Wednesday, March 30, 2022

Gravel Road Distribution Group launches feature film scriptwriting pitching competition for new South African filmmakers.


by Thinus Ferreira

The Southern African cinema distributor Gravel Road Distribution Group has launched a feature film pitching competition with a cash prize of R100 000 for the best project to support local filmmaking talent as a celebration of its ten year anniversary.

Open to South Africans 18 years old and older, provided they have not had a film made of his or her script concept before, and the prize includes development support, a distribution guarantee and R100 000 cash.


UPDATE 4 April 2022: The pitch submission deadline for the competition has been extended to 15 April 2022.
The short list announcement winners will now be done on 3 May 2022.


The intellectual property of the film concept will remain that of the entrant.

Gravel Road Distribution Group specialises in the distribution of independent films in Southern Africa, and the distribution of local films internationally. 

The company's slate of film releases this year includes The Last BusThe Artist’s WifeSodium DayTubular Bells and the Princess documentary about HRH, the late Princess Diana. 

"Film pitch competitions are a remarkable entry point for people in an industry that is often difficult to get noticed in," says Benjamin Cowley, CEO Gravel Road Distribution Group.

"We hope that this competition becomes a valuable steppingstone, that it will enable promising talent to get exposure and help new film concepts come to the fore in South Africa's vibrant film industry."

The competition includes three elimination stages - including entries, shortlisting and a final round - culminating in an in-person pitch to a panel of industry professionals in Cape Town.

Along the way, entrants will receive constructive feedback, support and input from industry professionals.

The dates are as follows:
Round 1: Entry
Submit a formal pitch deck - deadline 1 April 2022. This deck must include plotline, character bible, treatment and short synopsis. 6 shortlisted projects will be announced on 14 April 2022

Round 2: Shortlist
Shortlisted projects to submit a completed screenplay by 13 May 2022. These will be independently evaluated by international readers. 3 finalists will be invited to participate in the in-person pitch. These finalists will be announced on 3 June 2022.
Script notes will be shared with the 3 finalists, who are required to submit revised drafts by 24 June 2022 for the judging panel to read ahead of the finale.

Round 3: Finale
In-person pitches to panel take place on 7 July 2022 in Cape Town.
Each project team will participate in a closed 1-hour pitch session, where they will present their project to the panel, which will include a question and answer session with the judges.
The winning project will be announced on 11 July 2022.

Information and competition submission details are at:  www.gravelroadafrica.com/pitchcompetition