Galway Pitching Award 2010

The Galway Film Fleadh Pitching Award is now open for submissions.

The pitch should be a 500-word story idea for the screen, and each entry is reviewed by a panel selected from the film industry. The best five are short-listed.

The five writers are contacted and invited to present their pitch to a panel of judges. This takes place in front of an audience during the Galway Film Fleadh.

The winner of the competition receives €3,000, and the attention of the industry.

The deadline for applications is Friday 18th June 2010 and further details are available on the website. Each entry must be accompanied by a €30 fee.

The Engine Room Pitch

FÁS Screen Training Ireland is running a two-day course called The Engine Room Pitch starting on the 20th of May 2010 in Dublin. The course tutors are Christina Burnett, Micheal O'Meallaigh and Niamh O'Connor.

The cost of the course is €150.

Application Procedure:
Please apply online attaching a CV and a one page proposal for a doc/factual project. You can attend either as a pitcher with project, or as an observer. All projects which are submitted by the deadline of Wednesday May 6 will be considered and those which are selected to pitch will be notified in advance of the workshop.

Participant Profile:
This workshop is aimed at producers, directors, researchers and development personnel who wish to refine their proposals and explore the commissioning process.

Course Profile:
THE ENGINE ROOM PITCH is a unique 2 day project development and pitching workshop for documentary/factual filmmakers seeking Irish and international commissions and market intelligence. It is also an exceptional networking opportunity.

Created by leading international pitch trainer Christina Burnett of Wide Eye Pictures, THE ENGINE ROOM pitch formats have been successful in the UK, Brazil and Abu Dhabi. Intense, friendly and focused, the workshop develops real projects which are then presented to two commissioners for feedback. MEDIA Desk Ireland will also give an introduction to the funding, training and opportunities available at international festivals and markets.

James Parriott Interview

On the BBC Writersroom web site there is an extensive interview with US screenwriter and showrunner James Parriott (Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty, Sons of Anarchy).

In it he talks about pitching, how the Writers' Room works in America for creating television series, and the changes he foresees in how television programmes will be funded in the coming years.

The piece is well worth reading.

RTE Call for Ideas

RTÉ Entertainment is looking for ideas for high energy, popular entertainment programming for 9:30pm on Saturday evenings on RTÉ ONE.

For all information click here:

RTÉ ENTERTAINMENT CALL FOR IDEAS SATURDAY NIGHTS.doc

RTÉ requests that producers submit proposals into the eCommissioning system no later than noon on Friday 16th October 2009.

Meet Channel 4

Channel 4 is organising a series of regional briefings, one of which will be held in Belfast on 30th September.

These briefings will give you the opportunity to learn about Channel 4's respective plans for 2010, meet the commissioners, hear what they’ve learnt from 2009 and share some background on the projects commissioned so far as well as answer your questions on any of the above.

The sessions should be really useful for start-ups, agencies, production companies or freelancers in the digital media sector thinking about pitching an idea to Channel 4.

Belfast briefing date: 30th September, 2:00 pm - 5:30 pm

Request an invitation
There’s limited room but if you want to come along send an email to belfast-briefing@4ip.org.uk

Channel 4 will confirm whether you've got a place and other details via an email reply. You must include your name, role, company name, and a contact number in the email.

SWF Approaches

The 4th International Screenwriters' Festival, takes place 26-29 October 2009 at the Cheltenham Ladies College in the English Cotswolds.

The festival will provide an opportunity for writers to connect with directors, producers, agents, development and studio execs, financiers and commissioners. It is a meeting place for screen storytellers in film and television, as well as in the fields of digital/online and gaming.

At the festival projects get picked up, new partnerships and alliances are forged and delegates are offered a menu of events that include keynote speeches, seminars, screenings, masterclasses, workshops and limitless networking opportunities with commissioning, production and agency talent.

The festival programme embraces all genres and attracts writers (both established and new), producers, directors, agents, developers, financiers and film executives. Last year saw some 600 attendees from 15 countries that included Australia, Spain, USA, Canada, France and Italy.

