Road to COP26

A documentary filmmaking competition for Nepal

Closing date - Tue 20 Jul

Competition closed

This competition has now closed. For other competitions, please see our competitions page.

Please note: This competition is ONLY available to educators/schools in Nepal

Are you an educator or school with students who are interested in making a film about our relationship with nature? About climate change? About the environment and our impact on it? Or maybe you're a student who feels passionately about the environment and has a strong interest in filmmaking? If so, then we would encourage you to take part in Road to COP26's documentary filmmaking programme exclusively for schools, educators, and students in Nepal.

COP26 is the United Nations conference on climate change which is happening in the UK during November 2021. To mark the event, British Council Nepal and Into Film are inviting schools and young people to produce short documentary films on climate change and the environment.

Films can be made on a mobile phone, tablet or camera, and must be shorter than 5 minutes (including credits). It must not include copyrighted music or images and can be submitted in English language or Nepali (with English subtitles). The deadline for submissions is 23:59 PM on Tuesday, 20th July 2021.

Camera Sika, British Council and Into Film's filmmaking project for under 18 creators, will select up to 10 films for digital screenings and social media voting from the call. Ultimately five films will be awarded exciting prizes including the opportunity to work with a film professional to make a new film!

We are providing a host of resources to support the filmmaking process, including two workshops for educators in May/June 2021. These 3-hour sessions are facilitated by our seasoned Camera Sika mentors who will cover basic filmmaking skills and help with practical guidelines. You can register for these workshops by contacting British Council Nepal at the following email address: arts@britishcouncil.org.np

You can also download our bespoke guide to documentary filmmaking and watch our 'how to' video tutorials which will strengthen your filmmaking skills before you start. We strongly recommend reviewing these resources and/or registering for the workshops before starting on your film.

Camera Sika is support by UNICEF Nepal, the Film Development Board Nepal, International Youth Media Summit and Wildlife Conservation Nepal.

To enter, please complete the submission form. Note: no registration is required, you simply complete the form and upload your filmYou will then be instructed to upload your film. You will receive confirmation on the upload page that this has been successful. If you are aged 18 or under, please make sure you ask a parent or guardian to complete the Entrant Details part of the form. Films can also be entered by a parent/guardian, teacher or other adult on behalf of a young person or group of young people.

We are looking for the most creative and engaging short films that deal with environmental issues. In order to be shortlisted for the judges' consideration, submitted films must meet the following criteria:

Your film must be a documentary and can be live action or animated.
Films may be made using any equipment, be it a mobile phone, tablet, camera, or anything else.
All contributing filmmakers must be aged between 5 and 18 years of age at the time of submitting the film.
Films must be a maximum of 5 minutes in length, including titles and credits.
Any music, video or still images used in the film must be cleared for use by the copyright holder or be copyright free. Note: provided resources cover where you can download copyright-free music.
You must NOT feature the surnames of any young people under the age of 18, anywhere in the film, including the titles and credits. Into Film are committed to the protection and safety of young people, and the addition of surnames in your films can compromise this. If surnames are included in your film, your entry may not be considered.
You must have gained permission to film anyone who appears in the film. Anyone aged under 18 who appears in the film must have their parent or carer's permission to appear. You can download sample clearance forms for use here.

We will not be judging technical ability alone. Judges will use the following criteria to make their decisions on the winning film:

Theme: the theme of climate change/environmental issues has been used well.
Idea/Subject: the idea/subject is engaging/interesting and captures an audience's attention.
Argument: the filmmaker shows strength in structure/argumentation to support their idea/subject.
Look: the use of camera, movement, and lighting support the film well.
Sound: the music, sound effects and dialogue are clear and strengthen the subject/argument.

And if you're having difficulty finding a good way to discuss the topic of climate change then we recommend using a connected theme, for example:

Recycling and circular economy: reducing waste, reusing materials and cutting our dependency on natural resources
Zero Carbon Economy: how today's industries can go emission-free in the next 30 years.
Mental wellbeing: how can we make small changes to our daily routine that can benefit our mental wellbeing and the wellbeing of those around us, as well as making a positive impact on reducing climate change/pollution?
Individual Connection: how we can make personal contributions to protect nature and our planet.
Water: the importance of clean water, and the right to access clean water
Gender: women/girls are more susceptible to climate change because of social barriers.

10 films will be selected for online showcasing by the British Council and Into Film. These will go on to a public social media vote and the select films will receive:

An upcycled trophy featuring Camera Head, the Camera Sika mascot
Grants to work with a film professional to refine your submission or to make a new film
Multiple screening opportunities for audiences in the UK and Nepal

The closing date is 23:59 on Tuesday 20th July 2021. No entries will be accepted after this date.
All films submitted must less than five minutes long (including credits). Films longer than five minutes will not be considered as part of the competition.
Competitions are run by Film Nation UK Ltd of 31 Islington Green, Islington, London N1 8DU. All entrants must be residents of Nepal.
The competition is open to children and young people aged 5-18. All entrants under 18 must have gained the consent of a parent/carer/guardian to enter the competition. All entries from children and young people under 18 must be submitted by a parent/carer/guardian.
All personal data provided when submitting the film will be used only to contact winning entrants, unless the entrant has given communications consent. Personal data will be deleted within six months of the competition closing.
This competition is not open to employees of Into Film or members of their immediate families or agents and anyone else connected with the promotion.
Winners will be notified by phone, e-mail or post and their first name will be published on the Into Film website.
The judges' decision will be final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
No part of any prize is exchangeable for cash or any other prize.
Prizes will be delivered by British Council Nepal. Into Film cannot guarantee delivery time.
Into Film will not be held liable for any injury sustained as a result of filming content for this competition.
Into Film reserves the right to disqualify any entrant it has reasonable grounds to believe has breached any of the rules of the competition.
In all cases, the entrant will be bound by the competition Terms and Conditions and Into Film's Privacy Policy as detailed on the Into Film website.
Please ensure you adhere to current COVID-19 government guidelines where you are if leaving your home to film content.

The person submitting content must represent, warrant and agree that they are the owner of all the rights in the content.
The person submitting content must guarantee that it will not: be defamatory, abusive or offensive; infringe the copyright, moral right, performing rights, rights of privacy, trade mark or other proprietary right of  any third party; constitute a misuse of any confidential information of a third party, advertise, promote or endorse any products or services, adversely affect the reputation of Into Film.
The person submitting the content must guarantee that all individuals appearing in the film will have given their written consent to do so. Participants in the film who aged under 18 will have written consent from their parent/carer/guardian to appear.
The person submitting the content must guarantee that any necessary consent, waiver, clearance, licence or approval required for Into Film to make use of the content has been obtained and that any fees or payments relating thereto have been paid; and you have not entered into, nor will you enter into, any agreement or arrangement which could conflict with your obligations to Into Film under these terms and conditions.
Any music, video or still images used in the film should be cleared for use by the copyright holder or be copyright free.
You must NOT feature the surnames of any young people under the age of 18, anywhere in the film, including the titles and credits. Into Film are committed to the protection and safety of young people, and the addition of surnames in your films can compromise this. If surnames are included in your film, your entry may be disqualified.