Pitch Perfectly: Sell Your Film with Confidence

You know your project inside and out. But when someone asks "what's your film about?" - does your answer make them lean in or check their phone?

In this two hour interactive workshop, you'll learn how to transform a great idea into a project investors can get behind and will be eager to fund. We break down what goes into a film pitch through hands-on exercises, lectures, group participation and professional feedback. We get into the nitty-gritty of loglines, treatments, pitch decks, elevator pitches, and packaging. Then we put it into practice in real time.

The session closes with a live 2 minute showcase where selected participants deliver a timed pitch to the room and to a working producer for feedback.

Come with a story. Leave pitch-ready!

We’ll start by defining film development - the crucial stage most filmmakers overlook and why it’s the key to making your project investor-ready. This 2 hour session is built to bridge the gap between your creative vision and a professional industry package.

What we’ll cover:

• Loglines: Hook someone in one sentence
• Treatments: Convey your story, characters, and world in a few pages
• Elevator Pitch:Build a 30-90 second pitch that gets people interested to hear more
• Pitch Decks: What makes a deck compelling and what do financiers want to se
• Packaging: Bring your budget, schedule, & sizzle together as one investor-ready package
• Common Pitfalls: The mistakes that lose an investor before the before the pitch is over
• Live Pitch Round: Put your pitch to the test and get feedback from industry producers

The Live Pitch Round: The session culminates in a live pitch exercise. Selected participants will deliver a 2 min pitch to receive direct, real-time feedback from Gautam Singhani . It’s a rare chance to test your story in a real-world format and hear exactly what industry professionals look for. Even if you're not pitching, you'll learn from watching.

By the end of this course, participants will:

• Understand the role of development in the film lifecycle, across both documentary and narrative projects
• Identify the key development materials (logline, treatment, pitch deck, budget, and schedule) and how they work together
• Write a logline and shape a treatment that communicate your story clearly
• Build a pitch deck that gets funders to yes, and recognize the mistakes that lose them fast
• Deliver a 30–60 second elevator pitch that hooks investors and executives

This workshop is designed for:

• Writers ready to think beyond the script
• First-time Directors figuring out how to move from idea to action
• Producers who want to strengthen how they pitch and package
• Emerging Filmmakers with a project that needs sharper positioning
• Film Students and Creatives at any stage who want to understand how films actually get made - not just how they're shot

Perfect for anyone who wants to understand the business side of filmmaking and make their projects pitch-ready, fundable, and positioned for real opportunities.

Consulting Producer @ Gotoma

Co-Chair of Post Production at Producers Guild of America (P.G.A.)

is a NYC-based Producer with 10+ years of experience across development, production, post production, and distribution. He has consulted on and delivered projects for Apple, Netflix, HBO, and Universal Pictures, including Oscar®-nominated THE BARBER OF LITTLE ROCK, Emmy-nominated ALLEN V. FARROW, BAFTA-nominated BECOMING COUSTEAU, and GLAAD-nominated LIL NAS X: LONG LIVE MONTERO.

He's taught pitching, packaging, and producing to 250+ filmmakers across DCTV, The Gotham Film & Media Institute, Counter Narrative Project, and Queens Public Library.

Info: We'll begin with introductions, a live poll, and an overview of the session - the goals, what to expect, and how this workshop will help position your film project for success with investors, grants, and festivals.

Info: What film development actually means, how it's different from production, and why it's the step that separates projects that move forward from ones that stall. We'll cover the core deliverables every filmmaker needs before cameras roll — pitch deck, treatment, budget, schedule, and sizzle reel — and how they work together to make your project fundable.

Info: Your logline is often the first impression your film makes, whether you're pitching to investors, applying for grants, or submitting to festivals. We'll break down two proven formulas for writing loglines that clearly capture your story, and put your instincts to the test with an interactive quiz using real examples from film and TV.

Info: A treatment is where your idea begins to take shape on the page. We'll walk through how to expand a logline into a clear, structured narrative that communicates tone, style, and vision — and how it becomes one of the most important documents in your development package.

Info: A slide-by-slide breakdown of what makes a strong pitch deck for film — and the common mistakes that lose funders by slide three. We'll cover the difference between creative and investor decks, walk through real examples, and discuss how to tailor your deck for grants, labs, festivals, and private investors.

Info: You'll learn how to build a 30–60 second elevator pitch from scratch, and discover what actually makes a network executive lean in and say yes.

Info: Selected participants deliver a 2 min film pitch and receive direct feedback from a working producers - Gautam Singhani. A real world pitch simulation designed to sharpen your delivery and help you understand what industry professionals want to hear. Even if you're not pitching, you'll learn from watching.

Info: Key takeaways, recommended resources, and how to keep building momentum on your film project after the workshop.

Event venue & nearby stays

Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN), 509 West 38th Street, New York, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.

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