Do you have a pitch-ready project for AIDC?
Cut to the Chase is AIDC’s curated marketplace, carefully matching producers and decision makers for optimum outcomes with no time-wasting.
Scheduled in-person during AIDC, Monday 2 March – Thursday 5 March 2026 (AEDT), or virtually during our online international marketplace, Wednesday 11 – Thursday 12 March 2026 (AEDT), Cut to the Chase allows decision makers and projects to make meaningful connections through one-on-one meetings.
Submitting your project is easy, and free for anyone with a Business Pass or All Access Pass, with all documentary and factual formats considered across film, broadcast, digital media and audio.
The most compelling market-ready projects will be selected for curated short meetings with local and international decision makers participating in AIDC 2026, including commissioning editors, acquisitions executives, distributors and sales agents, plus other financiers and funders.
Cut to the Chase submission deadline: 23:59 AEDT Friday 23 January 2026
(Late deadline 23:59 AEDT Friday 30 January 2026)
Submissions made by the Friday 23 January 2026 deadline will be prioritised for marketplace meetings.
Please Note: You must register for AIDC 2026 by purchasing a Business Pass / Online Business Pass or an All Access Pass / Online All Access Pass in order to submit a project for Cut to the Chase. [Buy a Pass]
Passholders are invited to submit up to two (2) projects. Either two (2) screen projects or one (1) screen project and one (1) audio documentary project per pass.
Submitting your project is easy and free for anyone with a Business Pass / Online Business Pass or an All Access Pass / Online All Access Pass, with all projects then considered for curated in-person and online meetings with local and international decision makers and production companies participating in AIDC 2026.
- The deadline for Cut to the Chase Submissions is 23:59 AEDT Friday 23 January 2026, with late submissions accepted until 23:59 AEDT Friday 30 January 2026.
- Submissions made by the 23 January deadline will be prioritised for marketplace meetings.
- You must purchase a Business Pass / Online Business Pass or an All Access Pass / Online All Access Pass to submit your project. [Buy a Pass]
If your project has been selected for Cut to the Chase meetings, AIDC will contact you no later than a week before the event confirming your meeting schedule.
Please note that Decision Makers are seeking projects with market potential, and due to high demand, meeting time availability, and project suitability, Cut to the Chase meetings cannot be guaranteed for all projects submitted.
Decision Makers attending AIDC 2026 will be announced 30 October 2025. More decision makers will join the list up to the late submission deadline of 30 January 2026.
Key creatives attached to the submission will need to be registered with an AIDC Business Pass / Online Business Pass or an All Access Pass / Online All Access Pass in order to participate in pitch meetings. [Buy a Pass]
SUBMISSIONS FOR CUT TO THE CHASE 2026 OPEN THURSDAY 30 OCTOBER 2025.
Questions? Email pitch@aidc.com.au
Click the button below to submit a project for Cut to the Chase.
First Deadline: Friday 23 January 2026, 11:59 pm (AEDT)
Late Deadline: Friday 30 January 2026, 11:59 pm (AEDT)
- Cut to the Chase Submission Guidelines .pdf format
- Cut to the Chase Submission Guidelines .docx format
Please Note: Submissions made by the 23 January deadline will be prioritised for marketplace meetings.
To complete your application you will first need to register for a free MY AIDC account (or login to your existing account). The application form link above will prompt you to register (or login) to your MY AIDC account before you are able to access and complete your form. Please contact info@aidc.com.au if you encounter any issues.
“[AIDC’S CUT TO THE CHASE] IS A CRUCIAL AND UNMISSABLE PART OF OUR MARKET CALENDAR, WHICH IS WHY I NEVER MISS AN EDITION. THE ACCESS IT GIVES ME TO AUSTRALIAN PRODUCERS – WHO ARE REALLY PRODUCING AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL – IS UNMATCHED.
“EVERY YEAR, THE AIDC TEAM PULL OFF AN EVENT THAT DELIVERS PROFESSIONALLY AND YET ALSO FEELS LIKE HOME. IT HITS THE SWEET SPOT IN ATTRACTING COMMERCIALLY VIABLE DOCUMENTARIES THAT ARE MADE WITH PURPOSE AND INTEGRITY.”
– KAZZ BASMA, HEAD OF SALES AND ACQUISITIONS, SIDEWAYS FILM (UK/SPAIN)
AIDC’s Cut to the Chase program offers additional tailored opportunities for producers seeking further support for their projects thanks to a suite of partnered pitch initiatives.
To be eligible to participate in any of the below opportunities, delegates must submit a project to Cut to the Chase by:
- Deadline – 23:59 AEDT, Friday 23 January 2026
- Late deadline – 23:59 AEDT, Friday 30 January 2026
Do you have a feature documentary in development? Shark Island Foundation is inviting pitches for feature-length documentaries (75+mins) to share in up to $100,000 in development grants as well as four placements to participate in a new Shark Island Kangaroo Valley Development Lab set to launch in 2026. To be considered for the pitch, apply via the Cut to the Chase application form.
AIDC will feature marketplace opportunities dedicated to Indigenous practitioners with Indigenous-led market-ready projects. The marketplace will be highly competitive, pairing the best projects submitted to AIDC with local and international decision makers specifically looking to work with Indigenous creatives.
The Cut To The Chase curated pitch is © 2020 Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC).