BlackStar Pitch
Pitch your short non-fiction project for the chance to win an artist grant, industry mentorship, and more.
About
In 2022, BlackStar Film Festival will host the fourth annual BlackStar Pitch. Filmmakers will pitch their short non-fiction projects in front of a virtual audience and a panel of judges to receive feedback and have an opportunity to receive an artist grant from OneFifty, a Warner Bros. Discovery brand. The grant will assist the filmmaking team in completing their pitch materials and the OneFifty team will provide consultancy and general guidance on moving the film towards completion. This includes giving formal feedback and notes at the rough and fine cut stages and developing a plan to pitch the completed short.
A second-place winner will receive an invitation to be a part of IF/Then Shorts’ FINISH LINE program. IF/Then Shorts will be available to the filmmaking team as consulting producers on distribution and exhibition opportunities, as well as for general guidance on moving the film towards completion. This includes giving formal feedback and notes at the rough and fine cut stages, and developing a distribution plan for the completed short.
Details
BlackStar Pitch will showcase a group of 8 filmmakers, who will be selected based on their applications due May 31. The filmmakers will pitch their works-in-progress to a panel of funders, executives, distributors and producers. The 8 finalists will also have a chance to meet with a minimum of 2 panelists in one-on-one sessions prior to the Pitch contest to get direct feedback and advice on their projects.
The panelists will choose the best pitch, to be announced during the virtual awards ceremony on August 8, 2022.
Each pitch will last 7 minutes (including video reel) followed by 8 minutes of constructive feedback. The pitch is designed to connect industry professionals with new voices in the independent film community.
Key Dates
May 31, 2022 – Application Closes
June 20, 2022 – Notification Date
Judges
- Alexandra Hannibal
Andrew Catauro
Caitlin Mae Burke
Chi-hui Yang
Chloe Walters-Wallace
Erika Dilday
Lamonia Brown
Raeshem Nijhon
Sonya Childress - CNN
Perspective Fund
IF/Then Shorts
JustFilms
Firelight Media
POV
WarnerBros/Discovery
Culture House
Color Congress
BlackStar Pitch is supported by
We are accepting short non-fiction works-in-progress for this year’s BlackStar Pitch.
BlackStar Pitch will take place virtually during the 2022 BlackStar Film Festival. Filmmakers will pitch their projects in front of a virtual audience and a panel of judges.
The first-place pitch will receive an artist grant from Warner Bros. Discovery’s OneFifty. The grant will assist the filmmaking team in completing their pitch materials and the OneFifty team will provide consultancy and general guidance on moving the film towards completion. This includes giving formal feedback and notes at the rough and fine cut stages and developing a plan to pitch the completed short.
A second-place winner will receive an invitation to be a part of IF/Then Shorts’ FINISH LINE program. IF/Then Shorts will be available to the filmmaking team as consulting producers on distribution and exhibition opportunities, as well as for general guidance on moving the film towards completion. This includes giving formal feedback and notes at the rough and fine cut stages, and developing a distribution plan for the completed short.
Finalists will be notified on June 20. Applicants who were not selected will be notified shortly after.
