15 | 3 | 2023
Calling all queer filmmakers – Pitch, Pleez! returns for a fifth year!
Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF), Australia’s largest and oldest celebration of queer film is calling on queer filmmakers to submit their short film proposals for the 2023 Pitch, Pleez! competition – an annual event awarding $10,000 in cash for the winning pitch.
Pitch, Pleez! is proudly supported by VicScreen and provides queer filmmakers with the opportunity to create a short fiction, documentary, or web series pilot by pitching their idea to MQFF. Winners receive a $10,000 cash prize to help fund the project and an All-In-Pass to the annual Melbourne Queer Film Festival. The winning film will also be featured at the Opening Night of MQFF’s main festival in November 2023.
Applications close on Friday 14 April 2023 and successful applicants will be invited to pitch their idea to a panel of judges at a live “Pitch Off” event.
Chief Executive Officer of MQFF, David Martin Harris, says “MQFF has a long history of supporting local queer filmmakers through our Industry Days, MQFF Awards and funding programs like Pitch, Pleez! We’re proud to once again be offering a $10,000 cash prize to the next generation of queer filmmakers”.
“Pitch, Pleez! has become a highlight of the MQFF calendar. There are so many Australian queer stories waiting to be told, and this program is designed to give diverse voices a platform – we encourage any filmmaker with a great idea to pitch to us.”
Last year’s winner, Graveyard Shift by Morgan Flint and Jamie Tram, saw their animated short film premiere at MQFF’s 2022 Opening Night Gala at ACMI. “MQFF helped us prove what independent animation can accomplish with the funding it deserves. It was a privilege to bring this queer animation to life, and we’re still extremely humbled by this opportunity”, says Morgan Flint.
VicScreen CEO, Caroline Pitcher, says “VicScreen is proud to continue its support of this dynamic pitching competition, amplifying queer voices and phenomenal stories. Looking at Morgan Flint and Jamie Tram’s spectacular animation last year, it is clear that Pitch, Pleez! has a history of unearthing electric new talent. The competition is a fantastic opportunity to bring your stories to life, and we encourage creatives to get involved!”
For more information and application criteria, visit mqff.com.au/pitchpleez
