We commission and curate compelling, character-led short documentaries from around the world for our global digital audience. We work with access-driven original ideas and support independent filmmakers. Our films are about contemporary subjects that have the power to provoke, surprise, and engage us emotionally.
What should I pitch?
We’re looking for films with a unique creative vision and compelling contemporary stories. We work with filmmakers of all experience levels and backgrounds. We are looking for shorts of between 10 and 30 minutes in length. We don’t commission series. Please detail your access, the story, characters, and filmmaking approach in your pitch.
When should I pitch?
We have no funding cycles or deadlines. Most of our films are commissioned in early production. We make acquisitions of completed short films, but much less frequently. For all submissions we require either sample material or a trailer.
What’s next?
We receive a large number of proposals. We do read and watch all submissions and we try to respond to submissions within a month. If your submission has a particular deadline that we should be aware of, please make that clear in the submission below.
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How to submit a proposal
Please complete as much of the form as you can. You are able to upload any materials directly into this form. Your responses are secure and confidential as the form is encrypted and only the Guardian has access to your contributions. You should receive a confirmation email once your submission has been sent - if you do not receive this you can follow up at pitches.documentaries@theguardian.com.
