Live Pitch (Nov. 9)
Live Pitch presents an opportunity for 12 filmmaking teams with works-in-progress to present live pitches to industry figures from the fields of distribution, financing, production, and sales. The program aims to curate the most promising documentaries of the future for industry feedback. The 12 projects were selected from an online submissions process. Watch live pitches and discover how to make your best case to funders and other industry representatives.
Live Pitch Day is co-presented by:
In the festival lounge, the day starts with Breakfast (9-10AM) and ends with a Happy Hour (4:30-5:30PM) co-presented by MTV Documentary Films.
Live Pitch – Part 1
Moderator: Elise McCave (Kickstarter)
Industry Panelists: Kelsey Koenig (Impact Partners), Daniel Chalfen (Naked Edge Films/The deNovo Initiative), and Jon Bardin (Story Syndicate)
A Bird with a Knife, Directors: Winslow Crane-Murdoch and Cecilia Brown, Producer: Andrew Hinton. Examines the fifty-year mystery surrounding the mutilation of thousands of cattle across the American West.
Arrest the Midwife, Director: Elaine Epstein, Producer: Robin Hessman. The shocking arrest of three home birth midwives in upstate New York spurs the emergence of an unlikely group of activists.
Baseline, Director: John Sutter, Producer: Su Kim. A visual time capsule shot primarily in three locations on the frontlines of the climate crisis, and featuring the stories of three young people.
Live Pitch – Part 2
Moderator: Elise McCave (Kickstarter)
Industry Panelists: Kelsey Koenig (Impact Partners), Daniel Chalfen (Naked Edge Films/The deNovo Initiative), and Jon Bardin (Story Syndicate)
Carlebach Project (Untitled), Director: Simon Mendes, Producer: Heidi Reinberg. Shlomo Carlebach, “the Singing Rabbi,” ignited the spiritual landscape for legions of Jews. After his death, he’s accused of sexual abuse.
Coach Emily, Director: Pallavi Somusetty, Producer: Debra A. Wilson. As rock climbing coach Emily Taylor fearlessly trains a group of BIPOC kids to conquer the pervasive discrimination they face in the outdoors.
Fair Play, Director: Tina Charles, Producers: Veronique Bernard and Susan Kahn. A group of high school students from New York City’s South Bronx fight for equal access to sports and when they finally win, they decide to take on the entire education system.
Live Pitch – Part 3
Moderator: Elise McCave (Kickstarter)
Industry Panelists: Patricia Finneran (Story Matters), Poh Si Teng (ABC News Studios), and Dave Sirulnick (Radical Media)
Give The Drummer Some, Director and Producer: Trevor Banks. A documentary about the life and influence of Clyde Stubblefield, the former drummer for James Brown.
In the End of the World, Director: Abraham Escobedo-Salas, Producer: Julie Freres. A journey to drug abuse and darkness, a dream for redemption, and a stable place to live.
Instrumental: The Elayne Jones Story, Co-directors: Julie Wyman and Grace Wang, Producer: Jameka Autry. The ground-breaking career of 94-year-old timpanist Elayne Jones, the first Black principal player in a major American orchestra.
Live Pitch – Part 4
Moderator: Elise McCave (Kickstarter)
Industry Panelists: Patricia Finneran (Story Matters), Poh Si Teng (ABC News Studios), and Dave Sirulnick (Radical Media)
Sister Senators, Director and Producer: Emily Harrold. In South Carolina, the five women of the South Carolina Senate—Republicans, Democrats, and Independents—band together to fight against strict abortion bans.
The Long Rescue, Director: Jennifer Huang, Producer: Jethro Patalinghug. The Long Rescue follows Filipina teen sex trafficking survivors for nine years in an intimate journey of recovery.
The Song of the Hands, Director: Maria Valverde, Producer: Cristina Oliva. Renowned conductor Gustavo Dudamel embarks on a journey from LA to Venezuela with three deaf musicians to discover the power of music through silence.
To experience the DOC NYC PRO lineup, purchase an individual PRO Day Pass (via the Buy a Day Pass button above) to hone in on a specific subject, or benefit from discounted pricing when you purchase Multi-Day Pass Packs to an assortment of topics.
DOC NYC PRO is co-presented by:
