Applications for The FACTory closed 13 December 2020. Submitters will be notified of their outcome by mid-January 2021.
Proudly presented by Film Victoria, The FACTory is AIDC’s international pitching showcase for new documentary and factual projects.
Up to 15 projects with strong market potential will be selected to pitch to international and local decision makers across three strands: Central Showcase, New Talent Showcase and Rough Cut Showcase. Decision makers come from a range of backgrounds and include funders, buyers, broadcasters, sales agents and distributors.
Evolving to a virtual event in 2021, The FACTory has been reconfigured to harness its full online capability. Shortlisted teams will have the opportunity to present their work in front of the largest contingent of international decision makers ever to participate in AIDC!
In 2021 The FACTory is an expanded program featuring:
- a record number of international decision makers assessing and providing feedback on each project;
- access to more extensive online pitch training conducted by experienced screen practitioners;
- greater opportunity for one-on-one meetings with key international decision makers.
AIDC has supported more than 60 project teams to participate in The FACTory across its six-year history. Don’t miss your chance to pitch to the people that can help realise your vision!
Applications for The FACTory closed Sunday 13 December 2020.
The FACTory’s Central Showcase is designed to present experienced project teams to international decision makers, including commissioners, funders, streamers, networks, distributors, and sales agents. Projects in development and production demonstrating strong international potential will be automatically considered for this showcase.
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 and 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’s Rough Cut Showcase – refer to the submission guidelines below for this strand).
- 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’. For more info, visit the ACMA website.
Your project should 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 be required to purchase an All Access Pass (insert price) to pitch. Refer to relevant submission guidelines for further details.
The FACTory’s New Talent Showcase is designed to present the brightest new screen talents to decision makers and production companies around the world. Projects in development and production featuring a first-time director or first-time producer will be automatically considered for this showcase.
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 and 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 Central 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’s Rough Cut Showcase – refer to the submission guidelines below for this strand).
- 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’. For more info, visit the ACMA website.
Your project should 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 be required to purchase an All Access Pass to pitch. Refer to relevant submission guidelines for further details.
The FACTory’s Rought Cut Showcase is designed to present projects that need to close financing gaps, and secure sales, distribution and festival opportunities. Projects in post-production are featured as part of a new private rough cut screening program, which is only open to invited decision makers.
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 and 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 2021.
- Applicants must submit up to 20 minutes of footage (max), which can comprise of either a length of consecutive film or an assembly of sequences (approximately 2-5 minutes each), provided in a single streamable link. Please do not submit an entire film.
- 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 Central materials submission, you may supply a trailer or teaser of up to three minutes.
- If selected, the team will have 15 minutes to pitch (approximately 5 minutes for a verbal pitch and 10 minutes of footage).
- 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’. For more info, visit the ACMA website.
If successful, applicants will be required to purchase an All Access Pass to pitch. Refer to relevant submission guidelines for further details.
All submissions for The FACTory are independently assessed by an assessment committee of four highly experienced screen professionals hand-picked by AIDC.
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 project’s international appeal;
- The track record of the creative team and any finance already in place.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to provide visual materials (trailer, teaser, or footage from the project) as part of their submission.
“I WAS DELIGHTED TO TAKE PART IN THE FACTORY SESSIONS AT AIDC. IT’S A FANTASTIC WAY TO SEE SOME OF THE CREAM OF INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY MAKING AND THE SHEER RANGE OF SUBJECTS AND DIRECTORIAL STYLES ON SHOW IS REALLY IMPRESSIVE. IT WAS ALSO HUGELY WORTHWHILE TO MEET A WIDE RANGE OF FILM MAKERS.”
– DAVID HARRON
COMMISSIONING EXECUTIVE, FACTUAL, BBC SCOTLAND
UPDATE: Applications for The FACTory closed 13 December 2020. Submitters will be notified of their outcome by mid-January 2021.
Entry to The FACTory is competitive so please ensure your projects are original ideas that appeal to targeted buyers across the international and local markets.
Please refer to the individual submission guidelines (see above) for the Central Showcase, New Talent Showcase and Rough Cut Showcase before submitting your application/s.
Regular Deadline: Wednesday 9 December 2020 at 23:59 AEDT
Submission cost $50.00 per project
Late Deadline: Sunday 13 December 2020 at 23:59 AEDT
Submissions cost $60.00 per project
Late applications will not be accepted.
Applications closed Sunday 13 December 2020 at 23:59 AEDT.
Each year, selected AIDC partners award prizes to the strongest pitches presented as part of The FACTory showcase. These prizes can be awarded across the Central Showcase, New Talent Showcase or the Rough Cut Showcase.
The FINCH Prize
This prize recognises and supports quality documentary storytelling from culturally diverse filmmakers. The prize comprises four weeks of in-kind post production facilities and/or services by FINCH in Sydney – including grade, online and mastering to the value of $45,000 AUD. Projects must have a confirmed pathway to audience or distribution agreement in place to be eligible.
FINCH is an Australian production company with a passionate team that uses the power of documentary as a tool to express bold and insightful visions of the world around them. The company’s credits include Chef’s Table, Machine, The Meddler (El Metido) and the upcoming Girls Can’t Surf.
Doc Edge (New Zealand)
2 x complimentary All Access Passes to Screen Edge Forum. One project will also be selected to participate in Doc Edge Pitch.
Hot Docs (Canada)
1 x complimentary pass for one project to the 2021 event.
Sheffield Doc/Fest (United Kingdom)
2 x complimentary industry accreditations for one project to the next festival, which will be delivered in a hybrid format in June 2021. The accreditations will be valid for online or physical attendance.
In 2021, there will also be a separate prize for the New Talent Showcase:
Sunnyside of the Doc (France)
2 x complimentary passes for one team plus a 2-hour online mentoring session for the winning project team. The accreditations will be valid for online or physical attendance.
All prize winners will be announced at the 2021 AIDC Awards Night which will be livestreamed via AIDC’s online event platform as well as to eight venues around Australia. Go here for more information on how to attend.
To help you prepare your best possible pitch for The FACTory, Getty Images have partnered with AIDC to provide you – absolutely free – the footage clips you need to help make your application successful.
The Getty Images online library has over 13 million footage clips on every subject imaginable – from movements and protests that define humanity, to wildlife, climate change and much, much more. You can search by keywords, filming technique, viewpoints and composition, among other options.
