Meanwhile, in the other SAR ... Amateur filmmakers interested in producing their own documentaries will have the chance to show off their skills in a competition. The Local Docu Power 2008, which is run by the Macau Cultural Centre, has a student category. The deadline for submissions is May 15. Entrants take part in a series of workshops during phase one of the project, looking at everything from storyboards to technical advice on filming. A spokesman for the Cultural Centre says that promoting local filmmaking talent is extremely important, adding that the competition is one way for Macau to help its people to get started on their careers. Following the workshops, entrants submit a five-minute demo and finalists are chosen to advance to the next round. They then submit another five-minute documentary based on a given theme and production plan. The films are judged by a panel of professional documentary filmmakers based on their creativity, originality, expression and flexibility of production. Those selected advance to the finals and produce a documentary to be screened in the Macau Indies section of the Macau International Film and Video Festival. Student filmmakers receive 10,000 patacas to produce the documentary. This year, 16-year-old Wong Hon-hang was a finalist and his film Voice of Pedicab was screened under the Macau Indies category. The Huo Kong School student has produced several films and worked as a cameraman at the East Asian Indoor Games earlier this year. His documentary looked at the rapid change in Macau and related it to the decline in the use of pedicabs.
