Calendar – Past Event

Docs In Progress will be taking its popular Peer Pitch program back on the road to the Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival in Sonoma County, California. This program will give documentary filmmakers the opportunity to present new projects to fellow filmmakers for feedback and for all attending to gain valuable insights and new connections which can guide their own filmmaking. Constructive feedback from peers in a nurturing environment will help to identify strengths and areas for improvement in projects. Participants will also develop skills and comfort in verbally describing their projects among peers before trying their pitches out in higher profile pitching opportunities.

Docs In Progress is a nonprofit documentary film organization which has been presenting Peer Pitch program for a number of years in collaboration with partners in the Washington DC Metro area, including the Silverdocs Film Festival and Women in Film and Video-DC. Based on the strong interest in the program at last year's SDFF , Docs In Progress is excited to return to the West Coast.

Participation is open to both filmmakers with films in the festival and other documentary filmmakers who want an excuse to head to Sonoma County for the festival (named one of the 25 Coolest Film Festivals by MovieMaker Magazine). You do not need to be pitching to participate in the program. Peer Pitch will take place on the second day of the festival, Friday, March 22 from 12:00 noon until 4:00 pm. Registrants can either sign up for Peer Pitch alone or also get a festival pass which includes Peer Pitch.

Films which have been presented at past Peer Pitch workshops when they were in their early stages have gone on to be funded by major supporters such as Sundance Documentary Fund and ITVS, been accepted into industry pitching opportunities such as IFP’s Independent Film Week and DocsBarcelona, and be completed to play festivals, television, and community screenings. Participants have also made connections with other filmmakers which have led to later collaborations. Films which have been through past Peer Pitch programs have included Uranium Drive-In, Let the Fire Burn, The Lost Dream, Out in the Silence, and dozens more.

Advance registration is required.