A 2 Day Ticket costs £246.00, and a 4 Day Ticket costs £389.00.

Also, Nicola Depuis is looking for writers with experience writing LBGT characters for film and television to take part in a symposium she is hoping to arrange at the Screenwriters Festival on the subject of writing LGBT characters for the screen. Please contact Nicola at 085-7874149 if you are attending the conference and have some background in this area.

Fleadh '09 Winners

The Galway Film Fleadh has announced the winners of the Festival, but has omitted the writers of any of the projects.

They have been included in this list:

Best Feature Documentary
The Cove, written by Mark Monroe and directed by Louie Psihoyos

Best First Feature
Frozen River, written and directed by Courtney Hunt

Best Irish Feature
Winner: His & Hers, written and directed by Ken Wardrop
Runner Up: Swansong: Story of Occi Byrne, written and directed by Conor McDermottroe (based on his play Swanson)

Best First Animation - The James Horgan Award
Winner: "Blip", written and directed by Sean Mullen and Ben Harper
Honourable mention: "The Office Environment", written and directed by Mark Mullery

Best Animation
Winner: "The Polish Language", written by Alice Lyons, and co-directed by Alice Lyons and Orla McHardy
Honourable mention: "Old Fangs", written and directed by Adrien Merigeau
Honourable mention: "On the Quiet", written and directed by Eamonn O'Neill

Best Short Documentary
Winner: "Christmas with Dad", written and directed by Conor McCormack
Honourable mention: "The Knife", written and directed by Colm Quinn
Honourable mention: "God and Napoleon", written and directed by Ciaran Deeney

Best First Short Drama
Winner: "Thursday Afternoon", written and directed by Manus McManus
Honourable mention: "Questions", written and directed by Mark Noonan

Best Short Drama- The Tiernan McBride Award
Winner: "The Man Inside", written and directed by Rory Bresnihan, based on a short story by Fernando Sorrentino
Honourable mention: "If I should fall behind", written and directed by Morgan Bushe
Honourable mention: "Dental Breakdown", written by Dylan Cotter and directed by Ian Power

The Pitching Award
Winner: Get the Pope pitched by Gary Mitchell
The other four pitchers were: Rory Keenan, Michael Lavelle, Steven Stubbs and Bernard Higgins.

The Pixel Pitch

Power to the Pixel has launched the Pixel Pitch, a pitching forum for up to ten of the best UK and international cross-media film projects.

We are looking for stories that can span film, TV, online, mobile and gaming to be presented to a select group of financiers, commissioners, tech companies, online portals and media companies in front of an audience of PTTP participants.

The selected project teams will compete for the
BABELGUM PIXEL PITCH PRIZE of £6,000.

Teams will benefit from significant international publicity and be introduced to new international business and partnership opportunities as well as one-to-one consultancies.

Last year's Launch saw four cross-media projects presented to international companies including Babelgum, Sony Computer Entertainment, BBC, YouTube, MySpace, Amazon, Channel 4, UK Film Council, Arts Council of England, Tribeca Film Institute.

The deadline for applications is 18.00 BST, 14th August 2009, and further information on the submission process is on the web site.

Fleadh Pitching Award

The deadline for entries for the Galway Film Fleadh's Pitching Award is Friday 19th June.

Each pitch must compose of a one page (500 word) story idea for screen, and must be accompanied by the €30 entry free. The application form can be downloaded from the web site.

Entries will be read by a designated panel and the five best will be selected to be pitched by the writer in front of an audience at the Galway Film Fleadh on Sunday 12th July. A Panel of judges will select the winner and the award will be presented that evening during the Awards Ceremony.

Writers/Directors Speed Dating

On Wednesday the 27th writers from the Irish Playwrights and Screenwriters Guild and directors from the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland were "fixed up" in a random series of dates to pitch ideas and make connections.

There was a strong turnout, and a lively exchange of contact details and information. Feedback from members indicates that everyone enjoyed themselves and found it a useful way to meet their colleagues and industry professionals.

