Grab this opportunity to pitch your TV show at the 11th Silwerskerm Film Festival

The kykNET Silwerskerm Film Festival (the “Festival”) is an esteemed showcase for local films in one or more bioscopes, theatres and outside screens in and around Cape Town. The Festival screens films in any genre, focusing on Afrikaans productions. In addition, categories exist for films or documentaries in other languages. The Festival also offers networking opportunities, topical panel discussions and skills-development workshops for industry professionals and newcomers.

This year, the Festival expands to include television and streaming mediums, encompassing genres such as reality and entertainment shows, drama and comedy series, and advertiser-funded programming.

As such, the Festival will host a pitching session for storytellers in these video entertainment genres and invites you to submit a concept proposal in a specific category. Submissions will potentially be selected for an in-person pitching session to a panel of commissioning decision-makers at the festival in August 2023.

Entries close on 7 June 2023.

How do I enter?

  • Register on the Silwerskerm Film Festival webpage.
  • Complete the entire entry form.
  • Upload a pitching document in PDF format – MAXIMUM 2 PAGES.

How does it work? 

Television or streaming show concepts must be submitted via the kykNET Silwerskermfees website.

The selection process spans three phases. The M-Net Content Hub Commissioning Editors representing the various categories will review and evaluate the proposals. Thereafter, the top fifteen concepts in each category will be evaluated by the Content and Channel Heads. Finally, the top five participants in each category will be invited to a live pitching session at the 11th kykNET Silwerskerm Film Festival in Camps Bay between 23 and 26 August 2023.

Concepts for new television or streaming shows must fit into one of the following categories:

  1. Drama series
  2. Documentary
  3. Reality and entertainment show
  4. Advertiser-funded programme

*Note: Show concepts must adhere to a 100% Afrikaans dialogue prerequisite.

Submission proposals must include the following elements:

  1. Strong title
  2. Logline
  3. Proposed genre
  4. Premise/summary (max 350 words)
  5. Proposed number of episodes
  6. Proposed running time per episode
  7. Proposed budget elements:
    a. Cost per minute (Development)
    b. Cost per minute (Production)
    c. Total budget amount
  8. References to similar shows
  9. Creative team

*Note: In the case of an advertiser-funded programme, the application should include a confirmation letter from a committed sponsor.