The Galway Pitch Pilot Workshop, 25 to 27 May 2026 in Galway City

The Galway Pitch Pilot Workshop is an intensive three-day workshop 25 to 27 May 2026 in Galway City for documentary filmmakers wanting to develop and re-edit their pitch pilots.

The event combines open sessions accessible for a wide group of documentary makers and a workshop process tailored for a small group of six project teams and observers.

If you are a documentary maker wanting to enhance your project's market potential and make essential decisions about the narrative construction, this workshop is for you.

What Does the Workshop Offer?

• A personal and hands on feedback process on your pitch pilot
• Crucial decisions on visual approach and narrative structure
• A high-quality pilot ready for pitching to international partners
• One-on-one editing sessions combined with plenary sessions
  

Participant Profile

The main part of The Galway Pitch Pilot Workshop will be dedicated to six documentary project teams with projects in development as well as six industry observers and six student observers taking part in the entire workshop process.

One student and one industry observer will sit in on a particular project and observe the pitch pilot development process throughout the three days. It will be possible for documentary makers to attend the opening part of the session, which will be conducted as a seminar.

Why Take Part in a Pitching Workshop?

Pitching sessions have become an industry standard for the financing of documentaries. As pitching has grown to be increasingly important, the visual part of the pitch has become increasingly essential for the funding process. A 3–4-minute pitch pilot can either make it or break it when a project is being pitched for funding.

To help documentary makers meet these demands, this workshop will focus on the creative development of the visual material shown during a pitch.

Outline of Workshop

The first morning of the workshop will consist of a general information session on how to create a great pitch pilot. 25 industry professionals will be selected to take part in this morning seminar. Using concrete examples of successful pilots this presentation will outline general considerations about the editing of pilots. This presentation will be open to all documentary filmmakers interested in creative documentaries.

The remaining time of The Galway Pitch Pilot Workshop will be dedicated to the six teams behind the selected projects. They will present their documentary projects in plenary, and after receiving general advise from the workshop tutors, each team will spend the remaining part of day one and most of day two editing on their pilots. This will be done under guidance and with input from the two workshop tutors.

Day two will conclude with a short status update from each team, where they share their status with the other teams. After spending the morning of the third day editing, the third day concludes with all six teams showing their newly edited pitch pilots to the workshop group.

Tutors

Ove Jensen

Phil Jandaly

Venue

Galway Bay Hotel, Salthill, Galway

What happens if you are selected?

If you are selected to take part with a project at The Galway Pitch Pilot Workshop, you will spend three days at the workshop, participating in both plenary sessions, individual feedback discussions and have individual time for editing your pitch pilot or funding teaser.

In order to take part in the workshop, you will need to bring your own editing station to the location of the workshop in Galway.

The Galway Pitch Pilot Workshop is organised by the Creative Europe Desk in Galway in collaboration with Paradiddle Pictures and is supported by Coimisiún na Meán.

How to Apply

Apply with a project for the full workshop

Apply with a project and take part in the entire Galway Pitch Pilot Workshop. To submit your application with a project in development and take part in the workshop, you need to send us:

• Synopsis: half a page.
• Treatment and early reflections on the narrative: a full page.
• A link to selected scenes, characters or other visual material of maximum five minutes.
• An estimated time frame and total budget for the film.
• Contact details for the director and producer.
• Apply here for the full workshop.
• Note: Your team must be available for the three days of the workshop. Your director and editor must be available, along with any other team members that wish to participate.

Apply to Be One of Six Industry Observers for the Full Workshop

• Send your bio/CV together with a half page motivation explaining why you want to an observer at the workshop and how you can benefit from it.
• Apply here to be an industry observer.
• Note: You must be available for the three days of the workshop to be an industry observer.

Apply to Be One of Six Student Observers for the Full Workshop

• Send your bio or CV together with a half page motivation explaining why you want to an observer at the workshop and how you can benefit from it.
• Apply here to be a student observer.
• Note: You must be available for the three days of the workshop to be a student observer.

Apply to Take Part in the 90 Minutes Seminar on Editing Pitch Pilots

• Send us your bio/CV in order to register for the opening seminar on editing pitch pilots on Monday, May 25 at 9:00–11:00.
• Apply here for a place in the seminar.

Deadline for Submissions

20th April 2026 is the deadline for submissions. Selected participants will be contacted by Friday 24th April.