The Australian Film Commission (AFC), in conjunction with the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC), will introduce a new initiative designed to match Australian documentary makers' most innovative ideas with national and international acquisitions executives at the AIDC in Melbourne, 13-16 February 2006.
MeetMarket will provide an opportunity for creative and original ideas to be fast-tracked in a supportive, structured setting. Selected documentary ideas will be presented in one-minute pitch teasers made available online to local and international buyers. After viewing the teasers, buyers will meet with selected project teams in a 'market' environment during the AIDC.
The AFC's Manager Marketing Sabina Finnern said, "The AFC is delighted to present this new initiative, aimed at the innovative spectrum of the documentary community. The AIDC offers the ideal platform for documentary makers to meet with international buyers and to further their projects. We see our involvement as a crucial contribution to the ongoing development of the Australian film industry and welcome the inclusion of web-based, interactive broadband and cross-platform projects."
MeetMarket is open to all documentary makers and projects - from feature documentaries and television series to specialised genres like natural history, science, arts and new media. MeetMarket projects need to be concise, succinct and have international appeal - engaging the executives' interest within 60 seconds. Projects will be chosen by an international committee and selected producers will be offered scheduled meetings with domestic and international executives appropriate to their financing needs.
Over 30 commissioning editors and executives are expected to attend the 2006 conference, with AIDC Director Heather Croall commenting, "We already have 20 international buyers committed for Melbourne and are still five months away from the event. Initiatives like MeetMarket are a great way to make sure they all get to meet as many Australian documentary makers as possible while they are here. MeetMarket is a fantastic complement to the existing marketplace opportunities at AIDC such as DOCUmart, Pitch and Punt and the countless one-on-one meetings that happen over the four-day conference."
Guidelines and application forms for MeetMarket may be viewed online at www.aidc.com.au/meetmarket/index.html
Applications close Friday 4 November 2005.
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