DUSHANBE, February 26, Asia-Plus — Project applications from Tajikistan’s state-run and non-government TV companies for participation in TV Co-Ops competition in 2008 are accepted by the US Embassy in Dushanbe.
Ms. Nigina Aliyeva, Press Assistant at the US Embassy, told Asia-Plus that the TV program Co-Ops gives TV companies an opportunity to send their survey squads to the United States for a two-week period to shoot documentaries on jointly selected themes about life in America.
According to her, the priority themes of this year’s competition will be development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), tourism, supremacy of law (fight against corruption, human trafficking, drug trafficking, etc), development of agriculture, alternate energy resources, life of Muslins in America, environmental protection issues and other typical American stories.
“The winner will receive funding from the US Department of State for defrayal of expenses connected with the two-week stay of survey squads in America, including travel expenses inside the country, hotel accommodation, temporary health insurance, per diem expenses, and film-shooting contingencies,” said Ms. Aliyeva. “Expenses on travel to the United States and back are paid by survey squad on its own.”
Under the program the survey squad should prepare one or several documentaries as well as a series of sketches about American life shot during the trip.
The survey squad should shoot its own material, mount it and air on its channel in primetime.
“The survey squad should include not more than three persons; one of them should speak English fluently,” said the press assistant, “The squad should also have its own equipment, including Betacam SP or DVC PRO or similar professional video camera, mount pillar, and sound-recording equipment.”
The applications for participation in the competition should be submitted to the US Embassy in Dushanbe in Russian, Tajik and English languages not alter than March 20.
