THE DOCUMENTARY CHALLENGE’S FIVE-DAY WORK WEEK |
By Stewart Nusbaumer

Are you addicted to large oil drums of coffee? Feel alive only when you’re a sleep-deprived stumbling zombie? Relish your emotions ripping from ice berg to flame thrower? Then you are made for the International Documentary Challenge.

Started in 2006, the International Documentary Challenge is a timed filmmaking competition — this year beginning on March 4 — where filmmakers have five days to craft a five-to-seven minute non-fiction film. In the last four years, more than 500 participating filmmakers — more than 125 each year — from some 20 countries chose to forgo sleep and sanity for this the ultimate in filmmaking madness.

“The Doc Challenge is an event for both novice and professional filmmakers,” director Doug Whyte says while relaxing in a soft chair in the Filmmakers Lounge at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival. “Novice filmmakers have the opportunity to go through the whole filmmaking process in five days. They learn the art of film production in a trial by fire situation. Professionals have the opportunity to work on a creative, personal project without having to commit months or years of their life.”

A panel of judges selected by Whyte reviews the more than 100 films and narrows them down to the top 12, which are premiered at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary festival. From the twelve finalists a panel of judges at Hot Docs determines the Best Film, POV determines their award, and DER selects their winner. This is followed by theatrical screenings in major cities and at various film festivals, television exposure and a DVD release of the best films. Many of the Shorts can be viewed online at the SnagFilms Doc Challenge Channel.

Filmmakers cover the costs of their own films, and there is a registration fee of between $99-$115. The registration deadline for the 5^th International Documentary Challenge is March 3.

A Healing Art (pictured), by Ellen Frick of Seattle, Washington, is a sensitive, beautiful film about the manufacture of artificial eyes.

“The Doc Challenge was a huge test of my directorial skills,” Frick says. With only five days from start to … Read the rest