AFM | American Film Market - Home of the Independents

People's Choice Awards & American Film Market
present the contest for
Favorite Film Pitch

The People's Choice Awards (PCA) and American Film Market (AFM) have teamed to create an unprecedented Favorite Film Pitch contest. The Favorite Film Pitch Contest is an opportunity for writers and filmmakers to get their pitches in front of producers, distributors and, in a unique twist, the voting public.

Pitches will be recorded live and in person, November 7-10 on a mini-set at the American Film Market. Each pitch will be limited to two-and-a-half minutes.

Afterward, the AFM will assemble a group of industry leaders to select five finalists. Their pitches will be posted on www.PeoplesChoice.com — the official PCA Website — following CBS' broadcast of THE 2010 PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS in early January, allowing fans to choose the ultimate winner: the film they would most like to see get made.

In addition to receiving the Favorite Film Pitch award, the winner will also receive an AFM 2010 package that includes full access for two to the AFM, including seminars and conferences; airfare for two to Los Angeles; hotel for five nights in Santa Monica, California; and scheduled meetings with producers and distributors. Prizes are subject to certain restrictions, qualifications and conditions listed below and in the Submission Release.

How to participate:

Pitches will be recorded live, in person, November 7 - 10 from 9:30am to 5:00pm in the AFM Filmmakers Lounge at Le Merigot Hotel, 1740 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90401.

Just show up, fill out the Entry Form & Release, and wait for your turn to record your pitch.

You don't need an AFM badge, but if there’s a queue, priority will go to Participants with an AFM badge or an AFM Seminar Ticket.

You may only pitch one film idea and your pitch may not exceed two-and-a-half minutes in length. You will be allowed one retake, but no edits or pauses, and you can’t view your pitch afterwards.

Parking: Since parking at Le Merigot is limited and expensive, we recommend that you park in the Civic Center Parking Lot at 333 Civic Center Drive (at Civic Center Drive and 4th Street) or the Santa Monica South Beach lot. There will be a fee for parking and rates may vary. Contact the appropriate parking facilities for more information. Free AFM Shuttles run every eight minutes from both locations.

IMPORTANT: Contest rules and information were updated and modified on October 14, 2009. Participants will be required to agree to these rules and the terms of the Submission Release in order to enter the Contest during the Contest Period.

If you have questions, please email: FavoriteFilmPitch@ifta-online.org

Media info & contacts, click here.

FAVORITE FILM PITCH CONTEST OFFICIAL RULES & GUIDELINES

The Favorite Film Pitch Contest is an event that creates opportunities for filmmakers to show off their creative skills and pitch their film ideas to producers and distributors and the voting public ("Contest"). Contest Participants will pitch their film idea at the 2009 American Film Market, November 7 – 10. The pitches will be videotaped and evaluated by a panel of industry experts that will choose the top five film pitches. The public will select the Favorite Film Pitch Winner from among the top five via online voting on the People's Choice Awards website.

The Contest is a skills-based event jointly conducted by the American Film Market ("AFM") and the People's Choice Awards ("PCA"), collectively referred to as "Sponsors." The terms and conditions herein and in the Contest Entry Form & Release ("Official Rules") will apply to the Contest. This Contest is void where prohibited by Law. No payment or purchase is necessary to enter or win the Contest.

