Good Pitch is an invitation-only event starting with an intensive two-day campaign development workshop, followed by the day-long live event. This process covers a four-day period.

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN 2012?

We have three flagship events planned for 2012, taking place in New York, San Francisco and Europe.

Good Pitch New York: May 24th 2012

Closing date for applications: Wednesday 1st February, 4pm UK time

Good Pitch Europe: June 2012

Closing date for applications: Wednesday 1st February, 4pm UK time

Good Pitch San Francisco: October 2012

Closing date for applications: Wednesday 9th May, 4pm UK time

YOU'RE A FILMMAKER?

If you're a filmmaker and you'd like to present your documentary project at one of the three flagship Good Pitches, carry on reading for guidance on what we are looking for, what we offer and what we expect in return.

• We're looking for documentary film projects which tackle important global and national issues and enhance our understanding of the world.
• We look for projects at any stage from early production to completion; rough cut stage is ideal. The call is open to projects looking for completion funding, outreach funding, campaigning networks or a combination of these.
• Your finished film must be 60+ minutes in length.
• You must submit a trailer or key sequence or trailer by 4pm UK time on the closing date of each call to be eligible for Good Pitch 2012. You can upload your material after you've submitted your written application, as long as it is before the closing date & time.
• You must also record and upload a 2-minute video of yourself, telling us why you want to make this film and what want it to achieve. The video can be very rough and ready - recorded on a flipcam, iphone, on your computer, whatever. It's not production values we are after, we just want to see you and hear what you've got to say. Easy!
• You can only apply for Good Pitch if you have outreach or audience engagement plans for your film. Your outreach campaign can take any form, with any ultimate goal.
• In order to finalise our selection, we enlist some external reviewers who have experience in the field of using films for social impact. You will need to confirm you are happy for your project to be viewed by external parties.

As a black woman who was a feminist before the term was invented, Daisy Bates refused to accept her assigned place in society. Daisy Bates: First Lady of Little Rock (Dir.:/Prod.: Sharon La Cruise; Prod.: Noland Walker) tells the story of her life and public support of nine black students who registered to attend the all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, which culminated in a constitutional crisis - pitting a president against a governor and a community against itself. Unconventional, revolutionary, and egotistical, Daisy Bates reaped the rewards of instant fame, but paid dearly for it.

What: This grant funds first time documentary makers for travel and accommodations at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, April 12-15, 2012. For four days, grant recipients will be given access to films, participate in master classes and be mentored by experienced filmmakers. Two filmmakers will be chosen for the grant in its fifth year.

Deadline: Applications must be RECEIVED BY Friday, February 3, 2012. Applicants will be notified by email in early March.

About the Grant: Garrett Scott made a distinctive mark in documentary during his short career. Without any formal training in film, he directed Cul De Sac: A Suburban War Story, examining the case of a methamphetamine addict who stole a tank from an armory and went on a rampage through the San Diego suburbs. The film prompted Filmmaker Magazine to cite Scott as one of 25 New Faces of Independent Film. He went on to make Occupation: Dreamland, co-directed with Ian Olds, about U.S. soldiers in Falluja, Iraq. It won prizes at Full Frame and the Independent Spirit Awards. Both films were broadcast by the Sundance Channel. In 2006, Scott died of a heart attack at age 37.

Criteria and Application

Criteria: Applicants must be a US citizen or green card holder and live in the continental United States; any age 18 or older. By "first time filmmaker," we mean someone who is in the early stage of their documentary career and has not yet received significant recognition (such as major festival play or broadcast). All applicants should anticipate finishing their first project by March 2013. You still qualify as a "first-time filmmaker" if you've made shorts or student projects, worked professionally as a crew member on other people's films, or if you've recently completed a documentary that hasn't been released yet. The grant is open to students and non-students alike.

How: Applicants should send a 2-page letter addressing these areas:

1) Project summary: Describe the documentary you're working on. It doesn't matter whether the film is a short or a feature, though the judging tends to favor more ambitious projects. Describe the characters, structure, visual approach and what stage you're at.

2) Director's statement: Describe how you came to filmmaking and how you've trained as a filmmaker. It doesn't matter whether you went to film school or are self-taught. Describe what you want audiences to take from your film.

Work sample: Applicants must send a 5-10 minute DVD sample of a work-in-progress or a past work. You may send a longer work sample, but judges may only review the opening minutes.

