The Pitch: Netherlands Film Festival 2018

The Pitch short film competition gives filmmakers the opportunity to pitch their next short film idea to an expert jury panel for the chance to win €5000 towards the film’s production and broadcast of the finished film on ShortsTV around the world.

ShortsTV has been hosting The Pitch at the Netherlands Film Festival and other film festivals around the world for more than five years. In that time, we have seen hundreds of filmmakers compete for the grand prize, including Oscar nominated Dutch animators Job, Joris and Marieke and Golden Calf winner, Rob Lucker.

This year we are introducing a twist to the competition. To be eligible to enter you must not only have a great short film idea but also be able to submit a fully formed script and budget for the film. The winner of the competition will then have four months to complete their movie with the help of ShortsTV’s production team before screening the finished film at a special event in Amsterdam (details to be decided).

If you have a great short film idea AND script and think you have what it takes to win The Pitch, here are all the details you need to know!

PLEASE NOTE: YOU MUST READ AND ADHERE TO ALL THE RULES AND REQUIREMENTS BELOW TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS COMPETITION. INCOMPLETE SUBMISSIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

 

THE CHALLENGE

The Pitch competition will consist of three rounds, culminating in a live final in front of an expert jury panel and studio audience in Utrecht.

• Round 1: Email entry, July 16^th – September 16^th
  • All submitted email entries will be reviewed by the ShortsTV team.
  • The 10 best entries will be invited to come pitch during the festival in Utrecht.
  • Selected contestants will be notified by September 21^st
• Round 2: Pitch to camera, October 2^nd
  • The 10 selected contestants will be invited to come pitch their idea at the Festivalpaviljoen in Utrecht on October 2^nd
  • Each contestant will have 1 minute to pitch their short film idea to camera
  • Each pitch video, along with the contestant’s script, budget and show reel of past work, will be reviewed by representatives from the Netherlands Film Festival and ShortsTV, who will select 5 contestants to progress to the live final
• Round 3: Live Final, October 4^th
  • The live final will take place at the Festivalpaviljoen in Utrecht on October 4^th
  • The 5 finalists will each have 1 minute to pitch their short film idea but this time it will take place in front of our expert jury panel and studio audience
  • After each pitch, the finalist’s show reel of past work will be shown to the jury and audience on a big screen
  • This will be followed by a Q&A session with the jury
  • After all pitches are complete, the jury will decide who will win the €5000 production funding!

You can see more about how the competition works by watching our episode from last year’s festival at the top of this page.

 

HOW TO ENTER:

For your entry to be considered you must submit ALL of the following:

Send an email to [email protected] before 23:59 CET on Sunday September 16^th, 2018 with the following information:

 

1. Your details: (please include all participating pitch contestants)
   – Full name
   – Contact email address and phone number
2. Film details:
   – Film name
   – A description of your short film idea (max 100 words)
   – Film script (less than 15 pages long)
   – Film budget
3. Evidence of past work
   – Biography/CV
   – A 30-60 second show reel of past work (see technical spec for delivery below)

Please send all details on one email or attachment. The show reel can be sent via WeTransfer or other online service (Please ensure we are able to download it though).

Please name the showreel file: FirstName_FamilyName_ReelName

Video
– Frame Size: 1920 x 1080
– Frame Rate: 25 fps
– Codec: H.264

Audio
– Codec: AAC
– Sample Rate: 44.100 kHz
– Channels: 2

Successful applicants will be notified by 21 September 2018 and given further instructions for the competition.

NOTE: Incomplete applications or those that don’t follow the rules will not be considered.

 

THE RULES:

• This competition is only open to Dutch filmmakers or filmmakers based permanently in the Netherlands.
• To qualify for entry, you must have already made at least one short film and be able to submit all the required materials.
• All selected contestants must be able to attend The Pitch in Utrecht on the required dates (2-4 October 2018) and be available for on camera interviews with the ShortsTV team while there. Note: ShortsTV does not offer travel, accommodation or other expenses.
• You will be required to sign a release form giving us permission to use all recorded pitches, interviews, and show reels on ShortsTV around the world.
• All entries must be in English
• If selected, you must be able to pitch your idea in English in no more than 1 minute.
• Inclusion of props, actors or visuals during your pitch must be approved by ShortsTV beforehand.
• You must hold the relevant copyright to your pitch idea in order to protect the ownership of your idea.
• If you win The Pitch, the prize money is given on the condition that ShortsTV is given non-exclusive rights to broadcast the winning film on ShortsTV when it is finished. A production funding agreement will be given to you and allowance for festival runs will be accepted. This agreement can be reviewed in advance on request.
• Your short film must not exceed 20 minutes in length and your script must not exceed 15 pages.
• If your film has a budget more than €10,000, no other funding partner can prevent ShortsTV from obtaining the rights to broadcast your film on TV.
• The winning film must be finished and delivered before 15 February 2019 or the €5,000 funding will be withdrawn.