European Short Pitch
Lab (2026)Prestige 62/100
A six-month short film development programme and co-production forum. The 2027 edition is on hold.
Availability
Closed for this cycle
Next deadline
To be confirmed
Application fee
See full details
Formats
Short
Cost if selected: €700, separate from any application fee.
Eligibility and project requirements
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.
- Formats
- Short
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 19 Oct 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.
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For your application
Results
2026 awards
View results with a free accountPrizes
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 9 Nov 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.
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For organisers
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