Submit TWO COPIES of both the letter and DVD along with your...

Name:
Address:
Phone:
E-mail:

Send to:
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
ATTN: Garrett Scott Documentary Grant
324 Blackwell Street. Suite 500
Washington Building, Bay 5
Durham, NC 27701

Question or comment? E-mail us at submissions@fullframefest.org

Oscilloscope Laboratories
Invites You and a Guest to a Special Screening of the
Oscar® Nominated Documentary film

IF A TREE FALLS:
A STORY OF THE EARTH LIBERATION FRONT
A Film by Marshall Curry
And Co-Directed by Sam Cullman

Tuesday, February 7, 2012
7:30 PM

Laemmle’s Music Hall
9036 Wilshire Blvd. (at Doheny)
Beverly Hills, CA 90211

RSVP A MUST:
Please email tree@tcdm-associates.com
Please let us know your affiliation and if you are bringing a guest
Seats are not reserved and are on a first come/first serve basis.
Please arrive early to accommodate parking and seating.

Director Marshall Curry will be in attendance for discussion after the screening.

IF A TREE FALLS: A STORY OF THE EARTH LIBERATION FRONT is nominated for this year's Academy Award® for Best Documentary Feature

Oscilloscope Laboratories
Invites You and a Guest to a Special Screening of the
Oscar® Nominated Documentary film

IF A TREE FALLS:
A STORY OF THE EARTH LIBERATION FRONT
A Film by Marshall Curry
And Co-Directed by Sam Cullman

Wednesday, February 8, 2012
7 PM

Landmark Embarcadero Theater
One Embarcadero Center
San Francisco, CA 94111

RSVP A MUST:
Please phone 415 835 8775
Please let us know your affiliation and if you are bringing a guest
Seats are not reserved and are on a first come/first serve basis.
Please arrive early to accommodate parking and seating.

Director Marshall Curry will be in attendance for discussion after the screening.

IF A TREE FALLS: A STORY OF THE EARTH LIBERATION FRONT is nominated for this year's Academy Award® for Best Documentary Feature

Sundance Institute Documentary Fund grants are announced twice a year. Since its inception, the Fund has supported more than 500 films in 61 countries. A committee of human rights experts and film professionals make recommendations from projects submitted by filmmakers from around the world. The Fund reviews between 1,400 and 2,000 proposals annually, choosing 35-50 for support each year. In funding such work, the Documentary Fund encourages the diverse exchange of ideas that is crucial to fostering an open society and public dialogue about contemporary issues.

The Documentary Fund provides grants to filmmakers worldwide for projects that display:

• Artful and innovative storytelling techniques
• Global relevance
• Contemporary social issues
• Potential for social engagement

Funding Categories

Applications are accepted in two funding categories:

• Development funding is provided to projects that are between development and preproduction. Grant amounts for this category are up to $20,000. There is no reel required with an application, but clips, teasers, trailers, or images are highly encouraged. A previous work sample is required.
• Production/Post-production grants provide funds up to $50,000 to filmmakers in various stages of the production and post-production process. Applications are required to include continuously edited material that is approximately 20 to 75 minutes for the project being proposed. The reel should convey the narrative and aesthetic visual for the final film. If available for consideration, longer cuts and fine cuts may be submitted. A previous sample work must also be included with the application.

If you have already received a grant from the Documentary Fund, there is an additional category for which you can apply for the same project. Audience Engagement grants support innovative outreach and engagement campaigns and cutting-edge multiplatform engagement strategies.

Apply

The Sundance Institute Documentary Fund application is now open for the spring 2012 cycle. Applications are being accepted now through February 9th, 2012, with decisions anticipated in early June.

After reviewing the materials on the links below, you may contact dfp@sundance.org with any outstanding questions.

Established in 1992, The Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to the promotion of cultural and racial tolerance and understanding through the exhibition of film, art and creative expression.

It is PAFF's goal to present and showcase the broad spectrum of Black creative works, particularly those that reinforce positive images and help to destroy negative stereotypes. We believe film and art can lead to better understanding and foster communication between peoples of diverse cultures, races, and lifestyles, while at the same time, serve as a vehicle to initiate dialogue on the important issues of our times.

