Submission of a project to Atelier Graphoui’s Selection
Atelier Graphoui’s objective is to host and help young authors, filmmakers, artists and producers in the realization of their film. We support original artwork that is based on research and experimentation. We pay special attention to projects that are breaking the boundaries of the medium and mixing genres. In order to better understand our sensibilities and artistic approaches, consult our online film catalogue and ongoing projects.
Atelier Graphoui commits to support each project, with all its uncertainties and early failures. We are present from the beginning and will continue through the maturation process, and until its finalization. Contact us as early as possible on the project. Before submitting any project, you can get in touch with the production manager. At that point, our objective is to anticipate the number of applications we will examine, and to redirect the requests that don’t fit in to our structure as soon as possible.
CONTACT : Ellen Meiresonne – em (at) graphoui.org
CALENDAR : Next Submission end 2025
SELECTION METHOD :
Atelier Graphoui preselects 15 dossiers for the final selection. Project manager will be notified by email of their preselection.
Then, a rapporteur will contact the authors of the 15 selected projects to clarify the “grey areas”.
The Atelier Graphoui’s Selection then will make its decision.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
– The author(s) must reside in Belgium.
– Priority will be given to first or second films
– Creations including moving images in a cross-genre approach and with a hold on the real world will be given priority: documentaries with animated sequences in their broadest sense, animated short films, experimental films (no fictions in the narrower sense)
– As part of our residency program in partnership with Africalia, Afro-descendant authors can also apply for an artistic residency, in partnership with an African audiovisual artist. In this case, please add a one-page maximum motivation if you think you’re eligible (see also the call for residencies for African artists).
MODALITIES OF THE FINAL DEPOSIT (COMPLETE DOSSIER)
The Atelier Graphoui holds a Selection panel to analyze and select from the different requests for support. What is important is to give us a preview of your project.
Your request shall be presented as a dossier of maximum 10 pages including:
– Your specific request adressed to Atelier Graphoui ;
– A short summary of the project (1page maximum) ;
– A letter of intention explaining the personal motivation (what is the connection between the author and his/her project and his/her point of view) ;
– A memo presenting the intentions in terms of form with regard to the content of the project ;
– A memo on the project feasibility (agenda, modalities, process, planned collaborators and partners, potential funding …);
– The author and producer’s CV…
Any other additional information, which is optional, and shall not exceed 12 pages:
– An explanation about the continuity or the structure, in the form of a text, a way to tackle the topic, a scenario, a storyboard, a spotting reporting, …;
– Various documents illustrating the project (rushes, sketches, pictures, previous films…)
The inclusion of the project on the Selection panel’s agenda will be effective immediately after reception :
– 1 digitized version (.pdf) at the following address: projet (at) graphoui.org
– 2 printed copies (addressed to the Atelier Graphoui : 114, Boulevard Emile Bockstael – 1020 – Bruxelles – Belgique)
Call for projects aimed at African artists (Residencies)
Call for projects for a 1-3 month residency in Brussels for short film projects combining a documentary approach with an animation technique.
Next application deadline : between June 15 and September 14, 2025
Before submitting, please contact the production manager for pre-registration : Ellen Meiresonne – em (at) graphoui.org
Atelier Graphoui (based in Brussels, Belgium) is an audiovisual laboratory open to experimentation and research, welcoming and supporting filmmakers who claim a singular cinematographic language on the edge of genres and forms.
Since the 1990s, Atelier Graphoui has collaborated with partners and artists from the African continent active in the fields of visual arts, cinema and video. Since 2016, Atelier Graphoui has been one of seven Belgian cultural operators partnering Africalia. As part of this collaboration, we welcome 1 sub-Saharan African artist in residence each year.
These residencies involve the provision of working space and appropriate equipment for each stage of production, as well as individual support for the project. Costs associated with a stay in Belgium, including airfare, visa and other residency-related expenses, are covered by the grant.
3 POSSIBLE WORKING STEPS
1. Development, research and writing :
During a residency of up to 1 month, we can accompany you in a writing project. Starting from an idea and a strong intention, we propose to develop the script through writing workshops, while experimenting with animation techniques.
2. Filming – Animation studio :
During a residency of up to 3 months, we will work with you to develop an animated language (cf. showreel below) and help you draw up the animated shots required for your film project, as well as shooting any documentary shots that can be produced in Belgium.
3. Post-production (editing, sound editing, mixing) :
During a residency of up to 2 months, we’ll do everything we can to finalize your film project as far as possible, based on the rushes and ideas in your suitcases.
CRITERIAS
– The author(s) must be resident in sub-Saharan Africa and have a video or visual arts practice that they wish to set in motion.
– Submit a short film project (max. 20 min.) based on a documentary view of the world around us, including one or more animated sequences (all techniques included).
– Be of legal age, able to obtain a visa subject to a letter of invitation, and able to travel alone.
– Choose the stage of work (see working steps above) that will be the subject of the residency.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
The most important thing is to give us an idea of your project and your relationship with the subject (what you want to explore, using which works or practices for visual artists).
The application must include :
– The online application form (available from June 15, 2025)
– A video presentation between 5 and 8 min maximum, to be sent to project (at) graphoui.org or via a link to YouTube, Dailymotion or other platforms. Explain who you are and your project. Explain concretely how you think our workshop could be useful to you, and present your formal intentions with regard to the project’s content (how the style and form of the project will be). Do this in a brief, summarized form (pitch).
– Appendices, to be sent to project (at) graphoui.org. Various documents illustrating the project: script, storyboard, location scouting report, mood board, rushes, drawings, photos… + the author’s CV (and the producer’s CV if there is one).
In preparation for your application, consult our film catalog and current projects to gain a better understanding of our sensibilities and artistic approaches.
Links : Catalog / Info on Africalia
SELECTION METHOD
Atelier Graphoui pre-selects 5 submissions for the reading committee. The authors will be notified by e-mail of their pre-selection.
A rapporteur then contacts the authors of the 5 selected projects to clarify any unclear points.
The reading committee then gives its final opinion.
SHOWREEL
Labs & Residency at the Atelier
By « laboratory » we intend to set up an experimentation space which opens possibilities. This space offers to those interested the occasion to test and exchange the results of their processes.
We mean productions likely to associate different forms of moving pictures : real pictures, drawings, collage, abstraction, numerical experimentation… Various supports and mechanisms can be considered in accordance with the nature of the project : projection in a room or outdoors, installation within the framework of exhibitions, analog or film projections, web or interactive forms… These multiple approaches shall rely on an artistic approach rooted in the real world or an experience on the ground. They will unfold over time by articulating practice and thought around a central question or a starting theme.
More information on our “Labs” page : www.graphoui.org/labos (FR)
Within this framework, we can offer :
– A residency based on the projects’ needs and the time necessary for research
– A working space in the Atelier Graphoui animation studio
– The equipment necessary for the research period
– Moments of guidance with Atelier Graphoui team
– Punctual meetings with other resident artists
– Periods of collective workshops
– Documentation material (video and book libraries)