Writer/Director Speed Dating

The Irish Playwrights & Screenwriters Guild, in association with the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland, will host a Writer/Director 'Speed-Dating' event on Wednesday May 27th in the upstairs meeting room of the Irish Film Institute, in Temple Bar, Dublin 2.

The evening will start at 6pm with some light refreshments, and the business of the event will start promptly at 6.30pm with each writer and director matched for a five-minute meeting before moving on to another 'fix-up'.

There was great demand for this event when it was last run, so we expect intense interest from both writers and directors again.

Numbers will be limited due to the size of the venue, so early booking by email (info@script.ie) is advised to guarantee your place.

Belfast Roadshow

The BBC Writersroom Roadshow is coming to Belfast on Thursday the 29th of January, from 5:30pm - 7:00pm, in Studio One, Broadcasting House, Ormeau Avenue.

Here's your chance to put your questions to the people who assess up to 10,000 scripts a year for the BBC. You can also bring your script to hand in to us in person - but please make sure it meets our guidelines.

For a place on the guest list email your full name in the body of the email, with the subject heading Belfast Roadshow, to: writersroom.events@bbc.co.uk

NI Screenwriter Will Pitch

Northern Irish screenwriter David McCrea has won one of ten places in the Son of the Pitch competition organised by the Screenwriters' Festival (SWF) in conjunction with 4Talent, according to Northern Ireland Screen. His pitch for the feature film entitled Lottery was selected from over 900 entries.

David will be pitching his idea in front of a live audience and to a panel of industry experts who will ask about his pitch and, in a cunning twist for SWF'09, the audience will also get to ask questions.

The prize includes a free four day ticket (worth £300) to the Screenwriters' Festival 2009 taking place Monday 26th to Thursday 29th October in Cheltenham courtesy of SWF and 4Talent.

As one of the 10 finalists David also gets a private masterclass in pitching from Julian Friedmann of the 'Blake Friedmann Agency'. Three winners will be chosen but the real prize is the industry professionals listening to the pitch in the audience who could feel that your idea is exactly what they are looking for.

This Son of the Pitch event is one of the most prestigious opportunities for screenwriters, in particular undiscovered talent, in the UK to breakthrough and be discovered.

David recently wrote, produced, and directed his debut short film, "The Carnival Queen", and is developing several feature film scripts, his second short film, an online drama series, and a television sitcom.

The full shortlist of winners is:

• Philippa Langley - The Council
• Steve Moore - OneFourSeven
• Tim Clague - Delete Friend?
• Khalid Shamis - Chilli Chilli Bang Bang
• Martin Keady - The First Man
• David McCrea - Lottery
• David Turner - In the Name of Light Entertainment
• Stavros Pamballis - Saving Abeo
• Tim Telling - Office Gothic
• Zenon Texeira - Maddogs and Indian Men

Son of Pitch Extended

The UK's Screenwriting Festival has extended the deadline for its Son of a Pitch competition (which it is running in association with 4Talent) to 17.00 on Friday 14th November 2008.

Ten lucky finalists will be chosen to come to the SWF'09 (for free), where they will receive a crash course in the art of pitching courtesy of agent Julian Friedmann. After this, each of the ten finalists will take to the main stage and 'wow' the festival delegates - and a panel of terribly serious dragon-like judges who will proceed to quiz you on the strengths and weaknesses of your idea. Simple as that. Of the ten... three will win (1st, 2nd and 3rd place). There are prizes but the real prize is the exposure that this event bestows on all ten of its pitchers. Exposure that can lead to... who knows where.

Son of a Pitch

The Cheltenham Screenwriters Festival hasn't decided which of the first two weeks in July it will select for the 2009 festival, but information about next year's pitching competition has already been announced.

The 2009 competition is called Son of a Pitch, and will be run in association with 4Talent. It will be open for entries from 5.00pm on Monday 8th September until 5.00pm on Friday 31st October 2008.

