Museo Reina Sofía, Doclisboa and FIDMarseille present a new call of the residency program Joaquim Jordà oriented to filmmakers and artists in the field of cinema-essay, experimental film and all the other expressions of non-fiction film. Unique among film residencies, this program brings together a museum and two international film festivals to support all the different phases of creation, from the conception to the materialization of an audiovisual piece. The objective of the program is to encourage the development of film projects in the realm of non-fiction film, facilitating access to funding for their execution and the creation of international networks. The research and development of the project take place during the residency in Madrid, the contacts with producers, fundraisers, and distributors during the period in Marseille, and the networking with filmmakers, artists, and programmers during the period in Lisbon. The objective of the residency is to conceive as well as to produce new film works.

The program is named to honor Joaquim Jordà (1935-2006), author of original and emblematic work in non-fiction film, whose personal trajectory spans the three institutions and three countries that have come together to establish this program. A Spanish filmmaker with a National Cinematography Award (2006), his work forms a part of Museo Reina Sofia’s collection. The final retrospective during his lifetime was held at FIDMarseille (2006), while his early work addresses the resistance to the dictatorship in Portugal (Portogallo, paese tranquilo, 1969). Jordà hewed a path of non-conformity and political commitment within the field of creative documentary, characterized by the use of profoundly experimental theatrical strategies and the staging of narratives. This call for applicants seeks to recover his legacy and confirm its place in the genealogy of contemporary non-fiction film.

This call participates of the aim of evolving the contemporary art museum into a more permeable organization that takes care of artists and researchers in a transversal sense, across different disciplines and in different phases of creative work. It is also essential that this new institution be in dialogue with other cultural organizations and spaces of different scales and geographies, whether these be museums, festivals or autonomous organization, in order to establish bonds and a sense of kinship within a new circuit.

The Joaquim Jordà grants are established with these ideas and goals. It is a program of residency at Museo Reina Sofía, requiring a specific period of presence in Madrid, and is complemented by two of the most prestigious and internationally renowned film festivals: FIDMarseille and Doclisboa. The grantees —two per year— will also be invited to participate in FIDLab and Doclisboa. The FIDLab is a space in which to pitch projects to funders, producers, and distributors held annually in early July at FIDMarseille. The awarded projects will be automatically considered by the independent jury of FIDLAB. If they are not among the selected projects, the grantees will benefit from all the professional opportunities offered by the platform.

Additionally, Doclisboa will make a special selection from among those invited to the festival, which takes place in the second half of October in Lisbon, allowing the grantees to build international networks.

The total value of the grant is 9000 € (nine thousand euros), to be paid in two wire transfers to each grantee at the beginning and conclusion of the selection process. This sum includes the expenses for travel and lodging in Madrid. Travel and lodging expenses in Lisbon and Marseille will be paid for by the convening institutions, always within a European distance or similar.