“Smallville” producer Mike Tollin is among a panel of seasoned executives who will judge pitches from 10 aspiring filmmakers in a new offering at the La Costa Film Festival called “The Reel Pitch.”
The best pitch will win its storyteller the opportunity to refine their tactics under the guidance of one of the judges and then deliver it to one of Mandalay Sports Media studio partners and make a sale.
“We are thrilled to make The Reel Pitch a key part of our 2015 festival offerings,” Michael and Ruby Callihan of LCFF said in statement Tuesday. “It’s one thing to screen new work from exciting young filmmakers, but there’s an entirely different pride we take in literally helping to germinate creative ideas on a foundational level like this. By the time The Reel Pitch wraps, every finalist and every audience member is going to walk out of the room with fresh ideas of how to pitch, what to pitch, and to whom.”
“As the LCFF continues to grow we wanted to use our reach to cultivate the next generation of filmmakers, giving new and distinct voices a platform that they ordinarily may not have,” Mandalay Sports Media co-chair Tollin (above left) added.
Registration for The Reel Pitch opened Tuesday. To enter, filmmakers are invited to deliver an initial five-minute pitch via Film Freeway. The submission period closes on July 31, followed by the first round of judging. Finalists will be alerted no later than August 17, allowing for plenty of time to make arrangements to deliver their pitch live at The Reel Pitch on September 12.
The La Costa Film Festival opens Thursday, September 10 at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California.