FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

If you do not find an answer to your question below, please contact us.

 

Which countries are eligible to take part to ESoDoc?

We can accept participants coming from all EU member countries and some countries participating in the Creative Europe Programme. Namely:

  • Albania
  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Bulgaria
  • Croatia
  • Cyprus
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Georgia
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Latvia
  • Lichtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Malta
  • Montenegro
  • Netherlands
  • North Macedonia
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Republic of Serbia
  • Romania
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Ukraine 

ESoDoc can accept up to 5 participants coming from countries not included in the list above.

back to top

Which are the Low Capacity Countries?

According to Creative Europe Programme, Low Capacity Countries (LCC) are:

  • Albania
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Bulgaria
  • Croatia
  • Cyprus
  • Czech Republic
  • Estonia
  • Georgia
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Latvia
  • Lichtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Malta
  • Montenegro
  • North Macedonia
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Republic of Serbia
  • Romania
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Ukraine 

back to top

How much is the participation fee? Are there any scholarships available?

The participation fee covers tuition, room and board for all three sessions. Travel to and from the sessions' venues is not covered. See below to check what is covered by the available scholarships. 

There are two participation fees for ESoDoc:

  • Full Participation Fee = € 1.800,00
  • Reduced Participation Fee = € 900,00

Fees are connected to your nationality. The "Reduced Participation Fee" (€ 750,00) will be applied to all participants coming from the "Low Capacity Countries" mentioned above. The "Full Participation Fee" will be applied to all participants coming from the other EU countries.

Non-EU participants: the reduced fee will be applied also to all non-EU participants, except for those coming from North America, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia, New Zeland and Japan.

back to top

How can I apply for a scholarship? What will be covered by the scholarship?

Scholarships are available and will be granted to participants coming from countries not providing scholarships for this kind of training or participants in any other proven situation of need for financial support.

To apply for a scholarship the applicant must submit the latest tax return in the specific section of the application form. This document is mandatory to be eligible for the scholarship, and no other document will be taken into consideration. It is not possible to apply for a scholarship after submitting your application.

Tax returns have different names and forms in every country. What we need, is an official document issued by your State certifying your latest income. No "self-certification" will be accepted.
If you are unemployed, please provide the necessary documents to prove your position.
If you are still living with your parents or you are financially depending on them, please provide their tax return.

The full scholarship will cover both the participation fee and the travel costs of the participants.

The maximum amount of travel costs covered for each session is € 350,00. Travel costs must be paid beforehand by the participant, and are reimbursed after the closing of each session. To claim the travel costs participants must provide all necessary tickets' invoices and/or receipts (flight/train/bus ticket and receipt, taxi receipt, etc.). Without the receipts, travel costs will not be reimbursed.

Given the high number of scholarship requests that we receive, in order to help as many professionals as possible, we might decide to split 1 or more scholarships. In this case, we will cover the participation fee for 1 participant and the travel costs for another participant. The same conditions as above for the travel reimbursement are applied.

IMPORTANT: Applying for a scholarship does not ensure that you will get it. Please consider also a "backup plan" to get additional support from other institutions. We suggest getting in touch with the local Creative Europe Desk, which might help you in identifying local funds and other institutions which also offer grants for travel and accommodation. The contacts of Creative Europe Desks can be found here: https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/creative-europe/contact_en 
If you are selected for the workshop, we will provide a letter of support, if requested.

back to top

What is the participation fee for participants from non-EU countries?

The reduced fee will be applied to all non-EU participants, except for those coming from the following countries. 

  • Switzerland
  • United Kingdom
  • North America (United States and Canada)
  • Australia
  • New Zeland
  • Japan

back to top

By when do I need to pay the participation fee?

After the selection results are communicated, there will be approx 2 weeks of time to transfer the participation fee. Failing to transfer the participation fee within the given deadline will result in the exclusion from the workshop.

back to top

Can I pay the participation fee in multiple instalments?

No. The participation fee must be paid in one single instalment.

back to top

When and how will I be informed about the selection results?

The selection committee will need a few weeks after the deadline for application to evaluate all submissions and select the 18 participants of ESoDoc. Usually, it takes up to 6 weeks after the final deadline to complete this process.
As soon as the selection is done, you will be informed via email whether you have been selected or not to participate.

