Submissions for the 2014-2015 Armed With a Camera Fellowship are now open. Deadline for submissions for the 2015 cycle is Aug. 29 at 5 p.m.

Visual Communications seeks to cultivate a new generation of Asian Pacific American media artists committed to preserving the legacy and vision of VC. The Armed With a Camera Fellowship will award up to ten fellows a cash stipend to complete a four to five-minute digital video.

Through the fellowship, emerging media artists will capture their world, surroundings and outlook on life as a part of a new generation of Asian Pacific Americans. Final projects must be shot in digital video format and completed by March of next year. A special program will showcase all completed projects at various VC exhibitions across Los Angeles, including the 2015 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, and other venues nationwide.

VC will co-own the productions and will also package and distribute completed works. Distribution income will aid in the continuation of the fellowship.

Eligible applicants must be of Asian Pacific descent and residents of Southern California. If accepted, fellows must be able to attend mandatory meetings and workshops in Los Angeles. Women, South Asian and Southeast Asian filmmakers are highly encouraged to apply to the AWC Fellowship. If you’re not sure of your eligibility, contact Visual Communications.

All projects must conform to the following guidelines:

? Final piece must be a new, original work.
? Final piece must be shot in digital video format.
? Final piece must be completed by March 13, 2015 for inclusion in the 2015 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.
? Total length of final piece must be four to five minutes.
? If budget for each project exceeds $2,000, you must show/explain other sources of funding.
? Animation, documentary and experimental pieces are encouraged.

Fellows will be selected based on their demonstrated commitment to the arts, production and exhibition experience, and the quality of their sample work. Consideration will be given to communities that have been underserved and underrepresented in the media arts. A review panel composed of community members, media artists, and curators will judge the work based on artistic innovation, feasibility within the timeline, and budget of their proposed projects. Applicants will be contacted by the first week of September.

To apply, send the following:

? Information cover sheet
? Letter of intent, one page maximum, on how you think you can benefit from the AWC Fellowship
? Resume and digital headshot (300 dpi, 5×7)
? Project treatment (two pages maximum)
? Project timeline (all projects must begin in November)
? Budget (budget items may include artist stipend, equipment, supplies, location fee, food, etc.)
? Sample work no longer than five minutes long; online link is acceptable. Email to [email protected] or mail to Visual Communications, 120 Judge John Aiso St., Basement Level, Los Angeles, CA 90012, Attn: Milton Liu/AWC.

Founded in 1970, Visual Communications is the first Asian Pacific media arts center in the nation. Its mission is to promote intercultural understanding through the creation, presentation, preservation and support of media works by and about Asian Pacific Americans. VC was created with the understanding that media and the arts are important vehicles to organize and empower communities, build connections between generations, challenge perspectives, and create an environment for critical thinking, necessary to build a more just and humane society.

Armed with a Camera Fellowship is partially funded by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.

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