" Riviera International Film Festival | RIFF PITCH LAB 2025 "
Riviera International Film Festival | RIFF PITCH LAB 2025
RIFF offers awards and mentorship for emerging documentary projects
The Riviera International Film Festival launches for the 2025 edition the new call for the RIFF PITCH LAB, a development lab dedicated to documentary projects that want to have a strong impact on society. The Lab is open to projects directed by European directors UNDER 35, produced by European production companies.
The 6 selected projects, divided into 3 for the Open Stories category and 3 for the Green&Blue category, will participate in a workshop led by 4 Master Tutors, internationally renowned cinema professionals. The tutors will help refine the projects, making them ready for the final presentation to international decision-makers, which will take place at the end of the in-person phase on May 7, 8, and 9 during the 2025 RIVIERA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL in Sestri Levante, Genoa.
Green&Blue Section: Projects dealing with the issues of the protection of the environment and of the seas.
Open Stories Section: Projects and stories that look at contemporary issues with a critical and constructive gaze and aim to have a significant impact on society.
INFO
AMOUNT
In addition to becoming a European event, the RIFF PITCH LAB this year offers two awards to develop the project:
- The Open Stories Award – 5.000 €
- The Green&Blue Special Award (Green&Blue Award) – 5.000 €
APPLICATION DEADLINE
March 16, 2025
ELIGIBLE COUNTRIES
ELIGIBILITY
Documentary projects whose director ( or directors if more than one) is UNDER 35 (i.e., not 36 years of age as of December 31, 2025) and resides in one of the countries eligible for the Creative Europe program may participate.
- Majority production of the project must be by an independent production company practicing filmmaking professionally under the laws of its country.
- Coproduction projects with other European or non-European countries are allowed as long as the production company based in the countries eligible for Creative Europe is majority.
- The country of residence of the director, and the country where the majority production company is based, must be among those defined as eligible for the Creative Europe program, i.e., the 28 EU member states, EEA/EFTA countries ( Norway and Iceland), as well as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Tunisia.
- The director and production company can respectively have residence and be based in two different countries eligible for the Creative Europe program.
- Projects at any stage of development to participate.
- Director and producer participation in LAB is required.
- All documentary projectsfor film and television (one off, series, other) with a total length of at least 50 minutes are accepted.
- Each production company may submit no more than 2 projects.
APPLICATION DETAILS
- Project submission is totally free of charge.
- The project is submitted by filling out this form
DEADLINE
2025-03-16
TYPE OF SUPPORT
Public funding
FUNDING COUNTRIES
Italy
WEBSITE
CONTACT
industry@rivierafilm.org