Please note that we will select 18 participants in the first place, but we will also make a “waiting list”. In case one of the participants of the first group will resign, we will immediately contact the next applicant on the waiting list.

back to top

What shall I submit as “previous professional work”?

We accept any media which include audiovisual material as “previous professional work”: it can be a film, a cross-media project, a game, etc.
You can submit only ONE previous work. Please send the project that best represents you in order to participate in ESoDoc.
In any case, it must be submitted digitally. No physical copy will be accepted.
If you are submitting a film, kindly submit the whole film, not just excerpts or the trailer.

back to top

How shall I submit my previous work and the visual materials supporting my project proposal?

Video materials (i.e. a film, a trailer, raw footage), must be uploaded to services such as Youtube or Vimeo (or other similar services). If needed, these services have settings that allow you to share your videos securely and privately.
We will not accept links that force downloads.
In any case, all files must be kept online until the communication of the final results.

back to top

How many project proposals can I submit?

Applicants can submit only one project to be developed during the workshop.

back to top

Can I apply without a project?

No. Your application must be bound to a project in development. This is because the entire didactic concept of ESoDoc revolves around it: the co-creative and collaborative development process, as well as the impact strategy design, will be better implemented if they focus on a specific and concrete project. 

back to top

I'm not a filmmaker – but a journalist/game developer/web designer, etc. Can I apply with a project?

Yes! In any case, it is essential that you apply with a concrete project, as the didactic concept of ESoDoc revolves around it (see the previous FAQ). We are open to professionals coming from various sectors, who are willing to develop projects focused on social impact. Nevertheless, video must be a fundamental component of the project's communication strategy. Moreover, as we favour the building of creative teams around a project at ESoDoc, during the workshop you can team up with filmmakers.

back to top

I have already applied in the past with my project but was not selected. Can I apply again?

Of course! Competition for the places available at ESoDoc is always very tough, and you might have not been selected because that year the quality of the other projects was higher and – above all – your project will have evolved since the last application.

back to top

Can we apply as a team?

No. Application is nominal, therefore it is not possible to apply as a team with one single application.
Nevertheless, two members of the same team (i.e. director and producer) can submit one separate application each, with the same project proposal. In the case of selection, only one member of the team will be chosen to participate.

back to top

How far developed must be the project I apply with?

We accept projects at various stages of development: from projects in the "research stage", to projects which have already entered into production. In the case of projects in their research stage, the project must be advanced enough to identify at least the main characters and proof access to them, and there must be original visual materials related to the proposalIt is essential that your project is at least well researched and has original visual materials, because the entire didactic process, the co-creation and collaborative development will happen around it. 

back to top

What shall I say in the presentation video?

You must submit a Video Presentation, no longer than 3 minutes.

In the 3 minutes video presentation you must describe your "Dream ESoDoc Edition":

  • What would you like to experience?
  • What would you like to learn?
  • How do you think you can develop your professional career further with this new background?
  • What would be the best outcome for you personally?

Please be as specific and concrete as possible.

PLEASE NOTE: for this video the "style" and the quality are not important. You can do it with the webcam of your computer, with a mobile phone or anything else. What is important, is that you introduce yourself to the commissioners clearly and that you answer openly and sincerely to the other questions.

back to top

Do I need to have letters of commitment by broadcasters?

This is not a “must-have” to apply for ESoDoc, although we strongly encourage you to include any important information about the commitment by any broadcaster or any other institution.
This information shall be included also in the written project proposal.

back to top

If I do not get selected, will I receive a detailed letter with an explanation?

No. We get more than 100 applications every year, and unfortunately it is really impossible to write a personalized letter to each one of the applicants who have not been selected.

back to top

Is there a guarantee that my project will be produced after attending ESoDoc? Will ESoDoc produce my project?

No. We can not guarantee it. Moreover, ESoDoc is a training workshop, not a production company, so we will not produce your project. But it is our primary goal to help our participants as much as possible in finding the right professional networks to realize their films, both during your participation at the workshop, as well as afterward.

back to top