Overview

Returning for a second year in an expanded format, the Pitching Forum is offering one Emirati scriptwriter an opportunity to win 100,000 AED to turn his/her script into a feature film. Shortlisted from a wider pool of applicants, 10 finalists who have completed a feature-length script in the Arabic language will receive professional coaching in how to pitch a film script and then pitch their script to a panel of local industry judges. The online coaching sessions for the finalists will take place on Friday, 13 November, and Saturday, 14 November, over Zoom, and the live one-time pitching event will be held on Friday, 20 November 2020. Production of the selected film should take place in Sharjah in 2021. The Pitching Forum is supported by this year’s industry partner, Sharjah Media City (SHAMS) and learning partners, New York Film Academy and Grey Matter.

This year's Pitching Forum judges are: Youssef Abou Bakr, Head of Creative Development, Art Format Lab; Nawaf Al Janahi, director and scriptwriter; Manal Ali Bin Amro, director and scriptwriter; Hana Alshateri, director and producer; and Fagr Kassim Ali, Director, Media Sector Development, Sharjah Media City (Shams).

Application & Eligibility Criteria

If you wish to apply for this initiative, you must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• You must be an Emirati citizen with a completed feature-length script in the Arabic language that is ready to go into production.
• You must have a minimum of one director’s credit, which you can demonstrate by sharing a web link or movie file of a past film you have directed. Credits from both short and feature films are acceptable. Alternatively, if you do not have any directing experience you must have a director with at least one film on their resume who is attached to your submitted script.
• You must be available to participate in the online pitching coaching workshop during the first weekend of Sharjah Film Platform and attend (in person) the live pitching event at Sharjah Art Foundation on Friday, 20 November 2020.
• You must be available to go into production in Sharjah in 2021, and, with support from Sharjah Art Foundation and our industry partner Sharjah Media City (Shams), you must complete your feature film in the same year.

To apply, please send an email with your Arabic script submission and proof of at least one director’s credit to Jinan Coulter at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) by no later than 25 October 2020. Please note that we will not be able to accept any submissions after the deadline. For more information, please email the address above or phone 050 794 8020.

Industry Partner

Learning Partners