There are currently three Pitch competitions open on the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) website – with hundreds of thousands of dollars in development funds.

Discovery Ignite 3 gives independent filmmakers in Australia and New Zealand the opportunity to pitch documentaries for local co-productions. The initiate also allows Discovery to showcase the work of local documentary filmmakers on the international scene with its worldwide audience.

The Ignite 2009 categories are: Core Discovery, Turbo Charged, Investigation Discovery, and Travel.

Shortlisted projects will be invited to the Discovery Ignite pitching session at AIDC in Adelaide in February. Each year Discovery Networks has committed US$350k for successful projects

The deadline for submissions is 19 December 2008.

Replacing SBS & AFC’s Pitch and Punt, in 2009 SBS Australia and Screen Australia are calling for concept stage documentary series proposals from Australian independent producers for 2009 Secrets and Lives … the Pitch to be held as part of AIDC 2009.

SBS and SA will jointly finance the development of a documentary series, with a view to the series being commissioned by SBS Television and Online for the newly launched Secrets and Lives… strand.  This strand will feature tough subjects, engaging journeys that tackle the major social issues of our times.  It will feature work that uses humour and surprising, innovative approaches to factual storytelling for television and online platforms.

Up to four projects will be selected to be pitched to a panel of SBS and SA judges at AIDC 2009, and the winning pitch will receive a combined development investment fund of AUD$30,000.

The deadline for applications is 23 January 2009.


For the second consecutive year, ABC TV Documentaries and National Geographic Television International (NGTI) are offering a total of AUD$40,000 development funding to the winner or winners of a Natural History pitching competition to be held at AIDC 2009. The investors will consider any film or series, from blue chip animal behaviour programs to people and animal stories.  The intention is to give the opportunity to film making teams to do at least some of the expensive preliminary shooting and/or research that will produce the impressive material necessary to get a wildlife project with global appeal into production.

The competition is open to Australian production companies working alone or in partnership with overseas firms.

The deadline for applications is January 16 2009.

All Producers invited to pitch in these competitions must be registered delegates of AIDC 2009 and are responsible for their own AIDC registration.

 www.aidc.com.au 

< Prev		Next >