GENERAL RULES
- Agreement to Rules. To participate in the Contest, all entrants ("Participants") must agree to abide by the Official Rules and sign the required Entry Form & Release.
- Eligibility. Participants must be 18 years of age or older as of November 5, 2009.Valid state or national identification will be required. Employees (and immediate family members) of IFTA, AFM, PCA and third party companies which provide services and goods thereto are not eligible.
- Entry Form & Release. All Participants must review and execute the Entry Form & Release upon arrival at the Contest Location during the Contest Period. The Release will cover all reasonable rights and indemnities necessary for Sponsors to carry out the Contest, including communications submitted by Participant in the pitch as well as Participant's name, voice, image and likeness.
- How to Enter. Participants should visit the Contest Location in person during the Contest Period, fill out the Entry Form & Release and wait for their turn to have Contest administrators record their pitch. Approximate wait time will depend on the number of Participants at that given time and can range from a few minutes to several hours. In the event of a queue, priority will go to Participants with an AFM badge or AFM Seminar Ticket. Participants are responsible for all travel expenses, including parking fees, to and from the Contest Location.
- Submission Procedures. During the Contest Period, each Participant will be allowed to pitch one (1) film idea for a feature length film (i.e., 90 minutes or more) that shall be in English and no greater than two and a half minutes (0:02:30) in length ("Submission"). Participants will be allowed one (1) retake but not allowed to edit, pause & resume, or review the Submission. Once completed, all Submissions are final and may not be altered, edited or reviewed. The video recording and all other elements, materials and rights in and to the Submission will become the property of Sponsors.
- Contest Location. The AFM Filmmakers Lounge at the Le Merigot Beach Hotel & Spa, 1740 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica, California 90401.
- Contest Period. Participants may submit their Submissions any day during November 7-10, 2009, from 9:30 am PST to 5:00 pm PST.
- Submission Limitations.
  - Participants agree not to submit a Submission that is indecent, obscene, defamatory, libelous, threatening, pornographic, harassing, hateful, racially, ethnically or otherwise offensive, encourages conduct that would be considered a criminal offense, gives rise to civil liability, violates any law or any proprietary right of any third party, or is otherwise inappropriate, as may be determined by AFM in its sole discretion.
  - By entering, Participants represent and warrant that their Submissions are original and do not violate any other person’s or entity’s rights. Participants agree to indemnify and hold harmless Sponsors from any and all liability, including any threatened claims or actions, caused by breach of the Official Rules.
- Disqualification. Submissions that include content that is not suitable for a general audience, outside the intent of the Contest, or do not comply with the Official Rules may be disqualified in AFM's sole and final discretion without notice. AFM has no obligation whatsoever to inform Participant of the rejection or the reason for rejection.
PRIZES AND JUDGING
- Evaluation Criteria.Submissions will be judged, in part, on the creativity, originality and skill in the presentation of the pitch. Judges will also consider the overall marketability and appeal of a feature length motion picture based on the pitch. The final criteria will be general audience appeal of the pitch, which will be determined by public online voting of the top five Submissions based on creativity, originality and overall appeal and marketability of the pitch as a feature length film.
- Selection of Winners / Voting. After the Contest Period, an independent, experienced panel of film industry professionals will choose the top five Submissions ("Finalists") based on the Evaluation Criteria. In January 2010, the Finalists Submissions will be posted on the PCA Website, www.pcaVOTE.com, and the public will vote online for the Favorite Film Pitch Winner ("Online Voting Period"). The specific dates for the Online Voting Period will be determined by PCA. The Submission that receives the highest number of votes during the Online Voting Period will be designated the Favorite Film Pitch Winner.
- Odds of Winning. The odds of winning will depend on the number of Submissions received during the Contest Period. Participants may contact Sponsors at FavoriteFilmPitch@ifta-online.org on or after Nov. 20, 2009, for information on the total number of Participants to calculate exact odds of winning.
- Prizes.
  - Finalists. Finalist will receive one (1) Full Market badge to the 2010 American Film Market ("AFM 2010"), including tickets to all conferences and seminars (Approximate Retail Value ("ARV"): $1,300). AFM 2010 will be held on November 3 - 10, 2010, in Santa Monica, California, USA, at the Loews Hotel. Finalists will receive their badges and tickets any day they arrive at the AFM during these dates.
  - Favorite Film Pitch. The Favorite Film Pitch Winner will receive:
    - The 2010 PCA Favorite Film Pitch Award;
    - Two (2) Full Market badges to AFM 2010, including tickets to all conferences and seminars (ARV: $2,600);
    - Economy class air transportation (and accompanying tax) for two (2) adults from a major U.S. airport nearest to Favorite Film Pitch Winner's residence to Los Angeles, California (via Los Angeles International Airport) (ARV: up to $1,000 for two (2) economy class seats);
