Don't miss out, filmmakers! DGPI Pitch extends deadline until Oct. 14
Ready to take your film project to the next level? Celebrating 10 years of empowering creators, the Directors Guild of the Philippines, Inc. opens its annual pitching platform to directors and producers across Southeast Asia.
This year’s edition, dubbed "DGPI Pitch: X•PAND," will focus on feature film concepts. The submission deadline has been extended to Oct. 14, following the launch of the call for entries on Aug. 24.
DGPI president Keith Sicat said in a press release that the expansion reflects the increasingly international scope of some Filipino film projects.
“In recent years, more of our filmmakers’ concepts are international in nature in terms of the stories they are telling and even their universal themes, so it’s time to embrace and expand the possibilities of Philippine Cinema and be open to collaborating with those from other countries,” Sicat said.
DGPI is partnering with the Film Academy of the Philippines, QCINEMA International Film Festival, and the Quezon City Screen Commission.
Who can apply?
The DGPI PITCH X is open to Filipino filmmakers with feature-length film projects. Eligible formats include narrative fiction, documentary feature,
animation feature, and hybrid / experimental feature.
Global collaboration is welcomed and encouraged—international co-productions are fully eligible, provided the project’s lead proponent is a Filipino filmmaker.
They said that the project are accepted across every stage of production, from early concept development and pre-production to filming, post-production, and distribution.
Each filmmaker may submit up to two projects, with one designated proponent serving as the official representative per project.
Interested filmmakers may sign-up here.
DGPI was founded more than 30 years ago and has counted National Artists Lino Brocka, Ishmael Bernal, and Marilou Diaz-Abaya among its members. The guild currently represents more than 120 directors, according to the organization.
The DGPI Pitch has previously featured film projects that went on to receive local and international recognition. Martika Escobar’s Leonor Will Never Die was presented in 2017 before its subsequent run at international festivals, including Sundance and the Toronto International Film Festival. Meanwhile, Ma-an Asuncion-Dagñalan’s Blue Room was part of the 2019 pitch, while Sari Dalena’s Cinemartyrs was included in the 2024 edition.
The guild also said other projects presented at previous pitches have gone on to screen at international festivals, including Cannes and the Busan International Film Festival.
