Live Pitch at exposures 2010

In November 2010 One World Media ran a Live Pitch at the exposures festival of new talent in moving image held in Manchester. Five documentary film ideas - all in some way concerning the developing world - were pitched to the panel, with development funding available to the winner.

The winning film - taking away the prize of £2000 from One World Media - was 'God Save the Punk', pitched by Onyeka Igwe and Sofia Bouzidi. It will look at the emerging Muslim punk, or taqwacore, scene in Algeria. See below for more on the winning proposal, as well as the other shortlisted ideas.

The panel of judges agreed that it was a very difficult decision, and that if there were more money available, they would love to fund all of the ideas. They also underlined that the five shortlisted films were selected from over 70 initial applications - already a great achievement.

The pitching panel featured:

CHAIR: Andy Glynne, Documentary Filmmakers Group
Cat Lewis, Nine Lives Media
Mick Csáky, Antelope, and Trustee, One World Media
Beth Hewitt, University of Salford
Steve Boulton, Steve Boulton Productions

One World Media also ran other sessions at exposures to give students and emerging filmmakers the chance to hear from a range of professional documentary filmmakers. Among those giving advice were:

Paul Sapin (XRay Spex Ltd.)
Helen Cotton (See Change Films)
Sophie Chalk (Rooftop Productions)

Live Pitch winners Sofia Bouzidi (L) and Onyeka Igwe (R), with Mick Csaky (Trustee, One World Media)

Live Pitch supported by the Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation, and One World Media events at exposures supported by UKaid from the Department for International Development. Live Pitch organised in collaboration with DFG.

The winning film:

God Save the Punk (Onyeka Igwe, Goldsmiths, University of London; Sofia Bouzidi, graduate of University of Bradford)
There is now an emerging movement of young people who use Islam and punk as a way of defining their lives. In this film Sofia Bouzidi - who is British, Algerian, and punk - will take us inside this growing culture in Algeria and the UK.

Runners up:

A History of the Indian Moustache (William Hartley, University of Salford)
This film will provide an unusual history of India by looking at the Indian moustache. Once an important part of the Indian male's appearance, what status does it have now? And what does that tell us about how the country is changing?

Life in a Capsule (Luo Yi, graduate of Goldsmiths, University of London)
‘Capsule Studios' is a new way to live for cheap in China's rapidly developing capital city, Beijing. But what is it like squeezing three people into each capsule, with no windows and one bed to share between them?

Radio Benin (Anouk de l'Ecluse, graduate of The Metropolitan Film School, London)
The radio has become a vital part of people's lives in Benin, West Africa. This documentary will hear people's accounts of what their radio means to them - and find out what happens when people switch their radios on.

The King of Bandra (Philip Pendlebury, University of Salford)
This film will tell the story of Mr. Sandeep Bacche from Mumbai, a man of extraordinary generosity who is devoted to raising money for those in need. But Sandeep is not a rich philanthropist - he is one of Mumbai's 55,000 autorickshaw drivers.