AFFS Road Test Pitch Forum
Following the successful Virtual Feature Film Summit in October 2021, an in-person Forum took place at the end of the Australian International Movie Convention in Sydney, May 2022. Designed to facilitate a valuable information exchange between the often-siloed parties of the screen industry , the event aspired to further develop ideas for working together more effectively to ensure the success and growth of the theatrical film sector.
The innovative Road Test Pitch Forum developed in partnership with the Compton School, took centre stage at the May event providing creatives with an insight for the first time on how exhibitors, small and large, select and program films for their specific audiences.
A shortlist of 10 producers, with films covering a wide range of genres, pitched their early-stage feature film ideas to a panel of major and independent exhibitors and received in-session feedback on their pitch. Movie Convention delegates in the audience were also surveyed for their response and those responses provided to the filmmakers. Importantly, the forum provided exhibitors with exposure to how (and why) filmmakers develop particular ideas for the big screen.
The esteemed panel of exhibitors included Michelle Gater (General Manager Programming at HOYTS Group), Alex Moir (Head of Marketing at Palace Cinemas), Claire Gandy (General Manager of Content at Event Cinemas), Ingrid Van Den Berghe (Managing Director of Luna Palace Cinemas), Sasha Close (Program Manager at Brisbane & Gold Coast International Film Festivals) and Kieren Dell (Chief Executive of Majestic Cinemas Qld & NSW).
The filmmaker participants unanimously agreed that the panel of exhibitors provided them with useful feedback, with 91% saying that the Road Test assisted in identifying the audience for their film.
After the event, filmmaker participants said:
“It was a fantastic experience and it really helped us hone in on the core aspects of the film, the market, the distributors and exhibitors.”
“It was an excellent opportunity to hone our project and pitch with an audience-facing focus. It [our film] has always been intended for a wide audience but it was a great chance to test this with some exhibitors who have immediate feedback and brought that thinking to the forefront”
“The pitch forum gave us confidence to back our own ambition.”
“I loved the experience, the insight and opportunity this summit gave us with our project.”
“It reaffirmed that the project had commercial potential.”
The Road Test Pitch Forum was an initiative of the AFFS in conjunction with the Compton School and with the support of Screen Australia and all state screen agencies. The top three producers from the initiative were invited to participate at the 2022 MIFF 37 South Market.
What audience do they see for your film? Will they book your film? How well do they think it will perform in a release?