F.Y.I.

Finalists named in AACTA pitch contest

The five finalists have been named for the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts pitching competition, Elevate.

The announcement:

AACTA Pitch: Elevate finalists set for live final at AACTA Shorts + Web Fest presented by MINI

The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) today announced the five finalists for AACTA Pitch: Elevate, a national pitching competition aiming to discover Australia’s next world-class, high-concept scripted series.

The five finalists for AACTA Pitch: Elevate are: ENDGAME, MY MOTHER THE WITCH, THE 8, THE DEPARTMENT OF LAST REQUESTS and THE REPLICAS.

Each finalist will pitch their original and exciting series concepts at the live final, in front of a judging panel of esteemed industry figures, at AACTA Shorts + Web Fest presented by MINI on Saturday August 31 at 1.00pm from The Factory Theatre in Sydney.

From almost one hundred submissions, the five finalists have been selected for their unique interpretations of an elevated concept; each beginning with a simple premise and an unusual set of circumstances, while holding the potential for mass audience appeal and endless possibilities within the world for their series.

The winner of AACTA Pitch: Elevate will receive a $5,000 cash prize as well as invaluable feedback from the judging panel and guidance on the development of a pilot screenplay through script coverage from partnering production companies. The winner will also receive support from Spectrum Films to the value of $2,500, and tickets to the 2019 AACTA Awards presented by Foxtel.

The live AACTA Pitch: Elevate final will be hosted by comedian Gen Fricker (LEGALLY BROWN, HAVE YOU BEEN PAYING ATTENTION?), and the AACTA Pitch judging panel includes: Carly Heaton, Executive Producer at Foxtel; Stephen Corvini, Drama Development Executive and Producer at Matchbox Pictures and Producer of SBS series HUNGRY GHOSTS; Tracey Robertson, CEO of Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning company Hoodlum Entertainment; and Billy Bowring, Development Manager at FremantleMedia Australia.

The live final will begin with a Short & Sharp lesson in mastering the Perfect Pitch. The AACTA Pitch judges, will be joined by Nicole Coventry (Production Supervisor, Commissioned Content – Scripted, SBS) and Bobby Romia (Screen Investment Manager, Create NSW) who will share their expert advice for refining a concept into a professional media pitch.

After the live final and announcement of the winning pitch, AACTA Shorts + Web Fest host, Jan Fran will sit down with the winner of AACTA Pitch: Forever Unexpected Loani Arman (THE MOTHERLOAD, MY BODY SAYS) to share her experience bringing her short film concept OUR GREATEST ESCAPE to life after winning funding and production support from MINI in early June.

Source: AACTA media release

ADVERTISEMENT

Get the latest media and marketing industry news (and views) direct to your inbox.

Sign up to the free Mumbrella newsletter now.

 

SUBSCRIBE

Sign up to our free daily update to get the latest in media and marketing.