Proudly presented by Film Victoria, AIDC’s 5th annual FACTory pitching event is transforming!
No longer a single central pitch, the retooled FACTory 2020 contains three strands – Forum Pitches, Rough Cut Sessions, and the New Talent Pitch – and is now open to documentary and factual projects from development right through to rough cut stage, across features, singles, and series, both limited and returnable.
AIDC has seen an increased number of international decision makers attending each year and FACTory 2020 is designed to ensure greater exposure for each selected project.
The result – more tailored feedback from industry experts and increased opportunities for business outcomes from some of the world’s most sought-after decision makers in documentary and factual.
Successful projects pitched at previous FACTory editions include Richard Lowenstein’s Mystify: Michael Hutchence, Annie Goldson’s Kim Dotcom: Caught in the Web, Dan Goldberg’s Food Fighter, and China Love produced by Media Stockade.
FACTory 2020 will take place during AIDC 2020, 1-4 March at State Library Victoria, Melbourne, Australia.
For projects in development and production, FACTory 2020 Forum Pitches will be organised with a new focus on genre to ensure the best possible visibility to commissioners, funders, streamers, networks, distributors, sales agents and more. Entry is open to feature films, singles, short-form, and series.
Applicant Eligibility
- Australian and international filmmakers are eligible to apply.
- Individuals, teams or companies may apply.
- Applicants must be the rights holder in the work.
- Applicants must be 18 years of age or over.
- There is a fee to cover handling & administration of your application.
- Entry for each project must be submitted via the FACTory portal (see below).
Project Eligibility
- Entry is open to feature films, singles, short-form, and series.
- Projects should be at development or production stage (projects in post-production may be eligible for the FACTory 2020 Rough Cut Sessions – see separate Submission Guide).
- Projects need to be recognised factual or documentary formats intended for broadcast and distribution. The Australian Content Standard defines documentary as ‘a program that is a creative treatment of actuality other than a news, current affairs, sports coverage, magazine, infotainment or light entertainment program’ See Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) website.
FACTory 2020 projects should also closely identify with at least one of the following genres:
- Arts
- Culture
- Geopolitics
- History
- Music
- Natural History
- Politics
- Science
- Society
- Sports
- Technology
- Wildlife
If successful, applicants will receive a 10% discount on their registration and will be required to purchase an All Access Pass or Gold Pass to pitch. See relevant Submission Guidelines for full details.
Download the FACTory 2020 Forum Pitches Submission Guide here
Projects including a first-time director or first-time producer will immediately be considered for the FACTory 2020 New Talent Pitch, providing AIDC an opportunity to showcase the brightest new talent to decision makers and production companies from all over the world. First-time directors with a documentary or factual project (feature, single, or short-form) in development through to production across any genre will automatically be considered for this category.
Applicant Eligibility
- Australian and international filmmakers are eligible to apply.
- Individuals, teams or companies may apply.
- Applicants must be the rights holder in the work.
- Applicants must be 18 years of age or over.
- There is a fee to cover handling & administration of your application.
- Entry for each project must be submitted via the FACTory portal (see below).
PLUS
- The director or producer must be presenting their first major documentary or factual work (excluding shorts).
- The director or producer may have experience working in XR, online, commercials, fiction, or theatre, and previous credits in these fields will not disqualify them.
- The director or producer may have experience working in documentary, factual, or unscripted production, in roles other than their primary credit on the submitted project (e.g. cinematographer, editor, assistant director, etc).
Project Eligibility
- Entry is open to feature films, singles, short-form, and series.
- Projects should be at development or production stage (projects in post-production may be eligible for the FACTory 2020 Rough Cut Sessions).
- Projects need to be recognised factual or documentary formats intended for broadcast and distribution. The Australian Content Standard defines documentary as ‘a program that is a creative treatment of actuality other than a news, current affairs, sports coverage, magazine, infotainment or light entertainment program’ See the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) website.
If successful, applicants will receive a 10% discount on their registration and will be required to purchase an All Access Pass or Gold Pass to pitch. See relevant Submission Guidelines for full details.
Download the FACTory 2020 Forum Pitches Submission Guide here
For projects in post-production, AIDC is introducing the FACTory 2020 Rough Cut Sessions, a new closed-to-public program of rough cut screenings for invited decision makers only. This has been specifically designed to close financing gaps, and secure sales, distribution and festival opportunities.
Applicant Eligibility
- Australian and international filmmakers are eligible to apply.
- Individuals, teams or companies may apply.
- Applicants must be the rights holder in the work.
- Applicants must be 18 years of age or over.
- There is a fee to cover handling & administration of your application.
- Entry for each project must be submitted via the FACTory portal (see below).
