A group of aspiring Chinese documentary filmmakers got a boost on yesterday (December 6th) when Discovery Networks Asia announced that their proposals would be made into films and broadcast on the Discovery Channel next year.

The winners will receive training and technical advice from the network's producers as they put together their half-hour films.

Discovery Networks Asia announced the six winners yesterday to coincide with the opening of the China (Guangzhou) International Documentary Festival (GZDOC) in Guangzhou.

The aspiring filmmakers had submitted their proposals to Discovery Networks Asia's First Time Film-Makers (FTFM) initiative, a training programme that seeks to develop the country's budding documentary film industry.

The network launched FTFM in 2003. The programme provides Chinese filmmakers with opportunities to gain professional experience while working alongside the network's producers.

The winning proposals were picked from a group of 12 submissions that had been short-listed from over 400 entries. The theme of this year's competition was "Portraits China." With financial and training support from the Discovery Channel, the winning proposals will be produced into half-hour documentary films within the next six months.

The films will premiere on the Discovery Channel across the Asia-Pacific region to more than 114.5 million households later next year, said Li Jinyuan, Chairman of the GZDOC.

"Good proposals are of great importance to the development of China's documentary industry, which is still in its infant stages," Li said.

With support from the Discovery Channel, particularly in terms of training, more talented documentary filmmakers should emerge, Li said in an interview with China Daily yesterday.

"We hope that the FTFM initiative and the GZDOC will lead to more opportunities for Chinese documentary directors in the international market," Li said.

Zhang Fang, the vice-president of Discovery Networks Asia and the general manager of Discovery China operations, said Chinese filmmakers would provide a unique perspective on modern China.

"The initiative is an important platform for showcasing the talent of Chinese filmmakers. It is also like a window onto China's development," Zhang said.

The goal of the FTFM is to present a real picture of modern China to the Discovery Channel's 317 million viewers worldwide, said Zhang.

Editor: Donald