South African and African film and TV producers have until Friday 27 May at 16:00 to send an initial pitch to pa@encounters.co.za with Al Jazeera Pitching Forum in the subject line.
Pitches can be done for Al Jazeera's character-driven, weekly Witness documentary strand, the investigative magazine programmes People & Power and Africa Investigates, as well as documentary-type series and stand-alone films.
The email should include:
● A one-page synopsis of their film
● A one-page biography of the filmmaker and producer, including complete contact
details.
● One page of further background information and/or visual treatment of the subject.
● Links to previous works and promo of proposal, if available.
Selected applicants will then be invited to pitch to an Al Jazeera commissioning editor during its pitching forum at the 18th Encounters South African International Documentary Festival in Johannesburg on 11 June.
12 filmmakers from South African and Africa will be chosen to pitch out of the applicants received. In 2015 two one-hour documentaries were commissioned from projects pitched at the Al Jazeera pitching forum.
Projects at any stage of development or production can be entered and selected filmmakers will have a maximum of seven minutes to pitch their film, with an additional 7 minutes for feedback and questions from the Al Jazeera commissioning editor.
