CALL FOR ENTRIES: International Pitching Training and Producers Workshop

 CALL FOR ENTRIES 

PITCH IT

International Pitching Training and Producers Workshop, organized by the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg and the Goethe-Institut.

Who can patricipate?

This workshop is designed to give an International Platform for emerging directors, writers, and producers who are based in the Republic of Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, the Republic of Serbia, and the Slovak Republic. Each country will be represented within the project.

8 selected projects (maximum 2 participants per project) in the fields of, documentary, fiction and experimental long format (minimum 60 minutes) film-projects, will get the opportunity to further develop their skills and their stories for the pitching in intense training sessions. At the end of the workshop, they will present their projects to members of international film festivals and film funders during a Pitching Event on the 15th of February 2024 at Goethe-Institut Berlin while the first day of the International Film Festival Berlin (Berlinale) 2024. This will be followed by one-on-one sessions with industry representatives, where participants will get the opportunity to connect with producers and distributors, and work on their future careers in the film industry.

Shape your skills in online and offline trainings

In the scope of the online- and on-site workshops, participants will improve their knowledge and skills in some of the most relevant topics for young filmmakers, such as production and marketing, green shooting, or diversity management. Furthermore, while pitching training the participants will work to improve their skills in pitching convincingly, effectively- both, online and offline.

In addition to the pitching training, there will be an intensive, 5-day workshop on producing, addressing the questions: how to sell projects to international buyers, how to develop effective packaging strategies for films, and which skills are essential to place films successfully in festivals and on international markets.

Meet the Industry

Part of the workshop will also be a networking event at one of the most prestigious festivals and industry events for coproductions with the focus on Central and Eastern Europe: Cottbus Film Festival & Connecting Cottbus (coco). Participants will not only have the chance to be part of one of the most interesting, uprising film markets on the continent, but will also get the opportunity to speak directly to industry professionals and festival organizers.

Pitching Event live while International Film Festival Berlin (Berlinale) 2024

The workshop will conclude in 2024, on-site, in the Goethe-Institut Berlin while the first day of Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), where Participants will present their projects to a prestigious international jury consisting of experts from film festivals like IDFA, Locarno, Sundance and Berlinale, Streamers like NETFLIX and successful distributers like BETA Film and Deckert Distribution.

Schedule

Costs (estimate)

Travel and Travel-Cost must be managed by the participants.

Grants are available, provided Goethe-Institut. If accepted in the program, you are eligible to apply. Connecting Cottbus and Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival are offering discounted accommodation and accreditation options

Mentors (Selection)

• Sibylle Kurz (GER): Pitching Training
• Vicky Miha (GR): Festival PR & Marketing
• Dóra Nedeczky (HU): Film Packaging
• Àdám Császi (HU): Who tells who´s story

Criteria for Participation

• Based in the Republic of Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, the Republic of Serbia, and the Slovak Republic (resident address, citizenship is optional)
• excellent artistic quality of the project in the respective categories, documentary, fictional and experimental long format (min 60min) film-projects
• No festival appearances before October 2023
• No public market pitch of the project concept before October 2023
• ANY Stage of Development is eligible
• High school degree preferred
• Filmmakers who have made more than one feature film are not eligible
• You can apply alone or in a team of maximum two people

Required documents in English language

• Short CVs of the applicant(s)
• Short description of the project content and status (max. 300 words excluding blanks / counted in WORD)
• Video introduction of at least one team member about your motivation for participation (max 3:00 min)
• Trailer or teaser of max 2:00 min (only in case of completed films)

Call is open. Deadline: 7th of September 2023

Please send your documents to: pitch-it@filmakademie.de

Please get back to us if you have any questions regarding the application process.

The Project Selection Jury

PHDR. MGR. Andrea Slováková, PH.D., MBA – Dean Filmová a televizní fakulta Akademie múzických umění v Praze / Film and TV School of Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU)(FAMU) – Czech Republic

Dieter Kosslick – Cultural Manager - German

Éva Török – Producer - Hungary

The 3rd edition of PITCH_IT is a collaboration between Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg (FABW) and Goethe-Institut funded by the programme „Perspektive Donau” of the Foundation Baden-Württemberg Stiftung.

Partners: 

Duart j.d.o.o., Republic of Croatia

Film Center Serbia, Republic of Serbia

Filmová a televizní fakulta Akademie múzických umění v Praze / Film and TV School of Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU) (FAMU), Czech Republic

Freeszfe Egyesület, Hungary

Vysoká škola múzických umení v Bratislave (VSMU), Slovak Republic

Associate Partners:

Filmfestival Cottbus & Connecting Cottbus 2023, Germany 

Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival 2023, Czech Republic

MFG Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg mbH, Germany