European Short Pitch
Lab · 2026Prestige 62/100
A six-month short film development programme and co-production forum. The 2027 edition is on hold.
Deadlines & fees
Closed for this cycle
IMPORTANT: the next edition is on hold. In July 2026 European Short Pitch announced that the call for its 2027 edition was suspended after Creative Europe MEDIA funding did not come through, saying it was facing a genuinely uncertain moment and exploring smaller, more focused activities for 2027 instead. The most recently completed cycle was the nineteenth edition: applications closed on 12 September 2025, extended to 19 September, with selection announced in mid-December, the development workshop in mid-January 2026 and the forum in early June 2026. Until 2027 the annual rhythm had been strikingly stable, with a September deadline, December selection, January workshop and June forum, which makes this pause a genuine break rather than drift.
Dates and fees checked against the official site 9 Aug 2026.
It costs €700 if you get in
That is charged after selection and is separate from any entry fee above. CAUTION: European Short Pitch states this fee on two different bases across its own pages, and the difference is material. The call for entries says the participation fee for one project is 700 euro, while the regulations say the fee for projects in development is 700 euro per participant. The previous cycle's wording, the participation fee for one person per project, reconciles best with the coverage clause. On the first reading a three-person team pays 700 euro; on the second it could pay up to 2,100. The fee covers tuition, plus accommodation and subsistence for one person, the director, during any residential session. It does not cover travel, which is always at the participant's expense, and a maximum of three people per project may attend with extra participants covering their own accommodation, subsistence and travel. VAT treatment is not mentioned. Works in progress run a cheaper track at 350 euro per participant. No scholarships or waivers are offered directly; European Short Pitch advises applying through national film funds.
Key facts
- Formats
- Short
- Required materials
- A registration form plus one PDF of up to 25MB · Application form, synopsis of up to one page, author's intention note of up to one page · Links to a maximum of two previous works or a teaser · Motivations of up to one page and a producer's note if applicable · CVs · The full script in English, with no word limit
The author's nationality or country of residence should be one of the member states of the Council of Europe, which includes the United Kingdom, so UK writers qualify. Swiss filmmakers have a separate route only, through Kurzfilmtage Winterthur's pitching session. Live action, animation, documentary or hybrid short film projects under 59 minutes, in any genre. The working language is English and the script must be submitted in English. Open to writers, directors and producers, individually or in teams, aimed at up-and-coming authors and emerging talents. Projects must be in development, or in post-production for the separate works-in-progress track. A solo writer-director may enter, and European Short Pitch says such applicants are very welcome, though it strongly advises already having a national production company interested or attached, especially by the time of the co-production forum, so a writer with no directing role and no producer is a poor fit for a market-facing programme. Applicants must confirm availability for all sessions. Scripts must be entirely original.
Prizes
There is a modest cash prize: the European Short Pitch Award, a 2,000 euro development grant, awarded at the co-production forum, with partners adding in-kind prizes. The nineteenth edition's jury was Emilia Mazik of Go Short, Laurence Rilly of ARTE and Tina Tisljar of Eclectica. Beyond that the value is the development programme and the market access.
Judging
Feedback is delivered live rather than in writing, through plenary, group and one-to-one sessions with a scriptwriting tutor, a second individual feedback round, producer coaching, pitching training and sessions with distributors and sales agents. Tutors for the most recent edition are not published; the site still points at the previous year's list. Programme leadership includes Julie Marnay as Head of Programme and Olga Lamontanara as Head of the Coproduction Forum. No option or rights transfer is taken; the only requirement is that scripts be entirely original.
The PreList verdict
A properly structured six-month programme for a short film: a development workshop, months of one-to-one work with a scriptwriting tutor, producer coaching, pitching training, and then a co-production forum in front of producers, distributors and sales agents. Running since 2007, co-funded by the European Union, and open to writers across the Council of Europe, which includes the UK. There is even a modest cash prize, a 2,000 euro development grant awarded at the forum.
Read this first, though. The 2027 edition is on hold. European Short Pitch announced in July 2026 that its Creative Europe MEDIA funding had not come through, that it was facing a genuinely uncertain moment, and that it was exploring smaller, more focused activities for 2027 instead. Until then the calendar had been remarkably stable for nearly two decades, so this is a break rather than a drift, and there may be nothing to apply to next year.
The other thing to check is the fee, because their own pages cannot agree on it. The call for entries says 700 euro for one project; the regulations say 700 euro per participant. With up to three people allowed per project, that is the difference between 700 euro and 2,100 for the same team. The earlier cycle's wording, one person per project, reads as the truer one, and the fee explicitly covers accommodation and subsistence for one person only, with travel never included. Applying itself is free.
Dylian Salvatore, Founder of The PreList · Updated 21 Sept 2026
Frequently asked questions
Is it running in 2027?
No, it is on hold. In July 2026 European Short Pitch announced that the 2027 call was suspended after its Creative Europe MEDIA funding did not come through, and that it was exploring smaller, more focused activities instead. There may be nothing to apply to next year.
Is the 700 euro per project or per person?
