The Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), through Cairo Industry Days, has announced it will open submissions for Egyptian TV projects in their final development stages as part of the TV Pitch Market event.
The event will be held for the second year following the immense success of last year’s event, according to a CIFF statement.
The deadline for submissions is 6 October. Eligible television projects must be original or adapted from a literary work, and made by Egyptian writers/directors resident in Egypt with previous artistic works. The works must also have an Egyptian producer attached to the project, who have themselves produced at least one film or TV show.
This initiative is a valuable opportunity for a selected group of Arab and Egyptian TV content creators to pitch their projects directly to Arab and International TV executives and buyers. This includes digital platforms and production companies.
By organising the market, Cairo Industry Days aims to select six Egyptian TV projects in the final stages of development to join a further nine Arab projects picked by the Middle East Media Initiative (MEMI). These projects will go on to be part of a mentorship and development programme led by the initiative’s experts, the statement added.
Through a series of workshops, the selected TV content makers will be equipped to develop their project to eventually pitch it to local and international TV producers, as well as Arab and international platforms and buyers. Cairo Industry Days will also host online pitching sessions for selected projects and festival guests who will not be able to join the pitch in Cairo.
Aliaa Zaky, Head of Cairo Industry Days, said that the CIFF is keen to continue its role as a major supporter of the entertainment industry in Egypt and the Arab world. It aims to provide this support by offering more opportunities for both distinguished film and TV projects.
She added that this cooperation will provide content creators the opportunity to directly engage with international and Arab platforms to pitch their projects and discuss ways of cooperation. This is a key role that the festival is keen to present to TV creators, in parallel with what it already offered to filmmakers through Cairo Film Connection.
Zaky said that the summit organised during the last edition of Cairo Industry Days, in cooperation with MEMI, provided communication opportunities between Arab TV creators and executives of major platforms and production companies worldwide.
Those selected participants were able to obtain opportunities to attend conferences and pitch their projects to more potential partners.
The Middle East Media Initiative (MEMI) is a programme funded by the US Department of State in cooperation with the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. MEMI develops training and creative collaborations between TV, media, and digital professionals in the US and the Middle East.
Cairo Industry Days is a programme held in partnership with the Arab Cinema Center (ACC), and provides an important space for discussions, communication, meetings, workshops and master classes. It also provides the platform for partnership opportunities between Arab talent, and regional and international key industry professionals to further support Arab Cinema.
