PITCH YOUR PILOT ENTRIES
1. PARTICIPATION IN THE CALL FOR ENTRIES FOR PROJECTS 2023
1.1 Projects Entry Process
To enter a project in the call for entries is free of charge and open to any individual or company located worldwide and responding to the criteria indicated here-after. It is not required to be registered to Berlin Series Conference to enter a project. To be considered for pre-selection, drama series projects must be sent on time.
The deadline for project entries is April, 2023 (Late Deadline). All the required documents must be provided before the deadline. Only completed submissions will be considered in the next steps of the selection process. Each writer can submit up to two (2) projects maximum. Only submissions written in English or German will be accepted. The Organising Team will not refund the translation fees for the submitted documents
1.2 Projects Entry Criteria
To be eligible in the selection process, submitted projects must comply with the following criteria:
● Writers–individual or team originator/owner of the series and seeking for producers/financers.
● First season of a series or a mini-series (minimum 4 episodes, drama/comedy only) – half hour or hour-long projects.
● All drama genres are accepted (drama, dramedy, comedy, period drama, crime/thriller, sci-fi...)
● Original concept or adaptation.
● Required experience: involved in the writing of a produced series and/or movie, or under guidance of industry mentor.
● The project must not have been presented at a public pitching session 5 months before Pitch-Your-Pilot and in the month following to be part of the Official Selection of projects pitched at the Pitch-Your-Pilot & Creative Drama Forum.
1.3 Pitch Entry Materials for the #PYP23
Each Applicant must submit the following materials to the „The Organising Team“ directly via form on the festival website or email.
● Registration form/ email
● Writer(s)’s vision (1 page max)
● Bible – synopsis, characters, locations (4-5pages max)
● Narrative arcs season 1 / possibly season 2 (2 pages max)
● Synopsis episode 1 (max 5000 characters)
● Optional: photos / mood board /videos, script episode
1.4 Conditions of Participation
By submitting a project for Pitch-Your-Pilot, the applicants:
● Confirm their availability to pitch their project on the PitchYour-Pilot stage or digitally taking place from July 11th or 12th 2023 (due to the pandemic, cancellation or moving the festival dates could be an option). All Finalists or their representative will be asked to submit their presentation to the Pitch-Your-Pilot ́s Team, ahead of the event to help adapt and improve it if necessary, and to attend a mandatory preparatory and technical meeting. Final schedule will be confirmed by the Organising Team to all Finalists at the announcement of the selection.
● Agree to be bound by the present Rules and Regulations. Applicants agree that any failure to abide by any term contained in the Rules and Regulations may result in the disqualification of the Applicant’s Pitch Entry. Applicants acknowledge that all rulings of the Organising Team and all decisions of the Jury shall be binding and final.
● Warrant that the Pitch Entry is the original work of the applicant, that the Applicant has the right and authority to submit and present the Pitch Entry, and that the Applicant’s Pitch Entry does not infringe upon or violate any copyright, trademark, right of privacy or right of publicity or any other right of any kind or nature of any person or entity. If the Organising Team has reason to believe that a Pitch Entry contains any material that may infringe upon or violate any right or law, such Pitch Entry may be disqualified by ruling of the Organising Team.
● Acknowledge that their Pitch Entry is submitted voluntarily. Applicants recognize the possibility that elements of their Pitch Entry may be identical or similar to material which has or may come from, or is developed by other sources to the Organising Team; its affiliates, personnel (including, without limitation, employees, officers, directors); the members of the Jury. Applicants understand and agree that a Recipient’s use of such other material containing elements identical or similar to those contained in the submitted Pitch Entry shall not entitle the applicant to any compensation, if a Recipient has an independent legal right to use such other material which is not derived from the applicant, either because such elements were not new, or were not originated by the applicant, or are in the public domain, or were or may be independently created by any other person.
● Guarantee that their Pitch Entry does not contain third party copyrighted materials, images or music without they first obtain all necessary licenses, clearances, releases and/or permissions. Applicants who do not hold copyright ownership of the Pitch Entry or any elements contained within must obtain written consent and agreement from the rights owner to be bound by the Rules and at the Organising Team’s request, must be able to provide a copy of such written consent and agreement from the rights owner.
● Correct entry information is the responsibility of the Applicant. The Organising Team cannot be held liable for any incorrect listings that are the result of incorrect information provided by the applicant. Applicants warrant that all of the information provided, including the information provided on the Pitch Entry Form and the credits for creators and producers, is true and correct and has been verified by all parties involved. If any information is found to be incorrect, the Pitch Entry may be disqualified by ruling of the Organising Team.
● The Organising Team reserves the right to reject any Pitch Entry should its content be perceved, as deliberately interfering with honor and human dignity, with anyone’s rights, pornographic, racist, sexist, provocative, discriminatory or violent, or as having commercial or promotional aim, for the benefit of a company. The Organising Team reserves its rights in case of any infringement of this kind.
2. PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION
Applicants’/Participants’ data is collected via the website, via the online registration form or vie email correspondence, which is filled directly by the Applicants and / or during participation at the event. This data is collected and will be processed electronically by markdreesen Entertainment which also could be transmitted to members of the jury, (Gaumont Germany, or BetaFilm), for the purposes of co-managing the organization of the Event and the selection process itself.