The festival takes place at Rave Cinemas Baldwin Hills 15 (formerly the AMC Magic Johnson Crenshaw 15) at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza. The theatre is situated on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard between Marlton Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard)

The Center for Social Media at American University is hosting Media That Matters 2012, a conference that brings together professionals, artists and students interested in making an impact through media.

This year's theme, "Change for Good," features conversations about how independent social change filmmakers can execute integrated campaigns that are strategic, action-oriented, and have enduring impact.

The conference begins on Friday, February 10, 2012 at 5pm with an opening keynote address from Meredith Blake, distinguished attorney, social entrepreneur, and Founder and CEO of Cause & Affect—a strategy consulting and management firm in the business of high-impact social change.

With workshops on Fair Use, a Designing for Impact clinic, short film screenings, advice on strategy for media creation, and various chances to network, who would want to miss such an event?

Sign up for Media the Matters today! Registration closes at 5:00pm EST on Wednesday, February 8.

The deadline to submit your entries for the 2012 edition of realscreen’s Factual Entertainment Awards has been extended to Friday, February 10th. You don’t want to miss the opportunity to ensure that your network or prodco’s best work is considered in our global celebration of factual excellence.

We’re accepting entries in the following categories:

• COMPETITION
• REALITY
• NON-FICTION
• LIFESTYLE

Winners will be determined by juries of the industry’s most highly regarded experts in these audience fields, who will also single out projects that merit special Craft Awards for editing, directing, casting, music, cinematography, hosting/presenting, most compelling character and most original concept.

We’ll also present the Award of Excellence to the program that scores highest overall and the Hall of Fame and Personality of the Year awards to trailblazers who’ve made their mark on the factual entertainment landscape.

Please visit http://awards.realscreen.com/ for all the information you’ll need on Eligibility, Judging and Entry Guidelines. Again, the deadline is Friday, February 10th at 5pm EST. The awards ceremony will take place during the Factual Entertainment Forum on May 30th, 2012 at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel.

To check out previous winners please click here.

A year-long program designed to nurture emerging producers with project-specific support through Labs, grants, and long-term advisor relationships.

The Sundance Creative Producing Fellowship was conceived to develop and support the next generation of American independent producers. For over 30 years, Sundance Institute has offered in-depth year-round programs for feature screenwriters and directors. In an increasingly competitive and complex marketplace, the health and excellence of the independent film movement hinges on sophisticated creative and strategic producers with whom these directors and writers can collaborate.

The Fellowship focuses on the holistic producer, who identifies, options, develops, and pitches material; champions and challenges the writer/director creatively; raises financing; leads the casting/packaging process; hires and inspires crew; and navigates the sales, distribution, and marketing arenas. The Program is designed to hone emerging producers’ creative instincts and evolve their communicating and problem-solving skills at all stages of realizing a project.

Five producers will be selected for a one-year fellowship, with Fellows supported to participate in the following:

• Feature Film Creative Producing Lab
• Creative Producing Summit
• Sundance Film Festival attendance (screenings, curated meetings, and networking opportunities)
• $5,000 living stipend
• $5,000 pre-production grant
• Year-round mentorship from two industry Advisors
• Community building among Producing Fellows
• Year-round support from Sundance Institute staff

Fellows will attend a five-day lab focused on creatively strengthening their projects from script to screen. Through a series of one-on-one sessions with Advisors, as well as group sessions, Fellows will explore their own creative take on the project and develop skills and a process for evaluating, developing, and implementing their material to reflect these ideas. Scripts will be discussed alongside issues, such as creative imperatives, marketplace valuation, and production challenges. Case studies will be used to explore creative issues in preproduction, production, and editing processes, while techniques in communicating with writer/directors and potential production partners will also be addressed.

Eligibility

• Candidates must have produced at least one short or feature-length narrative or documentary film (no more than two narrative features total).
• Candidates must have a completed, legally-optioned, scripted narrative project in hand with a director attached to the project.
• Candidates may not be the writer or director of submitted project.
• Candidates must live in the United States, though the project may be filmed internationally

Giving Back to Sundance Institute

Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organization funded by foundations, corporations, film industry sources, individuals, government agencies, and earned income such as ticket sales at the Film Festival. The Institute was founded by Robert Redford as a way to give back and support other film and theatre artists by providing them with an opportunity to develop their projects and skills. Should you be selected to participate in the Creative Producing Fellowship, you will be asked to continue the spirit of giving back. Since securing funding for the Institute's programs is a consistent challenge, we request that Lab Alumni whose projects are produced contribute to the Institute's work to support new generations of emerging filmmakers. Projects supported by the Creative Producing Fellowship are asked to contribute 0.25% of their production budget calculated after the first $1 million (e.g. if your film is produced for $1.2 million, the fee due to the Institute would be $500). Additionally, Lab Alumni are asked to recognize the Fellowship with the credit, "Developed with the assistance of the Sundance Institute Feature Film Creative Producing Fellowship." Any revenue that is designated to Sundance Institute is allocated to the Feature Film Program and is used on an annual basis to provide critical support for the Labs. Your ability to give back really makes a difference.

