Tag Archive for: Pitching Lab

PITCHING LAB 2026

DISFF PITCHING LAB is an intensive workshop for presenting film projects (pitching), designed for directors, screenwriters and producers who wish to strengthen their presentation skills and promote their projects both in the Greek and International market. The Lab takes place during the Drama International Short Film Festival in September 2026.

Participants receive specialized training in pitching techniques, as well as guidance for presenting their film projects efficiently and networking in the framework of a film industry event. The workshop focuses on short fiction films, documentaries, and animation projects. The Festival covers accommodation and meals for all participants.

Upon completing DISFF PITCHING LAB, participants present their film projects to Greek and international industry professionals, such as producers, financiers, distributors, and festival programmers and engage in one-to-one meetings with DISFF’s Short Film Hub professional guests.

Additionally, cash prizes are awarded for at least two (2) of the participating projects.

Deadline for applications: April 20, 2026, 23:59 EET

TO APPLY CLICK HERE

Required info/materials

  1. Director’s, producers and screenwriter’s contact details (email & phone number)
  2. Project Title
  3. Logline (max. 40 words)
  4. Synopsis (max. 150 words)
  5. Screenplay with max. duration 20’ (for fiction projects) or film treatment with max. duration 30’ (for documentaries). The screenplay should be an advanced draft. Animation projects are accepted in both categories.
  6. Director’s note (min. 300 words)
  7. Genre, duration (approx.), confirmed production country/ies
  8. Director’s, producer’s and screenwriter’s CV (max. 150 words each)
  9. Financing plan with confirmed and pending funding sources

Additional materials (if available):

  1. Audiovisual material in support of the project (i.e. moodboard, teaser, shooting locations, cast etc.)
  2. Links from director’s filmography

All materials must be sent in a single PDF file, named as projecttitle_directorlastname. The attachment should not exceed 15MB in size.

The selection of the projects is made with an emphasis on the following:

– Originality and narrative virtues of the script
– Artistic approach
– Feasibility of the project

Terms & Conditions

– Applications are accepted for short film projects with a duration of up to 20 minutes for fiction or 30 minutes for documentaries. Animation projects are accepted in both categories.

– Applicants must have an excellent command of the English language, as the workshop is conducted entirely in English.

– The deadline for submissions is April 20, 2026, at 23:59 EET. Late submissions will not be accepted.

– Applicants are allowed to submit only one proposal. Proposals that have been resubmitted in previous years or different versions of them will not be accepted.

– The Festival covers accommodation costs, and applicants are responsible for their own travel expenses.

– Applicants must be the holders of the intellectual property rights for the proposal they submit. In case the submitted script is based on an existing source, they must have secured the relevant rights from the rights holder.

– Applicants must be at least 18 years old.

– The names of the participants will be announced by June 2026, on the DISFF website. The Festival may select up to ten (10) projects for participation in the LAB.

– By submitting the application, applicants agree to the use of their names and any promotional material related to their project for publicity purposes.

– The Festival reserves the right to alter the above terms if deemed absolutely necessary for the smooth running of the workshop.

TO APPLY CLICKHERE

For more information, please contact the Drama Film Festival Office:

info@dramafilmfestival.gr
Athens Office: +30 210 3300309
Drama Office: +30 25210 47575

pitching results-post

Pitching Lab – Announcement of selected projects DISFF48

12th DISFF Pitching Lab

The Pitching Lab team and the Drama International Short Film Festival, are pleased to announce the projects selected to participate in the 12th DISFF Pitching Lab, which takes place in the purview of the Short Film Hub.

This year’s participation exceeded all precedents with a total of 161 project submissions; a record number of proposals, which bears testament to the heightened interest of filmmakers and reflects the dynamics that the DISFF Pitching Lab has developed over the years. Amongst numerous promising projects from filmmakers with distinctive cinematic voices, the following ten were selected, standing out not only for their artistic quality but also for their thematic and stylistic diversity:

List of selected films

  • WINDBAG (Greece)
    Written and directed by Fivos Imellos
    Produced by Konstantinos Gourgiotis
  • AS IF I HAD YOU NEXT TO ME (Greece)
    Written and directed by Despina Ladi and Olga Stefatou
    Produced by Yiannis Karpouzis
  • CHARLOTTE (Albania)
    Written by Ylljet Alicka
    Directed by Vangelis Chatzopoulos
    Produced by Teo Film
  • CLIMATE CHANGE (Georgia)
    Written, produced and directed by Tamta Gabrichidze
  • EO1 (U.K/ U.S.A./ Greece)
    Written and directed by Ruby Mastrodimos
  • HAPPY NEW 1994! (Serbia, Romania, Slovenia, Croatia, North
    Written, produced and directed by Ivan Milosavljević
  • MOM IS ALIVE (Greece)
    Written by Isavella Aivalioti
    Directed by Antonis Goumas
    Produced by Maya Skopetea
  • MOONLIKE (Italy)
    Written by Francesco Lorusso and Patrizia Manconi
    Directed by Francesco Lorusso
    Produced by Ivan D’Ambrosio
  • TAPLINE CINEMA (Jordan, Spain)
    Written, produced and directed by Hadi Shatat
  • WHO IS SINGING? (Kosovo)
    Written and directed by Ana Morina
    Produced by Anita Morina

pitching results-post

DISFF Pitching Lab is an intensive pitching workshop designed for directors, screenwriters and producers who wish to develop and promote their short film projects in the Greek and international market. Beloved filmmakers such as Manolis Mavris, Thelyia Petraki and Aris Kaplanidis have previously participated in the DISFF Pitching Lab with projects that have subsequently shaped into successful films.

