The Channel 4 Doc/Fest First Cut Pitch 2019

The PRIZE

The successful director will receive the following:

• A 1 x 60’ First Cut commission offer in 2019/20
• One month fully-paid development and mentorship with an indie (£5,000 development cash) to further develop either your own idea OR the indie’s, paid for by the Channel 4, which supports new talent and creative diversity.
• One week’s NFTS training (plus wages for that week) paid for by Channel 4, which supports new talent and creative diversity.

The PITCH

Five shortlisted directors will vie to prove that they are ready to take on the challenge of an hour-long, post watershed doc for Channel 4 by presenting a 3 minute documentary film that answers an editorial brief set by Channel 4 for this event. These short docs will be a unique opportunity for the directors to showcase their ability to tell a captivating factual story, find and develop great contributors and work effectively in an edit.

Each director will introduce, show and discuss their films in front of an audience and a panel of executive producers, established directors and Rita Daniels, Commissioning Editor for First Cut. Together they will decide – in front of the Sheffield audience – whom they think is the most promising director and award the prize at the end of the pitch event.

In the interests of fairness, Channel 4 will support each shortlisted director with a £500 production budget and one day with an editor at a post- house of Channel 4’s choosing to polish their films. The brief will be announced along with the finalists on Friday 5th April 2019

The ENTRY PROCESS

Applicants will need to submit an up to date CV, answer three questions about their career and their documentary influences and passions and, finally, pitch a First Cut doc idea that they could see broadcast on Channel4.

The aim of this stage is to understand where applicants are in their career, get a better sense of their documentary sensibilities and assess their understanding of what a Channel 4, post watershed documentary might look and feel like.

Applicants for the Channel 4 Sheffield Pitch must be available to attend Sheffield Doc/Fest, 6th -11th June 2019. If you cannot make this commitment you are not eligible to enter the pitch competition.

All five finalists will be given a Day Delegates pass to the festival and up to £50 towards travel. 

Please complete the application form and, along with your CV, e-mail it to sheffieldpitch@channel4.co.uk  before midnight on Sunday 31st March 2019.  No late applications will be accepted.

The five shortlisted directors will be announced by Friday 5th April 2019 at 6pm.

 WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

• This is not an entry level pitch.  A commitment and passion for television documentary needs to be clearly evident and ideally also experience of working in television production at the DV Director/ Senior AP level. You must be UK-based, and be able to take up a freelance placement with a production company of Channel 4’s choice.
• Anyone working within factual television who has not directed their own documentary hour on network television – for clarification this means BBC, (including BBC3), ITV, Channel 4 and Five – is eligible.
• Because of their house-style nature, those with director credits for single episodes of returnable series such as 24 Hours in A&E may be considered.
• Directors who have directed hours for a regional broadcaster such as BBC Northern Ireland or Scotland but have not had their film broadcast across a network are also in the running.
• Recent film school graduates or those from alternative background such as editors or photographers will be considered but they will need to prove their passion and technical skill to the same standard as those who are more experienced or conventional backgrounds.

The PRIZEWINNER

• Unless the applicant is in a staff role at a production company, each applicant will be considered a freelancer with no particular affiliations with an indie until formally agreed with C4.
• The winning individual should tell C4 of a preferred independent production company with whom they would like to make their film.
• Applicants who are in a permanent staff role at a production company may complete the development period at their production company if developing their own idea, but this does not guarantee that this is where they will produce the final film.
• The development portion of the prize has been costed at £5000 including one month’s full-time work at a rate of £750/week. This can be adapted to suit the project and filmmakers’ other commitments but there will be a 4 month greenlight window to get the First Cut film commissioned.
• In the event that the prize-winner has an idea that C4 would like to commission, they will develop and produce the film with an indie to be agreed with the Channel. Should the prize winner NOT have an idea for their First Cut commission they will either develop an idea already successfully pitched to First Cut by an indie or have 4 months in which to develop their own idea in close consultation with C4 and an indie.

For any queries please email sheffieldpitch@channel4.co.uk