From Berlin Series Festival GmbH ́s side, this personal data can be:
● integrated into the online database available to Applicants/Participants to enable them
to prepare the Event, promote their business and schedule their business appointments within the Event. In this respect, Participants undertake not to use the data for any other purposes. markdreesen Entertainment reserves the right to stop by any means any disturbance caused by any forbidden use of personal data;
● transmitted to sub processors that have undertaken to comply with Data Protection Laws requirement such as companies belonging collaborating on this project, or service providers and partners, who may be located outside the European Economic Area;
● communicated to Participants, such as speakers, sponsors, exhibitors and sellers, who can be located outside the European Economic Area to carry out commercial prospecting;
● used on all distribution and promotional media in connection with the relevant Event including over the internet;
● processed for distribution and promotional analysis (profiling, targeting).
● used for commercial prospecting purposes by TV SERIES FESTIVAL and promotion of its events
● integrated into the online database available to Applicants/Participants to enable them to prepare the Event, promote their business and schedule their business appointments within the Event.
● used on all distribution and promotional media in connection with the Event, including over the internet and social networks.
As a data controller, Berlin Series Festival GmbH has implemented and maintain appropriate technical and organisational measures in such a manner that its processing of personal data meet the requirements of German and European Data Protection Laws and in particular GDPR.
For Berlin Series Festival GmbH 's Pitch-Your-Pilot Applicants/Participants may exercise their right to access, obtain, correct and oppose the use of their personal data by writing to: pyp(at)tvseriesfestival.com.
In case of unsatisfied answer to Participants’ request, Participants may raise a complaint before the German National Data Protection Authority.
3.SELECTION PROCESS
The selection will be based on writing and production value, originality and worldwide appeal and to the need of our partners of jury members and their possible future CoProduction Partners. All submitted drama series projects will be reviewed by a pre-Selection Committee of drama experts and the Organising Team’s editorial staff in collaboration with the committee, consisting of, but not always, mentioned production houses, board members, Alumni and winners of past editions.
After the first round of selection, the shortlisted projects will be reviewed by a Selection Jury composed by international and national drama executives
(Gaumont Germany, BetaFilm and others)
The Selected Finalist will be informed of their selection to pitch their project on the Pitch-Your-Pilot stage or via digital pitch, and officially announced beginning of beginning of June 2022.The selection decisions are final and without appeal. The Applicant agrees not to challenge the selection decisions on any grounds.
4. CONDITIONS Of PARTICIPATION FOR FINALISTS
● The Finalists shall ensure that any and all rights for their Pitch Entries are available at such time.
● They must be available to come to Berlin to pitch their project in July 2023 at the festival location or via digital pitch.
● Only Finalists will have the right to present and pitch their selected project at this pitching event onsite in front of an audience of registered buyers, producers, commissioners and distributors. or in via digital pitch meetings in front of the jury.
● The Finalists are informed that the Organising Team will photograph and/or record their voice and images during the Pitching sessions, distribute said photos and/or recordings to third parties and to communicate them to the public, in the whole world, which may be presented (in particular in the form of live or delayed broadcasting), reproduced without limit as to the number of reproductions and published, in the whole world, for a period of five (5) years, in any format, using any method or process known or unknown at this time, in whole or in part, on all tangible or intangible media known or unknown at this time, including, in particular, the internet (the websites of TV SERIES FESTIVAL and their festival partners’ branded channels of social networks, as YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter), and on any other promotional or marketing tool it may use for information or promotional purposes.
The Finalist(s) accordingly authorizes the Organising Team to use his/her name, voice and image for these purposes and if necessary, of its representative(s) present during the Event’s Pitching session.
● The projects Finalists must provide in advance all the materials that will be presented during the pitching session (video clip, pictures, presentation) and respect the agenda and technical specifications provided by the Organising Team.
● The Finalists will be provided with one complimentary registration for TV SERIES FESTIVAL (including access to the BERLIN SERIES Conferences & Creative Forum), but will be responsible for their accommodation, flights and expenses on site and other costs and expenses of attending and participating in all aspects of the Event/Festival. The Organising Team will be able to advise on the best accommodation facilities according to the finalists’ budget.
5. CONFIDENTIALITY & COMMUNICATION
The Organising Team will keep strictly confidential all the information about the submitted projects. However, in case of selection, the rights holders of the selected projects will have to provide information to be published in communication tools related to Pitch-Your-Pilot (Internet website, catalogues, flyers...) for promotional purposes.
6. THE GAINS
Visibility:
● Visibility during the live pitching session during Pitch-Your-Pilot 2023.
● Visibility in the Pitch-Your-Pilot & Creative Forum communication and marketing tools (official conference programme, TV SERIES FESTIVAL websites and social networks).
● Organised one-to-one meetings with key decision makers including members of Pitch-Your-Pilot Selection & Key Jury.
7. CLAIMS
The act of submitting a Pitch Entry implies that the Applicant has accepted and agreed to be bound by the Rules. The Organising Team reserves the right to change, modify or amend the Rules at any time. If for any reason TV SERIES FESTIVAL and the Pitch-Your-Pilot are interrupted, delayed or cancelled or cannot be completed as planned, the Organising Team reserves the right to postpone, suspend or terminate Pitch-Your-Pilot. If any provision of the Rules is declared invalid or unenforceable, all other provisions shall remain in effect. If an Applicant fails to comply with any term and condition contained in the Rules, the Applicant’s Pitch Entry may be disqualified by ruling of the Organising Team.
8. GOVERNING LAW AND JURIDICTION
The Rules shall be construed under and governed by German law.
APPLICANTS EXPRESSLY ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT THE COURTS WHICH HAVE JURISDICTION OVER TV SERIES FESTIVAL, Berlin Series Festival GmbH REGISTERED OFFICES WILL BE SOLELY COMPETENT TO RULE ON ANY DISPUTE ARISING IN CONNECTION WITH THE CONTENT OR THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE RULES.