Project Eligibility
- Entry is open to feature films, singles, and series (returnable or limited) at post-production stage that will not be completed before AIDC in March 2020.
- Applicants must submit 20 minutes of footage, which can comprise of either a length of consecutive film or an assembly of sequences (approximately 5 minutes each), provided in a single streamable link.
- Applicants must submit a full treatment, a director’s statement, a producer’s statement, and an audience engagement plan (i.e. pathway to market and audience).
- In addition to the primary materials submission, you may supply a trailer or teaser of up to three minutes.
- Projects need to be recognised factual documentary formats intended for broadcast and distribution. The Australian Content Standard defines documentary as ‘a program that is a creative treatment of actuality other than a news, current affairs, sports coverage, magazine, infotainment or light entertainment program’ See Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) website.
If successful, applicants will receive a 10% discount on their registration and will be required to purchase an All Access Pass or Gold Pass to pitch. See relevant Submission Guidelines for full details.
Download the FACTory 2020 Rough Cut Sessions Submission Guide here
“MANY OPPORTUNITIES AROSE FROM PITCHING AT THE FACTORY. IT CATAPULTED THE PROJECT INTO OTHER MARKETS AND PUT IT ON THE RADAR OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SALES AGENTS, DISTRIBUTORS, AND BROADCASTERS. THE ENVIRONMENT WAS SUPPORTIVE AND PROFESSIONAL. CONNECTIONS WERE MADE THAT HAVE TURNED INTO ONGOING RELATIONSHIPS. I HAD A BLAST.”
– TESS HUTSON
WRITER/DIRECTOR, A PLACE TO STAND
All FACTory project submissions are independently assessed by a panel of highly experienced international professionals.
Projects are assessed and shortlisted based on the following criteria:
- Strength and originality of the project;
- The commercial viability of the project in the marketplace;
- The track record of the creative team and any finance in place
Providing visual materials (trailer, teaser, or footage from the project) is highly recommended.
MEET THE 2020 ASSESSMENT PANEL
“PITCHING AT THE FACTORY IS AN EXCELLENT WAY OF GETTING MOSTLY INARTICULATE FILM-MAKERS TO FACE THEIR DEMONS AND FOCUS ON THE VIABILITY OF THEIR PROJECTS TO KEY PLAYERS IN THE INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC MARKETPLACE … [IT] WAS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF GHOST BEING ABLE TO FINANCE OUR FEATURE DOC MYSTIFY: MICHAEL HUTCHENCE AND ENABLING IT TO GO INTO PRODUCTION.”
– RICHARD LOWENSTEIN
PRODUCER, LAY MY BODY DOWN;
DIRECTOR/PRODUCER, MYSTIFY: MICHAEL HUTCHENCE
Entry to the FACTory is competitive, so please ensure pitches are original ideas that appeal to targeted market buyers and are of both Australian and international relevance.
Applications for FACTory 2020 are now open!
Regular Deadline:
Friday, 13 December 2019 at 23:59 AEDT
Submission cost $50.00 per project
Late Deadline:
Wednesday, 18 December 2019 at 23:59 AEDT
Submissions cost $60.00 per project
Strictly no applications will be accepted after 23:59 AEDT Wednesday 18 December 2019.
APPLY FOR FACTORY 2020 HERE
This year, three international documentary festivals and markets are offering prizes for FACTory pitches.
- Dok Leipzig (Germany) // Pitch prize: two free passes for one team
- DMZ Docs (South Korea) // Pitch prize: two free passes for one team plus accommodation
- Doc Edge (New Zealand) // Pitch prize: two free passes for one team
Winners will be selected from FACTory 2020 pitch sessions across the Forum pitches, New Talent pitch and Rough Cut screenings, and announced at the AIDC 2020 Closing Night Party.
Decision makers from the following organisations have participated in previous FACTory editions –
| PBS (USA) American Documentary | POV (USA) BBC Storyville (UK) Cinereach (USA) ARTE (FRA) National Geographic (USA) Al Jazeera Media Network (MAL) Sundance Institute (USA) France Télévisions (FRA) A&E (USA) CuriosityStream (USA) SVT (SWE) YLE (FIN) | NHK (JAP) Dogwoof (UK) Submarine Entertainment (USA) Autlook Film Sales (AUT) Visions du Réel (CHE) Doc Edge (NZ) SBS (AUS) ABC (AUS) VICE Australia (AUS) Madman / Docplay (AUS) Flame Distribution (AUS) Beyond Distribution (AUS) |
Do you have an XR project? Got an idea for an interactive documentary?
XR and interactive creators are encouraged to contact the Marketplace team to register interest in other market opportunities. Send your name, contact details to [email protected].
