Talking Fresh Cuts With Yasmin Suteja
PLUS, WE ANNOUNCE THE FRESH CUTS 2024 DECISION MAKER AND MENTOR LINE-UP
Earlier this year, photographer and director Yasmin Suteja participated in AIDC 2023’s inaugural Fresh Cuts Documentary Pitch with her project Dying to Succeed. Her pitch was about the experiences of a comedy influencer – her brother, Kai Suteja (@urmumsyadad) – being diagnosed with cancer and the systemic challenges he faced being self-employed while dealing with a chronic illness. The pitch garnered interest from publications and production companies. Since then she has continued to develop the project with skills she picked up while participating.
Fresh Cuts opens the door for creatives to hone their skills and bring their ideas to life. The initiative, presented by Screen Australia and AIDC, invites pitches for documentaries in development that reflect a diversity of interests, concerns, dreams and desires that will appeal to and engage audiences aged 15 – 35. The shortlisted projects are eligible for up to $30,000 in development funding and mentorship.
We spoke to Yasmin about her experience at the conference earlier this year. Read the full interview below.
What was it like participating in AIDC?
Participating in AIDC was an exciting challenge that provided me with so many of the tools that I now apply in my work. I discovered AIDC whilst doing an AFTRS short course in documentary. After my short course I decided to look into the Fresh Cuts opportunity, and sent in my application. I was thrilled to be notified that I was a finalist and would be travelling to Melbourne to present a live pitch to an audience and panel. I was one of five director-slash-teams with very different films and unique approaches. We each presented a live pitch accompanied by a sizzle reel. It was such a great experience getting to pitch and also watch other teams. The panel included representatives from the ABC, New York Times, SBS and VICE.
Do you have any advice for this year’s Fresh Cuts applicants thinking about applying?
My advice is to try and get access to previous pitches and / or watch live pitches where you can online. It’s a unique way of pitching and I learned a lot about being concise and engaging in the lead up to presenting.
You’ve mentioned online that Fresh Cuts has been ‘career changing’. In what ways?
Fresh Cuts put me in touch with some incredible mentors … I’ve had weekly chats with [one of the mentors] since engaging him as EP for the development phase. I’ve learned so much about writing and story structure that I now apply to all of my work. This is the sort of mentorship I was seeking out and I am very grateful for the resources I’ve gained access to through Fresh Cuts.
What are the next steps for your project Dying to Succeed?
The next steps are to finalise my development deliverables which include a treatment and sizzle reel. Then I am looking to use those assets to apply for production funding.
Do you have any other upcoming projects in the documentary space?
Dying to Succeed is keeping me very busy at the moment. But I have a few documentary projects I’d like to develop once I’ve completed this.
Are there any creators whose documentary work you think we should be looking out for?
Gabriel Gasparinatos, whose documentary Against All Odds, about Australian drill rap pioneers ONEFOUR, is on Netflix now.
You can find out more about Yasmin’s work at yasminsuteja.com or on Instagram (@yasminsuteja)
DYING TO SUCCEED
Yasmin Suteja and decision maker panel, Fresh Cuts Documentary Pitch, AIDC 2023 | Photo: Melissa Butters
2024 FRESH CUTS DECISION MAKERS AND MENTORS ANNOUNCED
We’re also pleased to announce the decision maker panel for the 2024 Fresh Cuts Documentary Pitch at AIDC on Sunday 3 March, 2024.
The line-up contains an array of important players in the documentary shorts space, including Opal H. Bennett, Senior Producer, POV / Executive Producer, POV Shorts, American Documentary, Inc. (USA); Christine Kecher, Senior Commissioning Editor, The New York Times Op-Docs (USA); Sarah Lash, Senior Director of Acquisitions, Condé Nast (USA); Hollie Fifer, Director of Australian Programs, Doc Society (Australia); Chloe Cassidy, Executive Producer – Development, ABC (Australia); Mia Falstein-Rush, Program Manager, Melbourne International Film Festival (Australia), Cieron Cody, Investment & Development Manager – Documentary, Screen Australia (Australia), and Louise Cocks, Investment & Development Manager – Online, Screen Australia (Australia).
Prior to the Fresh Cuts Pitch at AIDC 2024, moderated by Anu Hasbold (Development Producer, Sweetshop & Green), our newly announced Fresh Cuts mentors Yvonne Ashley Kuadjo (Series Producer, The New York Times Op-Docs, USA) and Jess Langely (Senior Producer, Truce, Australia) will offer bespoke pitch training and feedback to all selected pitching teams.
You can learn more about all the Fresh Cuts Decision Makers and Mentors HERE.
The Fresh Cuts Documentary Pitch session will take place on Sunday 3 March during AIDC 2024 and is open to attend by all registered delegates.
Applications are open for Fresh Cuts 2024 until the submissions deadline of Thursday 16 November 2023. Successful applicants will be notified by Friday 22 December 2023.
Main Image: Yasmin Suteja, Fresh Cuts Documentary Pitch, AIDC 2023 | Photo: Melissa Butters