Creative Starter

The starter is the only document in which representatives of the Partner brand will be outlining their vision for the film—usually boiled down to a single tagline or catchphrase to be freely interpreted by the contestants. The creative starters also include so-called dos and don'ts, that is things to keep in mind when developing ideas for a given brand. 

Creative Starters can be found in the Contestant Panel. To read them, log in to your account on the platform (which will be made available on January 31, the day the contest kicks off). 

In this edition, films will be made for the following brands: AGH, Amica, DPD, Modivo, Philips OneBlade, Porsche, Żabka. For more info on creative starters, check out our podcast series on Spotify, featuring conversations with brand representatives and more. 

Idea

After reading through all the creative starters, try to pick one that appeals to you the most and then use it to develop your own original idea for a film. You can use more than one starter to submit more than one idea—please note, however, that we are limiting the submissions to 3 treatments per each category. The contest looks for original ideas and interpretations that flesh out the vision outlined in the creative starter or offer a different perspective on the included tagline. The ideas can draw on different storytelling forms, be it documentary, mockumentary, or animation, and use a broad range of formats—let your creativity loose. Bring your best, most original idea and tell us how you plan on adapting it into film form. 

The idea should be outlined in the form of an treatment. Treatment templates for each category can be found in the Contestant Panel. You can also submit your version of the document, but remember to add the specific elements included in the template to your finished work. 

Production

Contestants or duos that make it to the finals will have the opportunity to make their ideas a reality. The timeframe is rather narrow—the finalists will have less than seven weeks to produce their films. To help them along the way, they will be provided a budget of 18,000 PLN (if they are producing a film outside Poland – 19,800 PLN), alongside mentoring and production support. 

Try to keep this stage in mind already when crafting your idea, as it will be have to be feasible from a production standpoint. When working on your submission, try to think not only about the plot of your film, but also how you will bring that story to life. 

You don’t have to have all the answers, however. Semi-finalists and finalists can count on the advice and expertise of the mentors and the jury. While the finished film does not have to faithfully mirror the submitted explication or treatment, the latter should offer a  take on the brand that is unique enough to make it through selection and on to the next stage of the contest.

Prizes and Further Life of Competition Films

The films produced for the ninth edition of the Papaya Young Creators competition will premiere in June 2022. A couple of days later, an award gala will be held, at which we will reveal the winner of Best Film in the Branded Stories category. Category contestants will also be eligible for individual honors and Partner Prizes, while persons involved in the production of the films will be eligible for Individual Prizes. 

Reaching the finals of the Papaya Young Creators competition will give the contestants the opportunity to speak to a much broader audience. Main Partners supporting the initiative may use the films created for them for the next twelve months on the Internet. Furthermore, the films may be submitted to other festivals and contests, by both the competition staff and the filmmakers themselves.