Open Television and the Sundance Institute have partnered to launch a new initiative called “Pitch, Please!” The initiative aims to provide support for intersectional storytellers, specifically independent artists who are marginalized by their race, gender, sexuality, class, disability, or nationality. This program is an extension of the annual #OTVFellows program, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary.
As part of the “Pitch, Please!” program, fellowship participants will have the opportunity to pitch their series, short films, and video art concepts to a panel of creative advisors and a live audience. This pitching session will serve as a launching pad for their creative projects. The selected members of the cohort will receive feedback and guidance from the advisors, helping them refine and develop their work.
Elijah McKinnon, co-founder and executive director of Open Television, expressed excitement about the partnership with the Sundance Institute. He believes that feedback is invaluable in the journey of becoming a storyteller, and this initiative provides a unique platform for fellows to share their pitches and receive constructive criticism. The program aims to reimagine the future of independent development by offering intentional opportunities for marginalized artists.
The “Pitch, Please!” event will be live-streamed on December 1st at 12 p.m. CST via the OTV App. The winner of the pitching session will receive up to $30,000 in resources, acknowledgments, and more, which will further support their creative endeavors. The inaugural event will feature three fellows: Robert Cunningham, Roni Niu, and Danielle Young.
Robert Cunningham, an Atlanta-born and Chicago-based actor and screenwriter, has already participated in the 2022 Outfest Screenwriting Lab and created the web series “How to L0ve.” Roni Niu, a Taiwanese filmmaker, animator, and street dancer based in London, is currently part of the National Film & Television School and Amazon Prime Video’s Craft Academy. Danielle Young, originally from the Southeast U.S. and now based in Tongva Nation territory, is a writer, actor, and photographer. She co-founded the COVID Conscious Creatives network-building group and received the 2021 Outfest Trans and Nonbinary Acting Fellowship.
The inaugural cohort of creative advisors includes notable industry figures such as Boots Riley, the multi-talented artist behind the acclaimed film “Sorry to Bother You,” Christine Davila, the former head of development and production at Ojalá, Chad Charlie, a writer and actor known for his work on “Reservation Dogs,” which emphasizes Indigenous and Black representation, Zackary Drucker, a transgender woman and co-director of the upcoming documentary “The Stroll,” and Makiah Green, an Emmy award-winning producer who has worked on projects like Lizzo’s “Watch Out for the Big Grrrls,” Judas and the Black Messiah, and “Sorry to Bother You.”
Makiah Green believes that Hollywood has been in crisis for quite some time and that investing in emerging storytellers who challenge societal norms and push boundaries is the key to creating a better and more interesting world.
Overall, “Pitch, Please!” represents a significant opportunity for intersectional storytellers to showcase their talent, receive valuable feedback, and potentially secure resources to further their creative projects. This initiative, a collaboration between Open Television and the Sundance Institute, embodies the commitment to diversity and inclusion in the entertainment industry. By providing a platform for marginalized artists to share their stories, this program aims to reshape and enrich the future of independent development.