    - Hotel accommodations in Santa Monica, California consisting of one (1) double occupancy room for five (5) nights (room rate and tax only) (ARV: $1,500);
    - Scheduled meetings with producers and distributors during AFM 2010;
  - Prizes are not redeemable for cash and winners must accept all prizes as-is. To the extent applicable, winners may request and will receive evidence showing that the prizes provided match the prizes selected for distribution to that winner.
- Notification. Finalists will be notified approximately one (1) week prior to the commencement of the Online Voting Period. The Favorite Film Pitch Winner will be notified within one (1) week after the completion of the Online Voting Period.
ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS AND TERMS
- Prize Conditions. Prizes cannot be transferred, altered, substituted or redeemed for cash except at AFM’s sole discretion, which reserves the right to substitute any prize, or portion(s) thereof, with a prize of comparable or greater value in its sole discretion. All travel must be arranged through AFM and is subject to availability and AFM’s approval. If Winner is unable to fulfill the prize during the specified time period, Winner forfeits the prize. Some restrictions and blackout dates may apply. The hotel accommodations do not include meals, incidentals, tips, telephone calls, or any other personal expenses incurred during the trip. All federal, state and local taxes and any other taxes or expenses not specifically identified as part of the prize are the sole responsibility of the Winner, including, without limitation, ground transportation, luggage fees, meals, souvenirs and gratuities.
- Limitations of Liability. By participating, Participants agree that Sponsors and their parent companies, affiliates and subsidiaries, officers, directors, employees, agents or Contest Judges, are not responsible or liable to Participants for, and shall be released and held harmless by each Participant from: (i) technical difficulties of any kind; (ii) any condition caused by events beyond the control of Sponsors that may cause the Contest to be disrupted or corrupted; (iii) any printing or typographical errors in any materials associated with the Contest; and (iv) any and all losses, damages, rights, claims and actions of any kind in connection with or resulting from participation or attempted participation in the Contest, or acceptance of the prize, including without limitation, claims based on intellectual property rights, publicity rights, defamation, or invasion of privacy.
- Right to Cancel or Modify. Sponsors reserve the right at their sole discretion and at any time to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Contest and any terms in the Official Rules for any reason. If insufficient entries are received, or if no entry submitted meets minimum reasonable criteria for a prize, in Sponsor's sole and final discretion, fewer than all prizes may be issued, and Sponsors reserve the right to provide a rain check or a substitute prize.
- Right to Exclude. AFM reserves the right to prohibit the participation of any individual that fails to comply with any provision in the Official Rules. Sponsors reserve the right in their sole discretion to remove, edit, or blur or to ask the Participant to remove or blur any non-material elements (e.g. small logos on clothing or portions of the Submission that may reference third party rights) rather than disqualify an otherwise compliant Submission.
- Personal Data. Personal information collected from Participants will be used as otherwise set out in the Official Rules for the purpose of administering the Contest. Each Participant expressly agrees to the use of his/her personal information for such purpose and also agrees to be added to AFM and/or PCA promotional materials, including mailing lists.
- Choice of Law. Participants acknowledge and agree that: (i) this website shall be deemed solely based in California; (ii) this webpage notice shall be deemed a passive website intended for information purposes only and that it does not give rise to personal jurisdiction over Sponsors, either specific or general, in jurisdictions other than California; and (iii) any participation in the Contest, contacts with Sponsors, and judging will occur in California. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of the Official Rules and the Release Agreement, or the rights and obligations of each Participant in connection with the Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions that would cause the application of the laws of any other jurisdiction. Any claim or cause of action arising out of or related to the Contest or the Official Rules must be filed within one (1) year after such claim or cause of action arose regardless of any status or law to the contrary or it shall be barred.
- Winners List. To request the names of the Finalists and the Favorite Film Pitch Winner, please send a self-addressed stamped, business-sized envelope to Favorite Film Pitch located at 10850 Wilshire Blvd., 9th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90024, on or after February 15, 2010.
- Official Rules. To request a copy of the Official Rules, send a self-addressed stamped, business-sized envelope to Favorite Film Pitch located at 10850 Wilshire Blvd., 9th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90024.

Sponsors:

American Film Market
10850 Wilshire Blvd., 9th Floor
Los Angeles, CA, 90024

People's Choice Awards
825 Eighth Avenue, 35th Floor
New York, New York 10019

Email questions to: FavoriteFilmPitch@ifta-online.org