4-day Intensive on Pitching, Packaging, Grant Writing & Festival Strategy.
This workshop is designed to help emerging filmmakers refine their pitch materials, improve their pitching skills, develop a strong festival strategy, and build an effective festival distribution package.
Through hands-on exercises, peer collaboration, and industry insights, participants will leave with a well-rounded pitch package and a clearer path for their projects all while strengthening your project's industry appeal.
Location: DGC AB offices: #812 7015 Macleod Tr SW, 8th floor, Calgary, AB, T2H 2K6.
What to Expect & workshop Content
By the end of this workshop, you will:
✔️ Build a compelling pitch package that aligns with your vision.
✔️ Create impactful visual materials to enhance your project’s presentation.
✔️ Develop a clear festival strategy tailored to your project’s strengths.
✔️ Gain insight into grant writing and prepare a competitive application.
✔️ Practice and refine your verbal pitch skills with live feedback.
modules
Project Foundations
Participants will introduce themselves and their projects in an open discussion format. Through guided feedback, we will identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement in each project, providing strategies for refining and strengthening them.
Pitch Decks & Pitch Package Essentials
A pitch deck is a crucial tool for attracting interest in your project—it must be visually engaging and align with your film’s creative vision. We will:
Break down the key elements of a strong pitch deck (logline, synopsis, director’s vision, lookbook, etc.).
Workshop loglines, synopses, and other essential content through guided exercises.
Analyze graphic materials and industry expectations, including what producers, distributors, and sales companies look for in projects in development.
Graphic Design Basics for Filmmakers
While your story is the most important element of your project, strong visual materials help sell your idea. In this session, we will:
Discuss fundamental design principles to elevate your pitch deck and poster.
Compare effective vs. ineffective design in film marketing.
Workshop and present materials for peer feedback, then revise based on constructive critique to improve visual impact.
Festival Strategy & Project Packaging
Understanding the festival circuit is crucial for a successful release. We will cover:
What makes or breaks a festival strategy and how to create one.
The key materials programmers expect from selected projects.
How to identify the right festivals for your film.
How to strategize once selected, maximize opportunities, and plan for your next film’s success.
Networking strategies.
Grant Writing
Securing funding is a crucial step in bringing your project to life. In this session, you will:
Learn what makes a strong grant application and how to tailor it for success.
Analyze real guidelines from Calgary Arts Development to understand funding criteria.
Draft a grant application, receive peer feedback, and refine it for submission.
Live Pitch Practice
Pitching is a skill that improves with practice. In this session, participants will:
Deliver a live pitch using their refined materials.
Receive constructive feedback from peers and instructors.
Make final adjustments to ensure their pitch is clear, engaging, and industry-ready.
At the end of this workshop, you will walk away with:
A polished pitch package & festival strategy.
A refined grant application ready for submission.
A starter pitch deck & film poster.
Hands-on pitching experience with feedback.
INVESTMENT $350
You can book with 50% upfront and finalize the week of the workshop.
E-transfer and Credit card accepted.