Timelines

The timelines for the 2012 Creative Producing Fellowship are as follows:

Selection Process
November 14, 2011 - Application available online.
February 10, 2012 - Online application deadline and hard copy of materials postmark deadline.
March 9, 2012 - Notification of second round selections
June 14, 2012 - Notification of final selections

Fellowship Year
July 2, 2012 - Start of 2012 Fellowship
July 30-August 3, 2012 - Creative Producing Lab (Sundance Resort, Utah)
August 3-5, 2012 - Creative Producing Summit (Sundance Resort, Utah)
January 17-27, 2013 - Sundance Film Festival (Park City, Utah)
June 29, 2013 - End of 2012 Fellowship

The Rose Marine Latino Film Festival - to be held February 24-26, 2012 in Fort Worth, Texas - is accepting films. The festival consists of three days of independent Latino films, awards, artist talks, networking events and an educational outreach collaborative at the historical Rose Marine Theater.

Films cannot exceed 20 minutes in length and can be either narrative or documentary. Out of the films entered, two will be featured during the festival, one for each of the following categories:

• RMLFF Shorts - Audience Award winner
• Student Lone Star Award - Honors a Texas student filmmaker attending college or university

Submission Deadline: February 10, 2012 (postmarked)
Submission information available on the festival's website.

February 1-13, 2012

Oscar's Docs, the annual collaboration between the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and MoMA's Department of Film, surveys Oscar nominees and winners in the categories of Best Documentary Feature and Best Documentary Short Subject. Diverging from the previous editions, which included films that documented wartime, social change, and scientific explorations, this fifth edition of Oscar's Docs focuses on the arts and humanities. Examining well-known subjects-Jacques d'Amboise, Arthur Rubinstein, Robert Frost, Saul Bass, and Marc Chagall, among others-established in the fields of music, dance, art, and literature, as well as amateurs and craftsmen, the filmmakers were often first-time producer/directors, inspired by their subjects to use the nonfiction medium as a tool to express their own creativity.

Sheffield Doc/Fest's film program is now accepting film submissions for the 2012 festival, which runs June 13-17.

Submissions will close Monday, February 13 at midnight.

You can enter the film here sheffdocfest.com/view/submitafilm

Please read the Rules & Regulations form first.

It costs is £25 + VAT to enter your film. You must send three screeners of your film once you complete the form. To save plastic, postage, paper and everything else that goes into submitting films on DVD, we also accept film submissions on Vimeo for us to view. In fact, we encourage it.

The festival's vitality comes from our submissions so please know that we accept short, medium and feature-length docs from both new and established filmmakers with an equal-sized smile. Doc/Fest accept films about any subject or theme and regularly screens premiere and non-premier films. So do not let the fact that your doc has screened elsewhere on television or online deter you from entering! We still want to see it. Our programmer does accept works-in-progress (WIP), but if you do want to submit a WIP make sure you as a filmmaker are loving the way it stands before you send it in and the film is in the best shape possible because we rarely accept films to be submitted again in following years.

With the Academy Awards less than ten days away, this is a great opportunity to get know first-hand one of the categories and meet a potential Oscar winner. The nominees for Documentary, Short, indeed a diverse group of filmmaking experience, will speak about how they got their film produced and eventually in the running for the ultimate award. You will see clips of an actress who forsook Hollywood for the nunnery (God Is the Bigger Elvis); a notorious attack in Iraq (Incident in New Baghdad); survivors of acid attacks in Pakistan (Saving Face); and the rebuilding of Japan (The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom). Our panelists will also talk about how they are preparing for their big night with last year’s winner of the category Kirk Simon (Strangers No More), who will bring his statue for anyone to hold. Unfortunately, the filmmaker of The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement cannot attend. We will screen a clip from that film during the event.

