The Berlin Film Festival’s Talents programme has announced the 2024 Talents Footprints Mastercard Enablement Programme, an initiative dedicated to supporting film-related social initiatives that drive positive change in local communities.
Last year, two African projects received support from the programme. Esther Kemi Gbadamosi, a Nigerian filmmaker, secured support for her Radioxity Stop Motion Animation Academy. Her project was created to develop local capacity and manpower to produce world-class stop motion animated projects that tell African stories.
Perivi John Katjavivi, a Namibian filmmaker, received support for his Return to the Source: Film Workshop & Residency Programme, which sought to educate marginalised youth about African cinema and history.
This year’s programme seeks innovative and impactful solutions in four key domains: Gender Equality and Diversity, Quality Education and Work, Peace, Justice and Understanding, and Environmental Awareness and Climate Action.
The programme offers a unique opportunity for selected fellows to receive mentoring, financial support, and public awareness for their initiatives. Each selected fellow will receive €5,000 in financial support and the equivalent in mentorship, as well as a personalized mentorship support package.
The programme will include a workshop, online meetings with mentors, and additional support for two fellows (each year) to ensure sustainability beyond the programme’s duration. Applications for the 2025 programme are open until September 25.
Selected fellows and alumni will be notified by the end of December and publicly announced during the Berlinale in February 2025. Eligible applicants include stakeholder group with film-related social goals, training institutions, labs, hubs, community film venues, festivals or distribution platforms, and environmental initiatives leveraging film for social impact.
Individual film projects in development, production, or post-production are not eligible for funding. Instead, the programme focuses on empowering initiatives that harness the power of film to create lasting social change.
