BDFF is a new generation intensive workshop for teams of writer-directors and their producers aiming to make their first film or series. The goal of the workshop is to help the participants put together a strong kick-off material of their debut projects in order to make it suitable for further presentation and development. At the end of the three-day workshop the teams will have a treatment or step-outline and a project-booklet, including a financing and distribution plan. The participants will present their projects in a non-traditional, stress-free pitching format to the decision-makers invited to the closing event of BDFF.

BDFF is waiting for debut film and series projects at an early stage of development. Maximum 5 feature films and 5 series projects will be picked by the selection committee. The selected participants (project teams of producer and director/writer) will work in two groups, each group will be led by an acknowledged producer with international experience (one from the feature film and one from the series production field), and one script consultant will be assigned to each group (with series and feature film script writing experience respectively). The teams of tutors will be joined by financing, sales and distribution experts. The workshop will particularly focus on the financing and distribution strategies in the midst of the changing industry landscape and with special regard to the emerging distribution platforms. The main goal of the workshop is to give the teams specific ideas and suggestions tailor-made to the needs of the projects, in order to make the best possible financing and distributing strategy right at the early stage of the development.

The workshop will be accompanied by events, presentations, roundtables and case-studies opened to the participants from the industry and to the public (film industry professionals, film school students, journalists etc.), that will also be available online.

Facts:

Date: March 29 – April 1, 2022

Place: Budapest

Participation fee: free of charge

Participants’ accommodation is covered by BDFF, travel costs are partially covered. 

Selection:

• up to 5 debut feature film projects (min 2 of them from the V4 countries)
  
• up to 5 debut series projects (min 2 of them from the V4 countries) 

Awards:

• feature film award (1500 EUR)
• series project award (1500 EUR)
• distribution strategy award (1000 EUR)
  
  

Who can apply:

• For the feature film group: a team of producer and director 
  For the series group: a team of producer and writer

• The participants have to work on their debut project (meaning the first feature film of the director in the feature film group, and the first series project of the writer in the series group) – producers are allowed to have prior feature films or series (but priorities are given to the producers with none or one)

Extended deadline for application: February 28th

Application material:

1. For the feature film projects:
   • Logline (max 250 characters with spaces)
   • Synopsis (max 4000 characters with spaces)
   • Treatment (max 32.000-40.000 characters with spaces)
   • Director’s note of intention (max 2000 characters with spaces)
   • Producer’s note of intention (max 2000 characters with spaces)
   • Preliminary financing plan 
   • Preliminary distribution concept (max 4000 characters with spaces)
   • Director’s bio with filmography (max 2000 characters with spaces)
   • Producer’s bio with filmography (max 2000 characters with spaces)
   • optional: moodboard or other visual material / weblinks to the director’s previous works
     
     
2. For the series projects*
   • Logline (max 250 characters with spaces)
   • Series concept (max 4000 characters with spaces)
   • Series synopsis (max 8000-12000 characters with spaces)
   • Characters’ description (max 4000-8000 characters with spaces)
   • Preliminary distribution and/or marketing concept (max 4000 characters with spaces)
   • Writer’s personal statement (max 4000 characters with spaces)
   • Pilot treatment (max 16000-20000 characters with spaces)
   • Writer’s bio with filmography (max 2000 characters with spaces)
   • Producer’s bio with filmography (max 2000 characters with spaces)
   • optional: moodboard or other visual material /weblinks to the writer’s previous works

*Series projects: limited series or ongoing series (20 to 60 min per episode)

*Eligible countries
One or both of the project team members should be from the following countries:
Any EU member state, or
Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Ukraine

The application form and the requested materials are to be submitted via a Google Application Form. You can find the link here.

Applicants must confirm their full availability for all the residential workshops.

The language of all workshops, meetings and events is English; thus, a good knowledge of English is essential in order to participate. All written materials, all versions and drafts of the projects must be translated to English.

Shortlisted applicants will be notified and interviewed online at the beginning of March.