Thirteen project proposals out of 45 unique submissions have been selected for the Open Pitching Sessions at Durban Wild Talk Africa, which runs at the Docklands Hotel & Conference Centre from 23 to 26 July.
Producers of each of the 13 selected projects will have a five-minute slot to pitch to an experienced panel. Each proposal will be critiqued and will receive invaluable feedback and of course, stand the chance of being commissioned.
The projects are: Osprey, Jacob Steinberg; African Hunting, Trimaphilm; It’s a Wild Life, Okuhle Media; Elephant Soldier, Bars Media; Cute to Killer, Goddunnit Promotions; Moving Sushi, Cooked in Africa; East Africa Marine Transect, Good Work Picture Company; Birth of a Predator, Silver Fish Productions; Lionise, Sinamatella; To Skin a Cat, Scholars and Gentlemen; What’s the Frack?, Francis Hweshe; Unearthed, Stage 5 Films; and Fearless, Double Rainbow Productions.
There will be two Open Pitching Sessions. The best pitch on the day stands the chance to win a Delegate Pass to Jackson Hole 2013 (worth $1,200) and two Delegate Passes to Wildscreen 2014 (worth £600 each).
The remaining projects will have the opportunity to join the Speed Pitching Session. Like speed dating, commissioners and producers are rotated to meet each other over a series of short “dates’ lasting three minutes, in which time each participant will get a chance to pitch their idea.
The panel includes: Allison Bean – managing director, Off The Fence; Chris Cole – executive producer, BBC; Thandi Davids – director Broadcasting & Sales Fox International Channels; Laurent Flahault – commissioning editor, TÃlà Visions (France Televisiones); Helen Hawken – commissioning editor, Discovery; Masahiro Hayakawa – executive producer of NHK Cosmomedia; Nothando “Thando’ Shozi – head of the Factual Genre, SABC; Vyv Simson – Commissioning Editor and Creative Director NHU Africa; Chris Fletcher – director of Sales and Programming Earth Touch; Jordan Hall – manager of Development National Geographic WILD; Neiloe Khunyeli – production and development manager NFVF; Thomas Matzek – deputy head of NHU- ORF; Monde Twala – group head: e.tv Channels Division; Mark Wild – development lead BBC NHU; David Makubyane – content editorial manager TopTV; and Edwina Thring, managing director, Wild Thring Media.
Anyone interested in speed-pitching should email Lailah.Orrie@wildtalkafrica.com
