I. Overview of Project Pitches
Based on the “Project Pitches Transaction Platform”, the BJIFF Beijing Film Market Project Pitches is committed to exploring the talented filmmakers with creative potential, searching for excellent Chinese films, and creating a comprehensive trading platform integrating investment, production, marketing and promotion for high-quality film projects. The Project Pitches includes the script projects category and the WIP projects category, which will invite industrial experts and scholars to form a review committee to create a collaborative space for financing services required at all stages of film production through project selection, professional training, roadshow, cooperative negotiation and international promotion. The excellent films selected will be fully docked with the elements of film industry chain so as to ultimately incubate outstanding works with market potential.
This year, in order to gradually improve the young filmmakers training system, the BJIFF Project Pitches will introduce a special support fund for young filmmakers for the first time. The winning projects will be recommended to this support fund through the BJIFF Project Pitches section, so as to help projects quickly dock with the market and turn ideas into films.
Meanwhile, the BJIFF Project Pitches will extend its cooperation with the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) and the Beijing International Sports Film Week, aiming to market the market more segmented and subjects and contents more diversified.
II. Submission Conditions
Submission conditions for script projects:
1. Scope of project solicitation: Chinese film projects;
2. The feature film has a full script that can be filmed, and should provide a one-sentence overview of less than 100 words, a synopsis of less than 5,000 words, and a complete script;
3. The film has not yet begun shooting, and the financing has not yet been completed;
4. Projects that have not participated in other film markets or pitch activities will be preferred;
5. Projects that can provide previous film and television productions will be preferred;
6. The film project must have the potential for public release in China and have commercial or artistic value.
Submission conditions for WIP projects:
1. Scope of project solicitation: Chinese film projects;
2. The feature film has completed the project filing, and has obtained the film production license;
3. The feature film has a full script that can be filmed, and should provide a one-sentence overview of less than 100 words, a synopsis of less than 5,000 words, and a complete script;
4. The film has begun shooting, but the production has not been officially completed, which is in the stage of shooting or post-production, and still needs financing or promotion resource cooperation;
5. The film has the director, producer and production company, and the filming began no later than February 28, 2023;
6. The film has a complete production budget and shooting plan, and provides a complete project plan;
7. Film trailers of about 10 minutes are required (An online link and password should be provided);
8. An overview of the project development phase is required (within 200 words);
9. The film project must have the potential for public release in China and have commercial or artistic value.
Submission conditions for sports projects of the Beijing International Sports Film Week:
1. Scope of project solicitation: Chinese sports film projects;
2. The feature film has a full script that can be filmed, and should provide a one-sentence overview of less than 100 words, a synopsis of less than 5,000 words, and a complete script;
3. The film has not yet begun shooting, and the financing has not yet been completed;
4. Projects that have not participated in other film markets or pitch activities will be preferred;
5. Projects that can provide previous film and television productions will be preferred;
6. The film project must have the potential for public release in China and have commercial or artistic value.
III. Award Setting
The 14th BJIFF Project Pitches will set eight honorary projects:
The script projects category will eventually select one project for the “Jury Special Recommendation Award”, one for the “Project with Greatest Commercial Potential”, one for the “Best Original Script Award”, and one for the “Best Creativity Award”;
The WIP projects category will eventually select one project for the “Most Investment Value Project Award” and one for the “Team with Greatest Potential Award”.
The “Chief Producer” team of the BJIFF Project Pitches, which is composed of representatives from various film and television companies, will select one for the “Most Marketable Focus Award”.
One sports project will be selected to have access to the “Beijing International Sports Film Week · Sports Film Project Support Fund” for the Project Pitches section.
The BJIFF Organizing Committee will grant the corresponding support and awards to the honorary projects. All projects shortlisted for the final-round roadshow will be awarded the title of “Outstanding Pitching Projects of the BJIFF”.
IV. Selection Process
The BJIFF Beijing Film Market Department will select projects that meet the General Rules for Project Pitches and provide complete materials from the submissions on the BJIFF official website to enter the selection process. The selection consists of three rounds. The jury of the first-round selection will select no less than 30 outstanding projects from all eligible script projects and no less than 10 outstanding projects from all eligible WIP projects for the second-round review; the jury of the second-round review will select 20 script projects for project negotiation, among which the top 10 will enter the final-round roadshow and review. Meanwhile, the top 6 WIP projects will be shortlisted for the final-round roadshow, negotiation and final-round review. The selection process for sports projects of the Beijing International Sports Film Week is basically the same as that for script projects. Related information of the shortlisted projects will be published in the Handbook for Project Pitches of the 14th BJIFF and websites for promotion. Representatives of the shortlisted projects (2 persons at most for each project) will be invited to participate in the relevant training of the BJIFF Beijing Film Market, and give an overall presentation of their projects at the roadshow. The final-round jury members will select one for the “Project with Greatest Commercial Potential”, one for the “Best Original Script Award”, one for the “Best Creativity Award” and one for the “Jury Special Recommendation Award” from the script projects, and select one for the “Most Investment Value Project Award” and one for the “Team with Greatest Potential Award” from the WIP projects. The “Chief Producer” team of the BJIFF Project Pitches will select one for the “Most Marketable Focus Award” from the script projects and the WIP projects. All projects shortlisted for the final-round roadshow will be able to conduct one-on-one business negotiations with potential partners through the reservation function of the BJIFF official website.
