A team film-making competition in which a crew researches a real subject and presents it as a short factual film built on interviews, observation and evidence.
Film – Documentary is non-fiction film-making. A crew chooses a real person, place, practice or issue, finds out what is true about it, and tells that story on screen using interviews, observed footage, archive material and a clear line of narration or captions. Unlike a staged story film, nothing is invented: the strength of the piece rests on what the team actually found and how honestly it is shown.
In eTalenter’s Kenya schools drama festival template it is a Team entry open to both genders, offered in all five age groups from Pre-Primary through Primary, Junior School and Secondary to Tertiary, marked out of 100 and set in English. The template sets no running-time limit, and the Evidence only prints a full marking scheme for Play, so organisers decide how documentaries are weighted and how long they may run.
A typical entry begins with a question rather than a script: what do we want the audience to understand when the film ends? The crew then researches the subject, arranges permission and interviews, plans the shots that will show rather than merely tell, and records sound carefully, since voices carry a documentary. In the edit the footage is shaped into an opening, a developing middle and a closing thought, with captions or narration linking the parts.
Organisers add it because it teaches research, interviewing and fair reporting alongside camera and editing skills, and it gives schools a way to record local life. It sits in the film strand beside screen narrative, which is led by a storyteller, and the advert, which sets out to persuade, whereas the documentary sets out to inform.
Where Film – Documentary is run
In eTalenter’s data this item appears only on the Kenya schools drama festival template, where it is the fifth item of a six-item film strand, scored as a Team item out of 100 in each of five age groups. This page makes no claim beyond that template.
- Kenya
Key facts
- Team entry, open to both genders
- Five age groups: Pre-Primary, Primary, Junior School, Secondary and Tertiary
- Marked out of 100 on the template; no documentary breakdown is printed in the source, so organisers set it
- No running-time limit is set on the template, so publish your own maximum
- English is the template language
- Submitted as a finished film and screened to the panel, not performed live
- Factual by design: distinct from Screen Narrative (story-led) and the advert (persuasion-led)
On eTalenter, Film – Documentary is filed under Off Stage and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Film – Documentary is most often entered as an Team competition, typically scored out of 100.
What judges look at in Film – Documentary
What a Film – Documentary panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Choice and focus of subject: a real topic narrow enough to cover well in the time allowed
- Research and accuracy: facts that are checked, sources that are named and claims the evidence supports
- Interviews and voices: relevant people who are asked clear questions and heard without being cut off or led
- Structure: an opening that sets the question, a middle that builds understanding and an ending that lands
- Picture and sound quality: steady, well-framed shots and speech that can be heard clearly over any music
- Fairness and respect: balanced treatment of the subject and consent from the people filmed
- Fit to the brief: running time, format, language and any theme or content rules set by the organiser
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Film – Documentary under Scoring Setup, or start from the judging and scoring guide.
How to prepare for Film – Documentary
How entrants and their teachers usually get Film – Documentary right on the day:
- Pick a subject close to the crew, such as a local trade, landmark, tradition or school project, where access and permission are easy
- Write the central question in one sentence and test every planned shot against it
- Research before filming: read, ask, and list the facts you will need to show, then plan who to interview
- Prepare interview questions that need more than a yes or no answer, and ask permission in advance, with a guardian’s consent for younger participants
- Record sound first in mind: a quiet place, the microphone close to the speaker and a check of playback before leaving
- Gather cut-away footage of hands, places and details so that talking heads do not run on without relief
- Edit down hard: keep the strongest answers, add captions for names and places, and drop anything that does not serve the question
- Export in the format and by the deadline the organiser gives, and test the file on another device before handing it in
Ready-made event templates that include Film – Documentary
Open any template to preview it in eTalenter and install it as a live, editable event.
| Template | Category | Score label | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya National Drama and Film Festival | Off Stage | Marks | 5 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Film – Documentary judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Team entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
What is the difference between Film – Documentary and Film – Screen Narrative?
A documentary reports on something real, using interviews and observed footage. Screen Narrative is led by a storyteller’s voice. The Kenya template lists them as separate items, so each is judged for its own purpose.
Is Film – Documentary an individual or team entry?
On the Kenya schools drama festival template it is a Team item, offered to both genders in all five age groups.
Can we use archive photos or clips from other sources?
The template does not restrict sources, so the organiser should state the rule. Teams should credit any material they did not make and check they may use it.
How long can the documentary be?
The template sets no time limit, so the organiser should announce a maximum running time and teams should finish comfortably inside it.
Want the full judging picture? Read the judging and scoring guide, or browse every off stage competition item.
Try Film – Documentary in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Film – Documentary, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
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