Pitching for success with the Galway Film Fleadh
Good writing is the key requirement for success in the annual Galway Film Fleadh Pitching Competition which is open to applicants until Thursday, June 9. That’s according to the organisation’s Annette Maye.
Since it was first held in 2005, the Pitching Competition has focused on quality writing and on giving writers the chance to break into a notoriously tough industry.
Previous winners of this competition include Will Collins, in 2007 for My Brothers. Three years later, the Fleadh opened with My Brothers and since then Will has written the Oscar-nominated Song of the Sea.
By hosting this long-running competition Galway Film Fleadh aims to encourage budding screenwriters and filmmakers with ideas (at any stage of development) to get their vision out there and develop the crucial craft of ‘the pitch’, according to Annette, who is one of two Film Fair Co-ordinators with the Fleadh.
In the film industry ‘the pitch’ is how a person conveys their passion for their project to others. It doesn’t matter how good a writer’s idea is unless he or she can convince a director, producer, or financier of its merits, she adds.
For this year’s Pitching Competition, people are asked send a 500-word written pitch (from beginning to end – cliff-hangers are not welcome!) outlining their idea. Any genre of feature drama, documentary or animation will be considered.
Up to 10 finalists will then be selected to pitch their idea in front of an audience and a panel of industry experts on Sunday, July 10, when each finalist will have 90 seconds.
The winning entry will receive a €3,000 cash prize and be announced at the awards ceremony in the Town Hall Theatre that evening.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.