Sheffield Doc/Fest reveals six pitch competitions

April 12, 2012 by Kelly Anderson

sheffield-doc-fest

UK festival Sheffield Doc/Fest is to host six pitch competitions during its forthcoming June event, including the Wellcome Trust Pitch and Channel 4 First Cut Pitch, offering a total prize fund of more than £80,000 (US$127,000).

The Wellcome Trust Pitch is currently open for entries and looks for projects that engage the audience with contemporary or historical biomedical science, in an innovative and accessible way. The competition comes with awards of up to £10,000 and the deadline is April 27.

Also coming with a £10,000 prize is the WorldView Pitch, which looks for a development-oriented doc on the theme of “women make business.” Aimed at emerging talent, this pitch is open until April 30.

For UK filmmakers only, the Channel 4 First Cut Pitch comes with a prize of a 10- to 12-week placement to direct a half-hour film, with a £50,000 budget, or a £5 million development fund for a runner-up. The deadline is May 4.

Opening today (April 12) is the Mini MeetMarket, which gives new and emerging doc filmmakers the chance to meet executive producers in an informal setting, where they can get feedback on pitches and pointers on where to go next. The deadline is May 18 at 5 p.m.

Last up is the Specialist Factual Presenting Pitch for aspiring presenters - open until May 30 – and the 94 Elements Live Pitch, where a participant can win a crowdfunded £5,000 (US$8,000) short doc commission for a new cross-media project. The 94 Elements pitch will open soon.

Sheffield Doc/Fest takes place from June 13-17.

Tags: Channel 4 First Cut Pitch, Sheffield Doc/Fest, Wellcome Trust Pitch