DocsBarcelona Public Pitch
Let me remind you that when DocsBarcelona started 22 years ago all pitching sessions were public. When the EDN launched the workshops in The South of Europe, with the support of the EU Media Programme, the first one took place in Granada. Joan Gonzalez, director of DocsBarcelona, was there, he pitched (not really a success!) and took the event to Barcelona. 10 years later a festival was started after years of screenings and meetings with filmmakers, that is what today is called masterclasses.
After years of speed meetings between filmmakers and decision makers the public pitch is back – in a combination with speed meetings. This morning – professionally moderated by Catherine Olsen and in a fine set up with 25 panelists sitting at tables and an (not that big) audience attending, creating atmosphere by supporting those who present their fllm projects on stage. There were 9 of them – 6 more will perform tomorrow – and should I highlight, from my biased seat in the audience, a couple, it would be “They Call me Torero” directed by Inma de Reyes and produced by Aimara Reques, the first one a student from Edinburgh with Emma Davie as teacher, the second “the mother” of Viktor Kossakovsky’s marvellous “Aquarela”, that opened the DocsBarcelona more than a week ago. AND the Brazilian “Samuel and the Light” by Vinicius Girnys, the director’s first film about kids at a place, where electricity arrives. Poetic touch in the trailer. The Public Pitch started with a safe card, Peter Torbiörnsson’s “Ninosca” from Nicaragua produced by another veteran, Stina Gardell. Swedish Torbiörnsson has charisma, he does not pitch the usual way, he adresses the audience in a personal way. That film about the troubled life a woman growing up in a macho culture will definitely be good.
The panel… some with good comments, some just said “thank you for the pitch, we can talk later…”. That was the same 22 years ago!