Their own pages disagree, and it matters. The call for entries says the fee for one project is 700 euro; the regulations say 700 euro per participant. With up to three people allowed per project that is a spread of 700 to 2,100. The fee covers accommodation and subsistence for one person, the director, and never covers travel.
Can UK writers apply?
Yes. The requirement is that the author's nationality or country of residence is a Council of Europe member state, and the United Kingdom is one. Swiss filmmakers are the exception, with entry only via Kurzfilmtage Winterthur's pitching session.
Do I need a producer attached?
Not to apply. Solo writer-directors are explicitly welcomed. But European Short Pitch strongly advises having a national production company interested or attached by the time of the co-production forum, so a writer with no directing role and no producer is a poor fit for what is ultimately a market.
Is your script right for European Short Pitch?
Find out free, before you spend anything. Upload your screenplay and The PreList checks whether its format can enter this lab, whether you meet the country rules and any regional limits, and scores the script. Pro adds a written read on how well it fits.
Similar competitions
All labs
Ffilm Cymru Wales Development Fund
Grant · 2026
2 Oct 20268 days left
Up to 24,999 pounds to develop a feature, and a lone writer can apply. Recoupable, with a 50 per cent premium in places.
Feature
Checked today
Film Independent Screenwriting and Episodic Labs
Lab · 2026
Closed for this cycle
Both labs are closed. The Screenwriting Lab 2027 call opened on 29 June 2026 and closed on 31 August for non-members and 14 September for Film Independent members. The Episodic Lab 2026 call opened on 15 December 2025 and closed on 2 February 2026 for non-members and 16 February for members. Film Independent has not announced dates for either next call.
Two respected Film Independent development labs: one for a feature script, one for a TV pilot.
FeatureTV PilotActionAdventure+18
Checked today
FOX Entertainment Writers Incubator
Programme · 2027
Closed for this cycle
The 2026 round ran from 3 October and was scheduled to close on 27 October 2025 at 11:59pm Pacific, but hit its 1,000 application cap first and shut early. FOX says only to check back next autumn for the next cycle. The programme is genuinely annual across three evidenced cycles, but the window has moved earlier and shortened each time, from a roughly 40 day window opening in December, to 16 days in mid-October, to 25 days in early October. The 1,000 cap was introduced for the second of those and has closed the window early both times since, so the published closing date is a ceiling rather than a plan.
Four writers, priority in FOX staffing meetings, and rights exchanged in place of payment. Apply on day one.
TV Pilot
Checked today
Tony Cox Screenplay Competition
Contest · 2027
Closed for this cycle
The 2026 cycle is complete and no dates have been published for the next round; the festival says to check back in autumn 2026. That cycle opened on 18 September 2025 and ran four tiers, early on 6 November at 45 dollars for a feature, regular on 15 January at 60, final on 19 February at 80 and extended on 5 March 2026 at 95, with notification on 22 May. Episodic and short categories run cheaper. The pattern across the two evidenced cycles is consistent: opening in mid-September, four tiers from November through early March, notification in May and the festival in the third week of June, with fees held flat between cycles. No deadline times or timezones are published anywhere.
Five thousand dollars and a funded month on Nantucket writing. The best prize package in American short-form contests.
FeatureShortTV Pilot
Checked 44 days ago
Nashville Film Festival Screenwriting Competition
Contest · 2027
Closed for this cycle
Entries closed on 10 May 2026 and winners are announced live at the festival, running 24 to 30 September 2026. No 2027 dates have been published, and as of 12 September 2026 the festival site carries no screenplay competition page at all while it runs this year's edition, so there is nothing to read even for the fee ladder. The last three cycles have been consistent: entries open in the first week of December of the preceding year, with the final deadline in May.
Long-running festival screenwriting contest across genre features, shorts and 30/60-minute pilots, open worldwide.
FeatureTV PilotShortActionAdventure+18
Checked 11 days ago
NYC Midnight Screenwriting Challenge
Contest · 2026
Closed for this cycle
The 2026 challenge (the 23rd annual) finished with final round results on 29 July 2026, and no 2027 dates have been published. It has run every calendar year without a gap, always in three rounds, with entries closing in February and final results landing late July or August. The early-bird entry deadline falls in the first week or two of January, which is the moment to watch. One caution: the start date has moved earlier every single year (24 March 2023, 15 March 2024, 21 February 2025, 13 February 2026), so treat February as the shape rather than assuming a repeating date.
Global prompt-based contest: short screenplays against tight deadlines over three rounds, with feedback on every entry.
ShortActionAdventure+18
Checked 44 days ago
For organisers
Run European Short Pitch? You are welcome to use this badge on your own site. It links back to this listing, where writers see dates and fees checked against your official site.
<a href="https://www.theprelist.io/competitions/european-short-pitch"><img src="https://www.theprelist.io/badges/listed-on-theprelist.svg" alt="European Short Pitch is listed on The PreList" width="190" height="36" /></a>On a dark background, swap the image for /badges/listed-on-theprelist-light.svg. Using the badge makes no difference to your listing, ranking or verdict. Those stay editorial.