Invitation to all member networks for WIFTI Worldwide Pitch

WIFTI WORLDWIDE PITCH
Dedicated to the impact of our global community
Based on the belief of making us all love & live
In a peaceful environment

WIFTI hereby invites every chapter worldwide to contribute with one project each to be pitched at a global WIFTI Worldwide Online Pitch Event on December 12, 2022.

The selected projects must meet the following –

Criteria:
• be female or non-binary character driven
• be in early script, treatment or long synopsis development stage with female or non-binary writer, director and preferably a producer attached

Format:
• only WIFTI member chapters can submit
• only one fiction feature project can be submitted per chapter
• WIFTI chapters make their own selection process to find their contributing project
• WIFTI chapters are responsible for uploading pitch video file and sending all non-video materials of their selected project (see Checklist) at the latest by deadline 
November 20th 2022

Checklist:
• 2-3 min. video pitch (all files must be named as follows: 
name of chapter_project title);
• short synopsis – half page A4/size 12 text;
• short story motivation – half page A4/size 12 text;
• moodboard – 1 page;
• short 100 word bio for each project team member (writer, director, producer);
• all these documents are to be collected in one file
• an ‘Acceptance & Contact Form’ must be signed by invited applicants giving WIFTI the rights to review their projects and share the materials.

How to submit:
If your chapter is interested in submitting a project, write to Regina at regina@wifti.net to request the submission form and link to uploading platform.

Each chapter is encouraged to promote diversity and fairness in their local selection processes.

For their pitch videos, projects are encouraged to identify and address possible aspects of inclusion, otherness, sustainability and equality in their stories.

The individual pitch video content must mainly focus on motivation (why you/why now), story core and the audience vision and context of the project.

It’s mandatory for every WIFTI chapter that presents a project to be pitched, to also present a high-profile person or a decision-maker (producer, financier, sales agent, distributor, studio rep, etc.) who commits to attend as an active pitch peer at the WIFTI Worldwide Pitch in mid December (date tba).

The aim of hosting this worldwide pitch event is to give global visibility and peer support to the participating projects.

For questions about The WIFTI Worldwide Pitch, please reach out to WIFTI Board Member & Co-Chair of WIFTI Industry Committee Tsiako Abezadze on tsiako@wiftcaucasus.org 

Kind regards,

Helene Granqvist
WIFTI President
On Behalf of WIFTI Industry Committee

WIFTI Worldwide Webinars in collaboration with We Are Warming Up

 We are stoked about this collaboration between our WIFTI Worldwide webinars and Warming Up Storylab to continue our focus on climate change and the film world.

“It’s an exciting opportunity for our members to learn more about sustainability and storytelling”, says WIFTI President Helene Granqvist.

The lab is part of We Are Warming Up, a movement inviting film & tv creatives to engage with climate change in profound, inspiring and actionable ways. Warming Up Storylab aims to provide creatives with the cools, network and community to do just that. 

As storytellers we hold a powerful key to engaging a wide audience with climate change in a meaningful, entertaining and actionable way. The urgency of which, after a bone dry and wildfire ridden summer, hardly needs stressing. Apart from sustainable production, our biggest impact comes through the stories we tell.



So let’s get to it! Join this year’s Warming Up Storylab, which will be a crash course on working with climate change in new, powerful and entertaining ways. This fantastic line up of speakers will leave you inspired by the opportunities this dire moment in time holds for us storytellers.

Autumn Programme of WIFTI Worldwide Webinars in collaboration with Netflix

We are excited about a new collaboration with Netflix’s Fund for Creative Equity which gives us the opportunity to run a series of industry workshops this autumn. The workshops will revolve around Netflix as a gate opener for storytelling and new voices.

This initiative is a space for our members to network and was created with the ambition to foster possibilities for entering the fast-paced, dynamic story market. Our goal is to help the unique voices of our members to reach the world.

“We are delighted that Netflix acknowledges the importance of a network like WIFTI and understands the need to support new voices entering the ecosystem“, says Helene Granqvist, President of WIFT International.

This work emanates from the work of the WIFTI Industry Committee led by board members Tsiako Abesadze (WIFT Caucasus) and Brigitte Monneau (FCTMN Montreal). Thanks to them for their hard work!

