The Short Pitch Program will be held at Millenium Docs Against Gravity on May 12, 2024, in Warsaw, Poland, organised by the Institute of Documentary Film in cooperation with Millennium Docs Against Gravity and DAE - Documentary Association of Europe. The pitch presentation is in the form of a short, 8-minute presentation for each of the 5 short films in the rough-cut stage, followed by a Q&A.
After the pitch itself, projects will have individual meetings with the decision-makers consisting of sales, distributors and festival representatives. The event will include consultations with experts before the pitch, to improve their presentation skills and update the project pitch decks for the specific audience of decision makers.
This year's selected projects:
Hidden (dir. Monika Kotecka, PL, 2024, 18’)
Hidden is a portrait of women’s anxiety. An essay inspired by private stories and intimate feelings. Pondering the origins of anxiety, the inheritance of trauma and epigenetics.
Hole (dir. Danilo Stanimirovic, RS, 2026, 15’, 20’)
A gigantic excavator is like a hungry beast swallowing earth, coal and lignite. It is located at the bottom of a city-sized hole. On the edges of the hole, archaeologists are slowly discovering an ancient Roman town. While digging in different ways, at different paces, for different purposes, these two localities are living in some kind of symbiosis in which both are portals to different worlds.
Second Hand War (WT) (dir. Eluned Zoë Aiano, Anna Benner, DE, CZ, 2025, 17’)
The animated short documentary foregrounds wartime snapshots that didn’t make it to the history books, focussing on women’s experiences. The version of history portrayed is fragmented and contradictory, privileging the fragile poetry of human subjectivity over verifiable facts.
Signs of life (dir. Julia Kushnarenko, HU, BE, PT, 2024, 12’)
In a small workshop near Ghent, several taxidermists are trying to bring back to life the pets that passed away. Surrounded by stuffed animals is one live one, the dog Mia. She is very curious and always craves attention from her owners, but they spend all their time recreating a bygone life. The stuffed animal will never resemble a live pet, only its owner's projections can bring it to life in their head.
WORM EATEN (dir. Maja Markowska, PL, 2025, 10’)
The love story of a teenage girl and a man much older than her. The reunion of former lovers more than a decade after the breakup is a pretext for working through a pedophilic relationship. The main character is a now-30-year-old DI. We observe the world through her eyes through her dreams and flashbacks we learn about the story, the woman's gradual transformation, and eventually the rejection of guilt.
Part of the Short Pitch 2024 is also a case study: Navigating the journey of ‘Three Windows On South West’ short film with director-producer Mariia Ponomarova
When: May 12, 14:30
In this case study, we delve into the remarkable journey of the experimental documentary short film ‘Three Windows On South West’, crafted by the talented filmmaker Mariia Ponomarova. We'll explore how the concept of this film evolved from its initial inception to the final film that found its audiences worldwide. The story will take us through the phases of collaboration with distribution parties and festivals, where Mariia Ponomarova encountered key figures in the industry. This collaboration brought essential support for finding the right places that would support the project and created a strong platform for its success on the international festival circuit. We'll examine how various strategic collaborations shaped the journey of ‘Three Windows On South West’ and how Mariia approached it, navigating it both as a director and producer.
Short Pitch 2024 decision-makers:
Cecilia Björk works with the screening and distribution of films, as a producer for the non-profit art film organisation Film i Samtidskonsten, and with Tempo Documentary Festival, where she serves as a programmer for the international section.
Joanna Baranowska works as a film curator and creative coach, her main focus is the development of high-quality effective tools for supporting and strengthening emotional health and mental well-being in the film industry.
Anna Gawlita co-owner and chairwoman at KIJORA FILM. A member of the European and Polish Film Academy. Participant Berlinale Talents, ACE Mentoring, Eurodoc, Emerging Producers Programme, EKRAN + at Wajda School, Producers To Watch MIPCOM/DOC/TV.
Qila Gill Head of the Programme at the London Short Film Festival (LSFF), is a film industry professional whose research interests lie within the frameworks of fragility, sensitivity, inclusivity, ethnicity, ethical discourse, and embodiment.
Anna Grabo freelance filmmaker, art educator & curator. She has been a member of the collective cinema B-Movie for 10 years and is responsible for film programs and projection. She currently focuses on analogue techniques and utopian and dystopian parameters in the moving image.
Georg Gruber boasts over 15 years of experience in the film and media industries. Throughout his career, he has cultivated expertise in various domains, including production, financing, sales, and distribution.
Berry Hahn represents author-driven fiction and documentary features at the sales company Square Eyes. She regularly serves as a jury member and decision-maker on various international events.
Jaie Laplante has been the Artistic Director of DOC NYC, America’s largest documentary festival, since 2022. Before that, he served for 12 years as Miami Film Festival’s Executive Director and Director of Programming.
Andy Norton 2019 co-founded Raina, alongside award-winning documentary director Inka Achte, and Finnish production companies Tuffi Films & Aamu Film Company. Raina is a Helsinki-based company offering a professional, dedicated and tailored festival distribution service for high-quality documentary & short films. In just five years Raina's films have been selected for over 1000 festivals including Locarno, Berlinale & Venice.
Esther Van Messel headed Warner Bros. Israel and from 1992 produced feature films and documentaries in Zurich. Since 1998, she has run First Hand Films for production, global sales and theatrical distribution.
Mourad-Anis Moussa joined the Visions du Réel team during his studies, over the years, he has held various positions at the Festival, including publications manager, programme coordinator and Member of the selection committee. He is currently Co-Head of the programming office and a Member of the selection committee.
Adam Slesicki founder and president of The Władysław Ślesicki Film Foundation established in 2014; since 2015 head of DOC LAB POLAND, board member of the Producers’ Section at Polish Filmmakers Association.
Rada Sesič film curator and director. Head of the documentary competition at Sarajevo FF, and co-head of Docu Rough Cut Boutique. Head of Last Stop Trieste and programmer of documentary competition at Trieste FF.
Ania Trzebiatowska feature film programmer for the Sundance Film Festival, aside from that she runs Sands: International Film Festival of St Andrews in Scotland.
James George Webber is head of Dogwoof, a London-based documentary film company integrating production, sales, and UK theatrical distribution. Dogwoof has so far released 31 Oscar®-nominated documentaries, with five wins and an additional four BAFTA winners.
Justyna Fogler short films competition programmer, print traffic manager jury coordinator and film distribution manager at Millennium Docs Against Gravity Film Festival.
Mateusz Góra head of Communication and Short Competition Programmer at Millennium Docs Against Gravity Film Festival.
The Short Pitch 2024 projects may also receive one of the awards:
Silver Eye Award for a short documentary to support directors with innovative approach, authors of films that create social impact, filmmakers who dare to open discussion on serious topics, and creators offering unique points of view. The winner receives a trophy award, a cash prize of 1,500 €, and a year-long festival distribution service at East Silver Caravan.
Documentary Association of Europe is bringing the DAE Talent Encouragement Award the award consists of a bespoke consultation and DAE memberships for one year for the film team.
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