Ten finalists will be chosen from the entries (to be announced the week commencing the 10th November 2008). They will receive tickets to attend SWF'09 where they will receive a pitching tutorial with agent Julian Friedmann, before standing up in front of a live audience to pitch their ideas to a panel of industry experts. The panel will select three winners, and the audience will also choose one winner.

To enter you must write your pitch for a movie or TV drama (in any genre) in under 25 words, and on a separate page expand the idea into a 150-word synopsis.

Email the information to the address on the SWF web site, where you can read the full terms and conditions of the competition.

All shortlisted entrants will also be interviewed and featured on the 4Talent website within a special Festival editorial piece.

Stranger Than Fiction '08

The Stranger Than Fiction (25-28 September) documentary film festival has announced its programme.

As usual there is a full schedule of international and Irish documentaries. In association with Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (IFB), the festival has organised Stranger Than Fiction Pitch Perfect!, which is a training workshop and pitch events.

These will consist of an intensive training session with documentary expert Tue Steen Muller. One week after this, participants will get to put these pitching skills into practice in front of two expert panels made up of key players in the industry.

More information on how to apply for the workshop, and details about the festival, are available on the web site.

Fleadh Winners 08

Yesterday the winners of the film competitions at the Galway Film Fleadh were announced:

First Feature
First Place: Peacefire, written & directed by Macdara Vallely.
Second Place: The Lemon Tree, written by Suha Arraf & Eran Riklis, and directed by Eran Riklis

Feature Documentary
First Place: Anvil! The Story of Anvil by Sacha Gervasi
Second Place: Young at Heart by Stephen Walker

Irish Feature
First Place: Kisses, written & directed by Lance Daly
Second Place: Vox Humana, written & directed by Bob Quinn

The Pitching Award
Barbara Deignan

Best Irish Short Film
First Place – The Tiernan McBride Award: "Martin", written & directed by Sean Branigan
Second Place: "The Door" written & directed by Juanita Wilson

Best First Irish Short Film
First Place: "Danger High Voltage", written by Thomas Martin and Luke McManus, and directed by Luke McManus
Second Place: "James", written & directed by Conor Clements

Best Irish Short Documentary
First Place: "The Year I got Younger", by Genevieve Bailey
Second Place: "The Herd" by Ken Wardrop

Best Irish Short Animation
First Place: "Granny O Grimm's Sleeping Beauty", written by Kathleen O'Rourke, and directed by Nicky Phelan
Second Place: "My Day", written & directed by Eamonn O'Neill

Best First Irish Short Animation
First Prize - The James Horgan Award: "Monolith", written & directed by Matt Horan
Second Place: "Plastesex", written & directed by Conor Finnegan

Pitch in Galway

Details about this year's Galway Film Fleadh Pitching Award have been announced.

Applicants write and submit a 500-word story idea for screen, all received applications are read by a panel selected from the Irish film industry - and the best five are shortlisted. The five writers are contacted and invited to present their pitch to a panel of judges. This takes place in front of an audience during the Galway Film Fleadh. The Galway Film Fleadh presents the winner with a cheque for €3,000.

The deadline for submissions is the 20th June 2008. The application form can be downloaded from the web site, and each entry must be accompanied by a €25 fee.

Fairs and Deals

The deadline for application to the Galway Film Fleadh's Film Fair (10 - 12 July) is Friday 6th June.

The fair co-ordinates pre-scheduled meetings between filmmakers with projects in development and invited Film Financiers, Distributors and Major Producers. Last year, the Galway Film Fair organised 560 meetings over the course of two days where 80 Irish and European producers pitched their projects to the 63 financiers who attended the Fair.

Based on the success of last year's Real Deal, the Fleadh will be running the one-day film financing seminar on Thursday, July 10th. The deadline for entry to this event is Friday 20th June. Details and application forms are available from the web site.

Cannes Pitching

With the Cannes Film Festival running with its usual splendid glory, over on the Guardian web site actor Peter Capaldi discusses pitching to producers during Cannes, in "So here's the story...".