About the FORUM

Established in 1993, the FORUM is the largest meeting place for filmmakers, producers and commissioning editors in Europe. It offers financing possibilities for creative documentaries: single films, series, and emerging new media formats. Ninety percent of the projects that are pitched at the FORUM end up getting made.

Over the course of three days, independent producers pitch their projects in two different public pitch setups, depending on subject matter, financing, and stage of development. The public pitch setups consist of the more intimate Round Table Pitches and the traditional Central Pitches. The Round Table setup features commissioning editors and the pitch team at a small round table and limited observers seated in the audience, and allows for a more intimate and often lively atmosphere.

After last year’s succesful introduction of genre-specific programming of the round tables we will continue programming Arts & Culture and Crossmedia projects in special intended Round Table sessions.

Central Pitches take place in the main hall of the Compagnietheater, where some 25 commissioning editors and 300 observers are in attendance. This pitch setup offers maximum exposure to the projects. Approximately 25 Round Table Pitch projects and 20 Central Pitch projects are selected each year, and the FORUM organizes around 600 one-on-one meetings between filmmaking teams and broadcasters.

Commissioning editors and producers with projects are asked to indicate who they would like to meet with ahead of time, but the FORUM Desk can also plan appointments throughout the event. Additionally, the FORUM offers a limited number of producers the opportunity to attend the event as observers with a selected project. Though not admitted to one of the public pitch setups, these projects display a high level of quality and potential and deserve a shot at exposure.

Besides pitches and one-on-one meetings, producers and directors get the chance to attend pitch training sessions. The FORUM also offers industry panels on various subjects and daily cocktail hours.

Like IDFA, the FORUM puts the creative documentary first, paying particular attention to the changing documentary landscape – one in which not only linear documentaries, but also cross-media films and documentary series are becoming increasingly prevalent.