Below is a breakdown of key dates for The Pitch process, from submitting your entry to making the winning film.
The Pitch is open for applications from 20 April 2023. Early bird entry is free, but to stagger entries – and support the fund – there are charges for later dates. All fees go into supporting filmmakers through The Pitch.
The pitches that are In Consideration will be live on this site from Monday 16 October. These entrants will take part in the Online In Consideration Masterclass on Monday 30 October.
The 20-pitch Shortlist will be announced on Thursday 9 November. These entrants will take part in the Online Shortlisters’ Day on Saturday 18 November.
The top ten who will advance to the Finalists’ Weekend will be announced on Friday 24 November.
Entrants who make the In Consideration stage of The Pitch can attend this virtual masterclass, exploring how to create beat sheets. You will be required to submit a beat sheet of your idea by midday 7 November. These are added to submission at the Shortlist stage. We ask everyone In Consideration to submit beat sheets, so it’s worth going along to the masterclass. Here is a sample.
If you make the shortlist you can attend this masterclass, which covers how to create Pitch Decks.
Entrants who do not make it to the final ten can attend these sessions to meet with The Pitch Team for feedback on their entry.
The top ten attend this three-day training residential with the Pitch team, to further develop their pitches and meet fellow finalists. It is hosted at the luxury Low Wood Bay Hotel, Windermere (and everyone here wants to go, cos it’s lush).
After the residential we ask everyone to create a pitch deck for their idea. If you are pitching yourself as a writer, you will also need to provide the first three pages of your script. These are sent to the judges to update them on how your idea has changed since your original pitch.
The top ten pitch in person to a panel of industry judges, before the top four are selected to return for further discussions. After the judges deliberate the awards are announced. This year the finals are being held in Sheffield.
The winning pitches will be announced on Monday 22 January and the Pitch team will then work with the filmmakers to produce their shorts.
The early stages will involve working with a writer (if the winner is not a writer themselves), story consultants and Pitch production partners Reel Issues Films to develop the script.
Although the writing and production schedule will be tailored to each particular project, we aim to shoot each film by the summer.
The aim is to premiere the film at the next Pitch finals, the following January, and to be ready to submit to film festivals worldwide.
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