build or rebuild our home and where to find a place to live and raise our children? The fast development of global industry, urban areas and economy has forced us to ask ourselves: what roads does a mountain need? What rainy season does a river need? What villages do frogs and sparrows need? What buildings do the blue sky and breeze need? What big trees do a grandfather and his grandson need? What courtyard do mothers need?

While we’re recovering from the shock of the Sichuan earthquake and starting to rebuild our homeland, CNEX calls for documentary producers who care about man and land, man and living space as well as the living environment for the next generation to have a bird’s eye view over the Next Generation’s Homeland: green, environmental-friendly and sustainable, to avoid to drain the pond to get all the fish and to pursue harmony between man and the environment.

We hope to see profound stories, vivid characters, specific scenes, express logic, far-sighted view and even the future state of the soul and spirit; in 2009, we call for documentaries from the Chinese community which reflect on, imagine and take actions for the Next Generation’s Homeland and then present them to the whole world. At the same time, we also hope that those works full of insights and vitality can comfort the victims of the earthquake.

I. Full-length documentaries:
1. Specifications:

• Both the content and focus of the documentaries are in line with the annual theme—Next Generation’s Homeland
• Length：45 minutes or above
• Shooting Format: either DVCAM, DVCPRO, HDV, BETACAM or higher quality, audio recorded with seperate Microphone
• Final format: Digital Betacam
• Deadline for completion: July 31st, 2009

2. Qualifications required for directors or producers:

• with at least two 30-minute or longer documentaries or one 60-minute or longer documentary
• Directors or producers with film/TV production profession and executive capacity

3. Entry quota:

• About 15 proposals will be selected for the initial evaluation and 5 to 8 for the final review, of which the latter will be funded.

4. Maximum funding:

• The maximum funding for each proposal is 80,000 RMB or 350,000 NTD.

II. Short documentaries:
1. Specifications:

• Both the content and focus of the documentaries are in line with the annual them—Next Generation’s Homeland
• Length：10 minutes
• Shooting Format: either DVCAM, DVCPRO, HDV, BETACAM or higher quality, audio recorded with separate Microphone
• Final format: Digital Betacam
• Deadline for completion: May 31st, 2009

2. Qualifications required for directors or producers: no particular requirements

3. Entry quota:

• About 10 proposals will be selected for the initial evaluation and 3 to 5 for the final review, of which the latter will be funded.

4. Maximum funding:

• The maximum funding for each proposal is 10,000 RMB (mainland) or 120,000 NTD (except mainland).

III. Proposal Format and Materials Required
Proposals for Initial Review:

• Please send the electronic forms and the proposals to [email protected] and pictures and trailers can also be attached.
• Directors for whom this is the first time to be engaged in a CNEX program need to provide representative works
• If selected for the final review (workshop), live demonstrations need to be presented with PPT and trailers or pictures.

IV. Key Dates

• Deadline for proposal submission: September 30th, 2008
• The long list will be released on the official website of CNEX—www.cnex.org.cn；www.cnex.org.tw in mid October 2008.
• The workshop will be held in late November 2008 in Beijing and we will notify the candidates about the specific time and procedures.

V. Special notification

• Students are more than welcome to hand in your proposals.
• Besides scholars and experts from Mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong, senior documentary producers or commission editors will also be on the judge panel during this year’s workshop and final review.
• In order to best promote the documentaries, CNEX will have the authority over the management of the final contracted proposals and works.

Contacts:
Add: 2nd floor, Building No1. Jing Yuan, No.3 Guangqu East Rd, Chaoyang District, Beijing
P.C.: 100022
Tel: 86-10-64073571 ext 8001 or 8005
Contact person: Liu Rui and Qian Wei
Email:  [email protected], [email protected]


If there is any change with the above information, no further notification will be made and please refer to the official website of CNEX—http://beijing.cnex.org.cn.

Procedures of the CNEX documentary workshop
In principle, the program is carried out on a triennial basis (one year for production and one year for promotion).

• Release of the annual theme: to release information about the theme and proposal and to call for and invite the attendance of producers
• Long list: the long list is determined by the core consultants and CNEX decision-makers based on the experience of the candidates, their works and proposals;
• Workshop: the workshop consists of selected candidates, consultants, distinguished guests and CNEX representatives; the candidates present their proposals and then consultants determine the short list based on the evaluation of the proposals;
• Agreement signing: the amount of funding and the production period are discussed with the candidates according to the different conditions of the production and a legal agreement is signed.
• Documentary production: the directors are in chare of the documentary production and should be supervised under the contract and after the evaluation by the director, the content and the indicators of the production need to meet the requirements of the contract. (6—10 months)
• Release and promotion: attendance at the CNEX annual exhibition, application for film exhibitions, release of audio visual products for television and cinemas as well as promotion activities on campus.

CNEX is a non-profit organization, aiming at identifying and supporting outstanding contemporary Chinese documentaries as well as recording documentaries about the Chinese people in the 21st century and promoting profound cultural caring. In order to efficiently and continuously support the work done by CNEX, CNEX will manage the documentaries completed with its funding and support. Part of the returns will go to the creators and the other to CNEX so as to support its future work.