Film festivals are increasingly becoming spaces dedicated to project development and not just to film exhibition. The organization of pitching forums is a clear example of this.
It must be acknowledged that it makes perfect sense for festivals to foster film creation and become spaces for the training of young filmmakers.
In pitching forums, a series of professionals are typically invited to evaluate both the projects presented and the pitch technique of the participants, who have previously registered and passed a selection process. In these sessions, an award is sometimes granted to the best project, but this is not necessary. The goal is to learn how to develop and sell the project, as well as the possibility of securing support for production.
Starting to move the project forward at festivals could be seen as the first step toward its distribution. Attending pitching sessions at festivals allows you to begin visiting them and learning about their programming lines. Furthermore, if the project is well received, it can help you register and participate in these festivals in the future, as well as meet professionals and programmers.
More and more short film festivals are organizing these sessions. In Spain, Notodo Weekend organizes pitching sessions and a workshop for their preparation, although this year it has not yet been announced; it typically takes place in early June. We could also include in this area the co-production forum and the meeting of screenwriters and producers organized by the Short Film Week of the Community of Madrid.
Along these lines is also Euro Connection, the co-production forum between European countries at the Clermont-Ferrand Festival, which takes place in February. Additionally, last week Go Short concluded in Nijmegen (Netherlands), which took place from April 5 to 9 and features sessions dedicated to preparing pitching, as well as training sessions on marketing, production, and distribution of short films.
Recently, the pitching call for the FEST – New Directors New Films Festival in Espinho (Portugal) also closed, not only for short films but also for feature films. 28 projects are selected, and in this case there is a registration fee of €25. Both the festival and the sessions take place from June 19 to 26.
If you have a project underway and are starting to seek funding, registration is now open for the new pitching sessions at the International Short Film Festival in Drama (Greece), called Drama Pitching Lab. For these sessions, projects up to 20 minutes (for fiction and animation) and 30 minutes (for documentaries) are accepted.
The submission deadline is May 20, and 10 projects will be selected for participation in the different sessions. It will take place on September 22, and two awards in production support will be granted.
You can view all the information and the registration form on the Pitching Lab website.
Whether you are a director, producer, or screenwriter, do not miss the opportunity to learn how to develop your project.
All sessions that allow you to discuss it and present it to professionals can only improve it and validate that you are on the right track.