Local film distribution company Gravel Road Distribution Group has launched a filmmaking pitch competition to mark their 10th anniversary.
They're based in Cape Town and specialize in the distribution of independent films in Southern Africa and the distribution of local films internationally.
The competition is open to aspiring scriptwriters and filmmakers who haven't had a film made yet. You need to be 18 or older, with a valid South Africa ID.
If this is You, here's what you need to know:
The prize
Development support, a distribution guarantee and R100,000 in cash.
This from Gravel Road's CEO Benjamin Cowley:
“Film pitch competitions are a remarkable entry point for people in an industry that is often difficult to get noticed in.
We hope that this competition becomes a valuable stepping stone, that it will enable promising talent to get exposure and help new film concepts come to the fore in South Africa’s vibrant film industry."
The competition in a nutshell
The competition includes three elimination stages, including entries, shortlisting and a final round, culminating in an in-person pitch to a panel of industry professionals.
Along the way, entrants will receive constructive feedback, support and input from industry professionals, to ensure that the initiative adds value to each finalist’s creative process.
The process
This is what you need to do to apply and what will happen next:
Round 1: Entry
- Submit a formal pitch deck, which needs to include plotline, character bible, treatment and short synopsis.
- Deadline date: 15 April 2022.
- 6 shortlisted projects will be announced on 14 April 2022.
Round 2: Shortlist
- Shortlisted projects need to submit a completed screenplay by 13 May 2022. These will be independently evaluated by international readers.
- 3 finalists will be invited to participate in the in-person pitch. These finalists will be announced on 3 June 2022.
- Script notes will be shared with the 3 finalists, who are required to submit revised drafts by 24 June 2022 for the judging panel to read ahead of the finale.
Round 3: Finale
- In-person pitches to the panel take place on 7 July 2022 in Cape Town.
- Each project team will participate in a closed 1-hour pitch session, where they will present their project to the panel, which will include a question and answer session with the judges.
- The winning project will be announced on 11 July 2022.
Must knows
Pitch documents must be the original work of the author(s) and on the date of submission the work must be wholly owned and controlled by the author(s).
Only original scripts are eligible for the competition.
Adaptions of books, plays or any other source material written by another author are not eligible. They're only eligible if you have secured all film and television rights from the author.
According to the press release about the competition: The intellectual property of the film concept will remain that of the entrant.
How to apply
You can do so on the Gravel Road website here >>
Pitch competition