Pitch Slam 2009
Organized by IFP/Seattle and The Northwest Screenwriters Guild and hosted by the Seattle International Film Festival, Pitch Slam is a staged representation of the process of screenwriters and filmmakers pitching to producers. Leading up to the event, screenwriters submit 75-word loglines, which are judged locally, and the surviving entries are sent to three producers who each select four. The day of the event, 3 writer/filmmaker finalists are chosen to pitch in a simulated producer's office in front of professional producer/executive judges and a live audience. Both audience and producers vote on their favorites, and the winners are presented the Greenlight Award.
Pitch Slam is an opportunity for movie lovers to catch a glimpse of one of the early steps in the filmmaking process. Screenwriters and filmmakers receive lessons in pitching and there is always the chance that one of the producers will like what they hear and ask for the script.
Dates
- June 10 - last day to send loglines ( By 1 PM)
- June 11 - Finalists selected
- June 12 - Pitch Slam 2009 @ SIFF
Loglines – Participants may enter an unlimited number of loglines for $7 per logline, $5 per logline if you are a member of IFP/Seattle, NWSG or SIFF; pay via the Paypal buttons on the left sidebar. Loglines should be no more than 75 words. Loglines should be electronically submitted to loglines@ifpseattle.org. Loglines will be reviewed by a selection committee who will select 30 loglines to forward to the guest producers.
*IFP/Seattle is set up for PayPal, if paying by check; the check must be received at IFP/Seattle offices at 1001 Lenora Street, Seattle,WA 98121by June 11, 2009.
Filmmakers – Through the NW Production Summit mentorship program, three filmmakers (directors and/or producers) will participate in the Pitch Slam and help the writers pitch their projects to the panel of visiting executives/judges.
Producer Selection – Guest producers will select their top four loglines and two alternates, and notify the PitchSlam coordinators of their selections via e-mail. In the event that a logline is selected by more than one producer, the logline will be granted to the producer whose e-mail arrived earliest. In such event, the remaining producer will then select from the alternates.
The Pitch Slam Event – The 3 filmmakers/writers pitch to the three guest producers in front of a live audience. Each writer/filmmaker team has 5 minutes to make their pitch and answer producer questions. Following the pitches, the three guest producers take five minutes to select their choice for the top pitch. A moderator conducts an audience vote for which writer/filmmaker team the audience felt had the best pitch. Then the producers announce their choice of best pitch. That team is awarded the “Greenlight Award.”
- Scott Nemes - VP of Production and Development for The Film Department (Black Christmas, The Experiment)
- Michael Besman - Producer (Seven Years in Tibet, The Opposite of Sex, Bounce, About Schmidt)
- Jason Shuman - Blue Star Entertainment (Four Dogs Playing Poker, I Hate Valentines Day)
Questions about the Pitch Slam should be directed to lacey@ifpseattle.org
