Call for Tenders: Filmmakers to Co-create Stories with Farmers through Participatory Video

The French National Institute of Research for Development (Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, IRD) is a scientific institution addressing major development challenges and is internationally recognized for its multidisciplinary research. It operates under the dual supervision of the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation and the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. For over 75 years, IRD has conducted original research, provided expertise, and supported training and knowledge sharing to benefit regions and countries that view science and innovation as key drivers of development. This position will be based in the UMMISCO research unit and hosted by the IRD/TLU ACROSS Joint Laboratory.

The STAR-FARM Project, coordinated by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and funded by the EU Delegation in Vietnam under the DeSIRA program, is a four-year initiative aimed at promoting more sustainable agri-food systems in the Mekong Delta. Implemented in partnership with several organizations, including IRD, the project focuses on supporting the most vulnerable groups by encouraging the adoption of agroecological practices at both small and large scales. It explores the impacts of these practices on soil health, value chains, and carbon emissions. By strengthening capacity in key agroecological innovations (KAEIs), business development, green finance, and sustainable standards, STAR-FARM empowers farmers and entrepreneurs to enhance their skills in sustainable agriculture and agribusiness development.

Activity 2.1.2 aims to identify and address the specific constraints faced by women and youth in adopting knowledge-based agro-ecological innovations (KAEIs), recognizing young people as the future agricultural workforce and women as critical yet often constrained actors in farming systems. Through participatory research and dialogue, the activity will support inclusive reflection on gender, age, and social justice issues, contribute to the rethinking of existing farming systems, and foster a multi-level participatory approach to co-design and promote agro-ecological innovations adapted to the needs and capacities of women, ethnic minority, and youth.

Timeline: April – September 2026

Locations: 2 sites – Đồng Tháp (rice – lotus/triple-crop rice models in Thap Muoi, Mango in Cao Lanh)

Participants: farmers

Number of filmmaker teams: 1-2 teams

We invite professional documentary filmmakers to join a participatory video process in the Mekong Delta, co-creating stories with farmers. 

The aim is to empower farmers to tell their own stories using smartphones, supported by filmmakers who bring artistic vision, training capacity, and collaborative editing expertise.

Filmmakers will work together with farmers, with each other, and with researchers, forming a shared creative process that strengthens local voice, artistic quality, and research insights.

Filmmakers are expected to:

• Logistics support (travel, accommodation, field coordination)
• Access to farmers, communities, and research team
• Honorarium – to be proposed by the filmmaker teams in their application

• Experience in documentary / community-based filmmaking
• Knowledge and experience with the Vietnamese Mekong Delta is a plus
• Ability to facilitate training for non-professionals
• Strong interpersonal and intercultural communication, including ability to speak Vietnamese
• Interest in agriculture, rural transformation, or social justice themes
• Willingness to collaborate across teams
• Openness to co-creation in filmmaking

• Portfolio with link to at least one film for reference
• Profiles of team members
• Proposed approach/methodology and proposed timeline (1–2 pages)
• Quotation

Please send the required documents before 28 February 2026 to Ms. Huynh Linh, IRD Researcher, huynhtplinh@gmail.com or linh.huynh-thi-phuong@ird.fr, and cc Ms. Nguyen Ly, IRD Research Assistant, at thi-ly-ly.nguyen@ird.fr 

Due to the expected volume of applications, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. We sincerely thank all filmmakers for your interest and for taking the time to send in your quotations.