Chris will delve into what exactly makes a television pitch work at Netflix. In this tailor-made workshop, he’ll discuss the essentials you’ll need to catch Netflix’s eye and will zero in on how to write an effective pitch document. He’ll pose questions you’ll be able to answer and communicate for your series and give you ideas on how best to communicate your show’s overview, world, tone, and characters. Chris will then discuss how season summaries should be built and give you ideas on how to think about and present potential episodes. Finally, you will have the invaluable opportunity to ask Chris your own questions. 

You will leave this presentation with the understanding of how to structure and present your series, not in theory, but directly from the source.

To maximize impact, prior to attending the workshop, please watch the Spiderman Multiverse, Two Popes, and Gladiator.

In this interactive Q&A session, Teresa Moneo will share her own journey, answer questions and give advice touching on the Netflix ecosystem.

There will be a link to send questions in advance to Teresa in the September newsletter. The conversation will be moderated by WIFTI president Helene Granqvist.

THRIVE at WIFTI Summit 2022

Celebrating the Women in Film & Television International’s 25 year anniversary, the 2022 WIFTI Summit will take place as an online event happening from Lagos/Nigeria on August 30th and 31st, 2022.

This year’s WIFTI summit is the first one on the African continent ever and it will be part of the African Creative Market (ACM), an event that brings major stakeholders in the African and international creative industries together for creative trade.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the WIFTI Summit will hold as an online event with a delegation of WIFTI members in Lagos while members of WIFT chapters all over the world connect online for talks, networking, and panels.

His Imperial Majesty the Ooni of Ife is supporting the WIFTI Summit as we explore cross-cultural storytelling.

Our ongoing goal for the annual WIFTI event is to strengthen every single member within our thriving global network so the programming of the 2022 Summit will be as inclusive and multifaceted as always while honouring our 25th anniversary.

For questions about the Summit, please contact Nicole Ackermann nicole.ackermann@mounamouna.com or Inya Lawal inya@ascendss.com.

WIFTI at ACM

The Africa Creative Market is an agile creative market event that brings major stakeholders in the African and international creative industry together to explore and exchange innovative ideas for Africa’s creative economy, provide training for African creatives, share future-proof business models, provide access to trade finance, increase creative export and standards; and promote data-led understanding of creative trade.

The 2022 ACM will host the Women in Film and Television International (WIFTI) Summit, several capacity building and training programs for creatives in Film, Music, Dance and Fashion.

Program

Tuesday, August 30th:

09.30-12.00pm Global film industries & structures: keynotes by representatives from France/EU, US (Hollywood), Bollywood, United Arab Emirates;

followed by Q&A, roundup and takeaways.

12.00-01.00pm Lunch

01.00-03.00pm FWIFT Nigeria panel: new Nollywood & old Nollywood

03.00-05.00pm Thrive Masterclass 1 “Entertainment is serious business” (1hr open for all Thrive participants, 1hr breakout sessions for Thrive

participants’ sections)

05.00-06.00pm WIFTI Summit: Opening WIFTI Summit, WIF LA 25th anniversary program

06.00-07.00pm WIFTI Summit: Panel with streaming platforms (Like: Paramount+, Netflix, Amazon, Disney, Apple+ from around the world)

07.00-08.00pm Dinner

08.00pm: Fashion show

Wednesday, August 31st:

09.30-12.00pm African film industries & structures: Keynotes by representatives from Nigeria (Nollywood), South Africa, Morocco; followed by Q&A, roundup and takeaways.

12.00-01.00pm Lunch

01.00-02.30pm WIFTI Summit: Dialogue with international and African film finance organizations

02.30-03.30pm WIFT Brasil

03.30-05.30pm Thrive Masterclass 2 “How to establish your brand locally and globally” (1hr open for all Thrive participants, 1hr breakout sessions for Thrive participants’ sections)

04.30-06.30pm WIFTI Summit: Virtual networking hosted by WIFT Germany (queens’ tables)

06.30-07.00pm WIFTI Summit: Closing WIFTI Summit

07.00-08.00pm Dinner

08.00pm: Awards Show