The 2021 edition of North Pitch -Below Zero took place as an online workshop, where the projects were sent to a selection of decision makers after the workshop. We will be back with a full version in 2022. The call for projects is now open, and the deadline is November 29.

NORTH PITCH — Below Zero is an international pitching session for documentary projects focusing on life above the Arctic Circle.

The event will take place from 19-22 January 2022.

The NORTH PITCH — Below Zero program

The program will consist of the following elements:

• a pre-pitching workshop where the selected projects will be developed under guidance from experienced international experts from the documentary business. The workshop will focus on how the project can be developed in the best possible direction and how the presentation of the project can be optimized. During the workshop, there will be a possibility to work with both the pitch trailer and the written presentation.
• a project presentation where each project will be presented to a selection of decision makers.

Panelists 2021:

Anna Weitz, Swedish Film Institute

Katja Härkönen, Filmpool Nord, Sweden

Frank Piasecki Poulsen, Danish Film Institute

Freja Johanne Nørgaard Sørensen, DR Sales, Denmark

Eirin Gjørv & Klara Nilsson Grunning, Norwegian Film Institute

Fredrik Færden, NRK, Norway

Liisa Holmberg, International Sámi Film Institute, Norway

Iris Olsson, Finnish Film Foundation

Natalia Arshavskaya, Current Time TV, USA

Andrea Hock, Autlook Filmsales, Austria

Rudy Buttignol. Knowledge Network, Canada

Sabine Bubeck-paaz, ZDF-ARTE, Germany

Name TBC, BBC

Anna Svensson – NNFS, Norway

The NORTH PITCH - BELOW ZERO Tutors:

An essential part of the Below ZERO is the pre-pitch workshop, where the selected projects will be developed under guidance from experienced international experts from the documentary business.

The tutor team for the workshop in 2021:

• Mikael Opstrup, Denmark, Doc Developer
• Emma Davie, Scotland, Director
• Iikka Vehkalahti, Finland, Producer & Consultant.
  
  

Projects Selected for NORTH PITCH - Below Zero 2021

• Al Haya Helwa (Life is beautiful) | Prod: KriStine Ann Skaret | Dir: Mohamed Jabaly | Stray Dog Norway|Norway
• Spy Whale | Prod: Inge Wegge | Dir: Regina Crosby | Lofoten Film Collective | Norway
• In Cod we trust | Prod: Yngvar Christensen | Dir: Guro Saniola Bjerk | Lofoten Film Collective | Norway
• Arctic Blue | Prod: Anton J. Nyman | Dir: Ismaele Tortella | Unfrozen AS | Norway
• Sea Sisters | Prod: Brunella Filì, Mathis Mathisen and Aleksander Olai Korsnes | Dir: Brunella Filì | Officinema Doc Productions & Rein Film | Italy/Norway
• Vraker | Prod: Karl Emil Rikardsen & Teresa Earle | Dir: Karl Emil Rikardsen & Fritz Mueller | Relation04 Media & Sagafish Media | Norway/Canada

What do previous participants say about NORTH PITCH — Below Zero?

The 2018 participant at NORTH PITCH – Below Zero "Where Man Returns" (working title ‘The last Hunter’) was the opening film of Tromsø International Film Festival 2019. Producer Racha Nia says this about NORTH PITCH:

"Below Zero became a very important arena for our film and for whom we ended up collaborating with. We got incredible support, and not least important feedback to determine and understand the strengths and weaknesses of our project. We encountered a lot of resistance, but also met the people who loved our project and became our invaluable partners."

How to Participate

You submit your project by sending a written 2-page presentation of your project accompanied by visual material. The deadline for submitting projects is November 29th 2021. You can submit your 2-page presentation by email to :bz@northpitch.no

The 2-page presentation

Your written 2-page presentation should include the following elements:

• Project info: project title, status of the project, expected time of delivery, length, & format
• The film: depending on the nature of the project this can include the story, characters, visual approach, director’s note, etc.
• Contacts: name of producer, production company, director and contact information
• Profiles: short CV & filmography of company and director
• Financing: budget sum (total sum for the production, not the whole budget) and brief financing plan.

You can submit your 2-page presentation by email to: bz@northpitch.no

The visual material

Applications must be accompanied by visual material shot for the submitted project. Applications with no visual material / visual material as a previous work will normally not be considered. You submit your visual material by including a link to an online streaming facility like Vimeo or YouTube when you email your 2-page presentation.

Participation fee

Each selected project pays a participation fee of 200 Euro. We strongly recommend participation of both director and producer, and there is no extra fee for additional participants.

Participating as Observer

For NORTH PITCH - Below Zero a number of observer seats are available. When participating as an observer you will take part in all sessions on equal terms with the pitching participants. Only exception is not having a concrete project developed and pitched. Observers pay 100 Euro for participating.

Background on NORTH PITCH - Below Zero

The NORTH PITCH - Below Zero event was initiated in 2009 to bring together filmmakers, producers, decision makers and organizations whose common interest is documentaries thematically rooted in the Northern Polar region. Building on the success of the first twelve editions of NORTH PITCH - Below Zero, this thirteenth edition will further strengthen and develop the international network for documentaries made around or focusing on the Arctic region. NORTH PITCH - Below Zero is set in Tromsø, Northern Norway, during the last days of the polar night.

For questions regarding the pitch, please contact Mikael Opstrup, mikael@northpitch.no.
For practical questions regarding the event, please contact Herdis Levang, herdis@nnfs.no.