Jorge Camarotti
Artistic director and program leader
INVISIBLE VOICES
The program
SUPPORTED BY THE PHI RESIDENCIES
Invisible Voices is a three-day intensive program, with a final evening of presentations that will grant 4 to 6 Montréal-based creators and storytellers from the African diaspora the opportunity to benefit from master classes and mentoring sessions, all presented at the PHI Centre. This professional development program will allow participants to learn and exchange on a variety of themes, including innovative storytelling, sound and audio effects, filmmaking and its obstacles, distribution and festivals, financing and grants, and more.
Directed by Jorge Camarotti, the program takes an intersectional approach, focusing on the dynamics that shape under-represented communities and their impacts on creative storytelling, production and distribution.
This goal of the program is to create a space for students, partners, innovators, storytellers, and subject-matter-experts to collaborate; with the hopes of expanding and amplifying the intersections of art, culture and society within local Black communities.
To apply
Deadline to submit an application:
June 2, 2024 at 11:59 PM EDT
Please refer to the "Frequently Asked Questions" section below for detailed information about the selection process, criteria, and the specifics of the program.
Program Mentors
A full list of the program's mentors will be revealed shortly.
Born into a working-class family in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Jorge Camarotti is an award-winning Afro-Brazilian filmmaker based in Montreal since 2003. Since his beginnings in filmmaking, Jorge has directed more than a dozen short films, both documentary and fiction, remaining true to his mission of giving voice to the most aggrieved individuals in our society.
His most recent project Ousmane had its world premiere at TIFF 2021, followed by an international premiere at the prestigious Clermont-Ferrand film festival. Oscar-nominated director Fernando Meirelles, City of God, joined Ousmane as executive producer and the film was acquired by the New Yorker Magazine for North American distribution. Ousmane has been screened in more than 60 festivals around the world so far.
Variety and Hollywood Reporter magazines put Ousmane in their top ten best films list of 2022. The film was long-listed for the 2023 Oscars® and won 15 awards including two Academy® Awards Qualifying Festivals, a nomination for Best Live-Action Film at the 2022 Canadian Screen Awards and a Vimeo Staff Pick Best of the Year award.
For the last three years, Jorge has been acting as a screenwriting mentor and artistic director, for underrepresented groups, for NETFLIX’s Being Black in Canada program. With the support of Telefilm Canada, Jorge is now working on his debut feature film, Edith, which was selected for development at the highly regarded TIFF Labs in 2021.
Invisible Voices 2024 Program
PROGRAM AND SCHEDULE OVERVIEW
Location: PHI Centre, Montréal, Canada
Program duration: 3 full days and 1 final evening
The Invisible Voices program, directed by Jorge Camarotti, consists of several master classes and mentoring sessions given by experts in their fields on various topics related to storytelling, including:
Day 1:
Saturday, August 10, 2024 - 9 AM to 6 PM
Screenwriting
This workshop will provide advice on navigating the complexities of the entertainment industry, offer participants constructive feedback on their project and support in developing their art and honing their voice.
Innovative storytelling
Participants will explore in this workshop cutting-edge, experimental techniques and narrative structures that challenge traditional storytelling paradigms, using emerging technologies to push boundaries and amplify different voices.
Day 2:
Saturday, August 17, 2024 - 9 AM to 6 PM
Sound and sound effects
A journey of creative discovery to learn how to harness the power of sound to evoke emotions, create immersive soundscapes and atmospheres, and enhance the narrative depth of participants' stories.
Directing and its obstacles
This workshop will provide participants with practical tools and advice in an overview of the creative process, filmmaking techniques and the importance of representation in storytelling, while addressing the specific challenges faced by participants.
Day 3:
Saturday, August 24, 2024 - 9 AM to 6 PM
Distribution and festivals
This masterclass provides participants with strategies, information and advice on how to market and distribute their projects. This step aims to demystify the distribution process and equip participants with the knowledge and relationships to present their work on a global stage.
Financing and grants
A dynamic workshop to provide participants with the essential knowledge and skills needed to secure funding and grants for their creative projects.
Final Evening:
Tuesday, September 17, 2024 - 6 PM
Presentation by the participants of their project's post-program development.
Frequently Asked Questions
Black Afro-descendant creators and storytellers in the Greater Montréal area;
People who have produced at least one previous professional work in film and/or visual storytelling.
4 to 6 participants will be selected to take part in the program.
The program consists of 3 day, in-person sessions, plus an evening of final presentations.
The final evening of the program includes a final presentation by the artists of their projects, followed by a discussion led by Jorge Camarotti on the outcomes of the program.
There is no application fee.
The selection process will be carried out by a committee external to PHI, made up of program director Jorge Camarotti and experts representing a diversity of expertise, experience and perspectives.
Clarity, vision and scope of the approach and project presented (50%);
Previous work and portfolio (25%);
Motivation to participate in the program (25%).
PHI is a cultural infrastructure dedicated to supporting contemporary art and artists probing the key agenda of our times, and facilitating access between them and the public. Composed of three entities — PHI Studio, PHI Foundation, and PHI Centre — PHI is guided by values that include generosity, rigour, the importance of community, and devotes itself to the innovation and evolution of cultural experiences that both challenge and delight.
To reiterate its commitment to supporting local artistic communities, and to help shape the art of tomorrow, PHI offers three artistic residency programs annually: North, Montréal and Immersive. Although each residency meets different artists’ needs, our common mission is to provide our artists in residence with the tools, support, and impetus they need to expand the scope of their practice and take it to the next level.
Discussion in conjunction
with the program
Centre
Inclusion and diversity revisited through storytelling
May 14
A discussion on how inclusion can build bridges without boxing us in, featuring Jorge Camarotti, Émilie Nicolas, Preach and Miryam Charles as panelists
Discussion
Cultural Mediation
Centre
Inclusion and diversity revisited through storytelling
May 14
A discussion on how inclusion can build bridges without boxing us in, featuring Jorge Camarotti, Émilie Nicolas, Preach and Miryam Charles as panelists
Discussion
Cultural Mediation