The sixth edition of the student market Spring Pitch 2023 is an exciting and engaged event that will be held on 4 May 2023, where students of the Academy of Performing Arts will have a unique opportunity to present their projects to professionals from film and television industry, as well as from theatre houses. The event will present the next generation of young and talented authors, providing them with a platform to gain exposure and get feedback on their work. The Spring Pitch provides insight into the projects and ideas of the next generation of authors, i.e. into the very future of the creative industry.
The Spring Pitch’s mission is to empower and contribute to the local and regional creative industry by promoting new, young talents. The aim of this event is to provide a platform for young authors to present their projects and receive the support of professionals, thus contributing to the growth and development of the local creative industry. The Spring Pitch, organized by the third year students of Production and Management of the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo, has been held biennially since 2013 and has so far had five editions. But from this year, the Spring Pitch becomes an annual event, and its organization is credited to students Laura Brunner, Adna Rizvan, Nadja Paranos, Belma Medija and Omar Homarac under the mentorship of professors of the Production Department.
Part of the activities of the student market were held on 26th and 27th April, and the first of them was related to the tendency for the market to be environmentally conscious. On Wednesday, 26 April, the organisers, with the help and support of Let’s Do It BiH, planted trees in front of the Jagomir Film Studio in Sarajevo. In this way, they symbolically celebrated the growth and development of the film and theatre industry in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Just as trees have roots, branches and leaves, so too does the creative industry require care and attention to succeed. By planting trees in the garden of the Jagomir Film Studio, the Spring Pitch recognizes the contributions of students, professionals and organizations involved in this important industry, and celebrates its potential for growth and development.
On Thursday, 27 April, a set of activities was held, important for the participants of this year’s market and for all students and professors of the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo. In order to prepare the participants for the pitching session, the Spring Pitch organized a pitching training led by Nebojša Jovanović and Amira Kudumović at the Film Centre in Sarajevo. The training provided the participants with the necessary skills, techniques and advice for effective project presentation. After that, an online presentation of the Talents Programme of the Sarajevo Film Festival was held, which provided all interested APA students with all the necessary information related to this important and quality SFF programme. Finally, Case Study Talks held in the Meeting Point Cinema in which Mia Avdagić, Kristina Jeličanin and Ismira Mašić participated, aimed to give insight into the process of development and production of the completed student graduation film as well as the independent short student film. In this way, the speakers gave their colleagues the opportunity to learn from practical experiences by informing them about the challenges of student production, as well as ideas, inspirations and opportunities that they can use for their projects.
The main event of the Spring Pitch 2023 will be held on 4 May, starting with a masterclass with young director Alan Šimić at the Meeting Point Cinema starting at 11 a.m. After that, a Pitching session will begin at the open stage Obala of the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo from 4 p.m., where 14 student projects (theatre and film) will be presented to professionals and guests. After the pitching sessions, we will be socializing at a joint party where young musicians from Da Capo Acoustic Duo will be performing, and where students will have the opportunity to discuss their projects in more detail and potentially form partnerships and collaborations with the professionals who will be attending.
The student market is realized in partnership with the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo, Film Center Sarajevo and Meeting Point Cinema, and the project was supported by: Coca-Cola HBC B-H Sarajevo, Tuborg, Ekopak, Grand kafa and Meeting Point Cafe.
