CAMDEN — The Camden International Film Festival (CIFF) has partnered with AJ+, the new digital platform from Al Jazeera Media Network that commissions original, innovative and engaging short documentaries from journalists and filmmakers around the world.

AJ+ in association with the Camden International Film Festival will select five independent filmmakers who will be given the chance to pitch their short documentary concepts and works-in-progress to a panel of filmmakers and industry leaders at this year's CIFF. Based on the pitch, AJ+ will commission up to five projects at up to $10,000 per project. Submissions for this opportunity are now open through Monday, Aug. 25 at midnight PST.

All selected filmmakers will be provided with an All Access pass to CIFF (September 25-28, 2014) and a stipend to support both travel and accommodations during the festival. This opportunity is for stories driven by strong characters, compelling voices, and unique insights into events and issues that may be local but resonate with our connected and globally-minded audience. Pieces must be current, but not necessarily driven by current affairs.

This is the channel's first-ever live pitch session. Original short film ideas and projects that look to the future are requested of the submitting artists.  Filmmakers are asked for short documentary films that engage with one of the following questions:

What are the emergent cultural, political, or technological trends that are shaping our lives in surprising ways? How are individuals or communities responding to crises that threaten their future in unexpected ways? What does 'sustainability' look like?

Pitches will be accepted from filmmakers of all nationalities. They may be drawn from feature-length documentary projects, although concepts that work as a standalone short film are preferred. Films that have already been completed or released online are not eligible for the pitch.

Following the success of last year's The New York Times Op Docs live pitch at CIFF, the first of its kind in North America, the festival continues to cultivate new opportunities for documentary filmmakers in both feature and short content through their Points North Documentary Forum, which runs concurrently to the festival and recently expanded with their own Points North Fellowship, whose 2014 fellows will be announced September 2.

The fee for submission is $25, and the deadline is Monday, Aug. 25 at 12 midnight PST.

http://camdenfilmfest.org/pointsnorth

For more information about Al Jazeera's AJ+ visit http://plus.aljazeera.com/

About the Camden International Film Festival:

The Camden International Film Festival (CIFF) is New England's most respected documentary film festival, and recognized as one of the top 12 documentary festivals in the world. Established in 2005, each year CIFF highlights work that shows a dedication and commitment to the craft behind nonfiction storytelling, showcasing over 80 films from around the globe. CIFF is one of only 14 qualifying festivals for the annual Cinema Eye Honors for Non-Fiction Filmmaking and also hosts the Points North Documentary Forum, a career-making platform dedicated to providing emerging and established documentarians with opportunities for professional development and inspiration. Participants in this forum have included HBO, BBC, Participant Media, PBS, The Tribeca Film Institute and the Sundance Institute among others.

The 10th Camden International Film Festival will take place September 25 - 28,  in Camden, Rockport and Rockland. This year's program will be announced in early September 2014. Passes are now on sale, at an early bird discount with All Access Passes at $150 and Festival Passes at $75 through Friday, Aug. 15 and then available at full price, $175 for All Access Pass and $85 for Festival Pass through the festival weekend. The Camden International Film Festival is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, The Fledgling Fund, the Unity Foundation, and Vimeo. For more information, visit www.camdenfilmfest.org.