This year’s selection reflects our intention to showcase different cinematic genres – from social dramas to dark comedies and hybrid documentaries – as well as to reinforce narratives that dare to explore complex and ever topical issues: identity, loss, coming of age, intergenerational relationships, the sway of individuals over the course of history, love and violence, through new narrative and aesthetic approaches.

The works selected reflect our commitment to support filmmakers who attempt to reinvent the way we tell stories, opening up the cinematic discourse to new voices, forms and perspectives. It is an invitation to converse with the past, with what lies beyond, with ourselves and with human relationships that seem more fluid than ever before.

A cinema that dares to dive deeper, to take risks and search beyond the obvious, where memory meets the urgency of real life, seeking, through the power of art and imagination, meaning around faith, consciousness, memory and mortality.

p2025

OPEN CALL

12TH DISFF PITCHING LAB
48th Drama International Short Film Festival

The Drama International Short Film Festival, as part of the activities of the Short Film Hub, organizes DISFF PITCHING LAB for the twelfth consecutive year, aiming to train young film professionals in pitching techniques, present their projects to potential funders, and network with industry professionals.

DISFF PITCHING LAB is a five-day workshop that takes place during the Drama International Short Film Festival, which this year will be held between September 8-14, 2025.

Participation in the workshop is free of charge. Participants are offered accreditation, which provides them with free entry to screenings, masterclasses, and other activities of the Festival.

Physical presence in the city of Drama is mandatory throughout the duration of the workshop, as well as participation in two (2) online sessions that will take place before the Festival.

Deadline for applications:
April 30, 2025, 23:59 EET


About DISFF PITCHING LAB

DISFF PITCHING LAB is an intensive workshop for presenting film projects (pitching), designed for directors, screenwriters, and producers who wish to develop and promote their projects both in the Greek and International market.

Participants receive specialized training in pitching techniques, as well as guidance for developing their film ideas. The workshop focuses on short fiction films, documentaries, and animation projects.

Upon completing DISFF PITCHING LAB, participants present their film projects to Greek and international industry professionals, such as producers, financiers, distributors, and festival programmers.

Additionally, cash prizes are awarded for at least two (2) of the participating projects.

Here you can watch four (4) educational videos discussing the art of pitching, and get introduced to the trainers of DRAMA PITCHING LAB, Barbara Dukas, Georgina Kakoudaki, and John Stephens.


Submission Process & Required Documents

All project submissions must be completed by filling out and submitting this online form.

No other submission methods will be accepted.

Deadline for submissions: April 30, 2025, at 23:59 EET.

Required info/materials:

  1. Logline (max. 40 words)
  2. Synopsis (max. 200 words)
  3. Director’s note (min. 300 words)
  4. Director’s, producer’s and scriptwriter’s CV (max. 200 words each)
  5. Director’s, producers and scriptwriter’s contact details (if applicable)
  6. Genre, duration (approx.), production country/ies
  7. *Script with max. duration 20’ (for fiction projects) or film treatment with max. duration 30’ (for documentaries). The script can be a first draft. Animation projects are accepted in both categories

*Scripts must be sent in a single PDF file, named after the project title. The attachment should not exceed 15MB in size.

Additional materials (if available):

  1. Audiovisual material in support of the project (i.e. moodboard, teaser, shooting locations, cast etc.)
  2. Links from director’s filmography

 The selection of the projects is made by the trainers of the workshop, with an emphasis on the following:

  • Originality and narrative virtues of the script
  • Artistic approach
  • Feasibility of the project

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

  1. Applications are accepted for short film projects with a duration of up to 20 minutes for fiction or 30 minutes for documentaries. Animation projects are accepted in both categories.
  2. Applicants must have an excellent command of the English language, as the workshop is conducted entirely in English.
  3. The deadline for submissions is April 30, 2025, at 23:59 EET. Late submissions will not be accepted.
  4. Applicants are allowed to submit only one proposal. Proposals that have been resubmitted in previous years or different versions of them will not be accepted.
  5. The Festival covers accommodation costs, and applicants are responsible for their own travel expenses.
  6. Applicants must be the holders of the intellectual property rights for the proposal they submit. In case the submitted script is based on an existing source, they must have secured the relevant rights from the rights holder.
  7. Applicants must be at least 18 years old.
  8. The names of the participants will be announced by May 31, 2025, on the DISFF website. The Festival may select up to ten (10) projects for participation in the LAB.
  9. By submitting the application, applicants agree to the use of their names and any promotional material related to their project for publicity purposes.

The Festival reserves the right to alter the above terms if deemed absolutely necessary for the smooth running of the workshop.