V. Participation Approach
All applicants must make sure that their projects meet the General Rules for the 14th BJIFF Project Pitches, and they should submit complete project materials via the BJIFF official website (http://www.bjiff.com). If there is any omission or inaccuracy of the materials submitted, the project application will not be accepted.
The registration for the 14th BJIFF Project Pitches will close at 12:00AM of February 23, 2024, Beijing time, and the WIP projects may submit supplementary materials before 12:00AM of March 1, 2024, Beijing time. The BJIFF Beijing Film Market Department will evaluate the entries, and determine the list of shortlisted projects.
After the shortlisted projects are announced, the BJIFF Beijing Film Market Department will get in touch with the project parties through the “Applicant/Contact Person” information of the application form. Projects that are not confirmed within the prescribed time will be deemed as an automatic waiver of eligibility, and will be replaced by the subsequent projects. (Please make sure that you provide a valid email address and phone number on the application form).
Representatives of the shortlisted projects (2 persons at most for each project) will be invited as “Creator Guests” of the BJIFF Beijing Film Market to participate in relevant events of the 14th BJIFF Beijing Film Market for free. The “Creator Guest” card can only be used for events related to the BJIFF Beijing Film Market, and representatives who wish to take part in other events of the 14th BJIFF may query the related information on the BJIFF official website (http://www.bjiff.com).
Representatives of the shortlisted projects must participate in the roadshow training, roadshow rehearsal and other activities arranged by the BJIFF Beijing Film Market Department. The representatives of each project will give an overall elaboration of 15 minutes, including a 10-minute project presentation and 5-minute Q&As with the jury. The project parties are required to prepare their own speech materials (materials are limited to the PPT or Keynote format, and video materials can be inserted into their speech materials). All speech materials should be submitted to the BJIFF Beijing Film Market Department for review in advance. The Organizing Committee will uniformly schedule the roadshow of Project Pitches, and provide basic projection facilities.
Representatives of the shortlisted projects are required to guarantee a full day for one-on-one business negotiations. All negotiations should be scheduled in advance through online reservations. If there are still time slots, you may ask the staff of the BJIFF Beijing Film Market Department to arrange reservations on site.
VI. Legal Statement
A pitching project shall be submitted by the only authorized representative with the legal rights of the project, and the project submitting party and the only authorized representative shall have the obligations: to ensure the originality and legitimacy of the project, and to fully own the related ownership, copyright and other rights of the project; to make sure that the submitted project and related information do not prejudice the interests of any third party; and to ensure the authenticity and accuracy of the submitted project and related information. The pitching project party shall bear the legal and economic responsibilities arising from the above reasons. In case of any third-party disputes arising therefrom, the pitching project party shall settle the disputes by themselves and bear all the responsibilities. Besides, the pitching project party shall bear all compensation liabilities for losses to the BJIFF Beijing Film Market and related parties. Once the filming of shortlisted projects is completed, the Organizing Committee shall reserve the right to add “BJIFF” words or logo to the opening/closing credit titles of the films, and the signing arrangement shall be confirmed in writing by the BJIFF Beijing Film Market Department in advance. The documents, materials and information submitted by the authorized representatives of the shortlisted projects, if they involve confidential content, shall be specified and explained in writing when submitted to the BJIFF Beijing Film Market, otherwise they shall be deemed as non-confidential content. The BJIFF Beijing Film Market Department has the right to use the registration information, project image-text materials and special materials and information of the pitching project parties for the following purposes, including but not limited to: publishing on the Proceedings for the BJIFF Beijing Film Market (electronic edition), the Handbook for the BJIFF Project Pitches (electronic edition) and the BJIFF official website; on-site release of the BJIFF Beijing Film Market in the form of promotion materials; and use in the audio and video promotion materials of the BJIFF and the BJIFF Beijing Film Market. If time permits, the award-winning project parties shall have the priority to participate in the screening, competition, opening and closing ceremonies, red carpet and other related events of the BJIFF.
The BJIFF Beijing Film Market Department shall carefully handle the registrant information, and the relevant staff shall ensure the security of the submitted information, preventing it from being lost, leaked and damaged. The pitching project parties shall be liable for the storage, confidentiality and information security of the relevant information held by themselves.
Related presentations and negotiations for the BJIFF Project Pitches are all independent opinions expressed by all parties. The presentations, explanations and negotiations made by all parties in these events do not represent the views of the BJIFF and the BJIFF Beijing Film Market, and shall not be guaranteed by the BJIFF and the BJIFF Beijing Film Market.
The BJIFF Organizing Committee reserves the right of final interpretation of all activities for the BJIFF Project Pitches.
VII. Contacts
Registration channel: http://www.bjiff.com
Project Pitches consultation: projectpitches@bjiff.com wipproject@bjiff.com
Consultation on other matters: filmmarket@bjiff.com
Tel: +86 15510010851 +86 18500377391