IN PERSON

Julie Anderson (God Is the Bigger Elvis)
Kira Carstensen (The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom)
[via Skype] Daniel Junge (Saving Face)
Kirk Simon (Strangers No More – 2011 Academy Award winner)
James Spione (Incident in New Baghdad)
Lucy Walker (The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom)

**Please note: Event begins at 6pm ET**

Big Sky Documentary Film Festival will be held in Missoula, Montana, February 17-26, at the Historic Wilma Theatre. The 144-film program, culled from nearly 1,000 entries from all over the world, will feature a free opening night screening of Matthew Akers' new film Marina Abramović The Artist is Present (sponsored by HBO Documentary Films); a massive music sidebar of new and classic films and live performances (sponsored by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences);  and retrospective and visiting artist programs featuring films by Barbara Kopple, D.A. Pennebaker, Agi Orsi, Caveh Zahedi, Dave Markey and celebrated animator Bill Plympton.

Vimeo® opened submissions for the second Vimeo Festival + Awards, which celebrates the most creative and original videos online, as well as the individuals who make them. Vimeo will award Grants of $5,000 to all of the category winners as well as awarding a Grant of $25,000 for the Grand Prize winner.

Beginning December 13 through February 20, 2012, filmmakers can submit their works for consideration in one of 13 different judged categories. With the continued exponential growth of quality online video, Vimeo is recognizing four new categories:

• Fashion: Fashion photographers are exploring creative filmmaking, blurring the line between fashion and art. Similarly, designers are able to bring to life the mood and inspiration behind their collections in greater detail and with more emotion than through still photos.
• Action Sports: As lightweight, durable, and wearable HD cameras have become more accessible, adventurers, athletes, and documentarians can go anywhere while filming it all.
• Advertising: Due to the high volume of content online, advertisers have been forced to become increasingly creative in order to reach audiences. As a result, many people now seek out commercial films as standalone entertainment.
• Lyrical: This category celebrates videos that showcase the natural world or personal experience using a dramatic creative style. With filmmaking techniques such as slow motion and time lapse now increasingly available, these videos provide thought-provoking and oftentimes heart-wrenching windows into other people's worlds.

A full list of the video categories can be found at www.vimeo.com/awards. An independent jury will judge entries, which includes all of the category winners from 2010 as well as two industry luminaries/experts per category. Vimeo released the following jury members for its newest categories: Stacy Peralta for Action Sports, David Droga for Advertising, Nick Knight for Fashion, and Phillip Bloom for Lyrical. Vimeo plans to release the full jury in January.

Vimeo will accept submissions from December 13, 2011 through February 20, 2012 for a $20 (U.S.) fee per video ($5 for Vimeo Plus and PRO members) at www.vimeo.com/awards. Entrants can submit any original work that premiered anywhere online between July 31, 2010 and February 20, 2012 or any original work that has never been premiered before. All entries must comply with the Official Rules of the Vimeo Festival + Awards.

The MIPDoc International Pitch is the annual competition open to all creators and producers looking for financing partners to develop their documentary projects. Six of the best applications received will be pitched live in front of an international panel of commissioning editors and broadcasters. The live pitch session will be gathering an international audience of producers, distributors and journalists from around the world.

Online crowd-funding for 2012: MIPDoc has teamed up with IndieGoGo, the world’s leading open funding platform to create a dedicated MIPDoc partner page. Entrants can promote their projects and pitch for investment online. Enter the competition and receive full instructions on getting the best out of IndieGoGo.

Selection will be based on the following criteria

• Innovation and originality
  The MIPDoc International Pitch will select projects (non-aired programmes) with originality and overall appeal in storytelling techniques, characters, look, story and themes.
• International appeal
  The MIPDoc International Pitch will select projects with the potential to be developed and aired to international audiences.

Looking for financing partners to develop your documentary projects? Enter the competition

Createasphere’s Digital Asset Management Conferences are the top gatherings of trend-setting experts presenting case studies and end users sharing their experiences in DAM, MAM, information management, storage, security, and preservation. These must attend events cover the sectors of advertising, broadcasting, entertainment, new media, publishing, non-profits, government, and retail.

February 22-23, 2012
The Beverly Hilton
Beverly Hills, CA

More Information: http://www.createasphere.com/En/digital-asset-management-conferences.html