THE FILM CHALLENGE
A.K.A Women's Weekend Film Challenge
This film challenge is unlike any other. No more using up all of your resources and favors for the chance to showcase your talent. We provide all of the support you need to make a film in one weekend!
Accepted participants are placed on crews and work with women and non-binary filmmakers in every role of production. It's FREE to apply and participate, and we provide cinema-quality equipment courtesy of our sponsors, production insurance, stipends to submit to film fests and more!
The films made during the film challenge have been accepted into over 100 film festivals. More importantly, past participants careers accelerate after this program due to the connections they make during the challenge.
OUR IMPACT
Stats from our five previous challenges
900+
Participants in our film challenges
9%
of participants are part of the disabled community
53%
of participants are people of color
100+
Film festivals have accepted our films
32%
of participants identify as LGBTQ+
99%
of participants would highly recommend the challenge
HOW ARE WE DIFFERENT?
We're on a mission to advance the careers of women and non-binary filmmakers. The only way to improve representation on the big screen is to support diverse emerging talent. Since filmmakers are expected to have a reel in order to get hired, many people are forced to fund their own work. With the cost of filmmaking prohibitively expensive for so many, we work yearround to fundraise so that our filmmakers don't need to shoulder that burden. Filmmakers are finally able to focus on building their networks and creating quality material for their reels and for festival submissions.
Our film challenge was created by filmmakers and every development has been inpired by feedback from nearly 1,000 surveys of past participants.
No other film challenge supports its filmmakers the way we do. Here is some of what we provide our participants:
Cinema-Quality Gear and Insurance
One of the most important factors in advancing someone's career is giving them access to the best, professional equipment. We secure sponsorships from top-of-the-line companies who share a deep desire to improve representation in the industry. We provide production insurance and crews have access to over a million dollars of equipment. No more using up all your favors to get the equipment you need!
Premiere Screening & Festival Run
It's not enough to make the film...you need eyes on your work in order to get hired. We screen all completed films for an audience of hundreds of filmmakers to showcase everyone’s work. We provide stipends to help the films get into festivals around the world. We've had participants get hired based on their work during the challenge and that is becauase of the ongoing work we do to showcase your talent.
A Complete Crew/ New Network
Applicants are vetted by a pool of industry judges, so when you apply, your work is being viewed by showrunners, casting directors, major directors and cinematographers. If you are accepted, you will be placed on a crew with over thirty other women and non-binary people in every role of production. You will instantly expand your professional network and be able to hire and refer more women and nb people.
Orientations and Trainings
Since the film challenge is unlike any other production, we offer extensive guidance. We recognize that our participants have varying backgrounds and experience which can be an asset if handled correctly. We provide trainings for core leadership roles, handbooks for all participants, workshops and 24-hour email support in order to ensure success.
DON'T SIGN UP IF...
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You want to sell the film you make this weekend. This is a highly collaborative effort with no one person creating and executing the film. Moonshot Initiative retains all of the rights to the films. These films are meant to be used as materials for your reel, as a means to get you into festivals and as a tool for networking. If a film makes money through distribution, all proceeds will go towards helping more filmmakers through Moonshot.
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You need everything thoroughly mapped out before you do something. While we host a pre-production meeting and provide a detailed handbook, so much of this challenge is up in the air. You need to be flexible and excited to challenge yourself.
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You are a stickler for the standard roles of production. Again, everyone is working together to get the film done under a tight deadline and a limited budget. You may have to take on some extra tasks that you don’t normally do. The fun is in seeing what you’re truly capable of and bonding with others in the trenches.
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You don't care about improving the representation of women and non-binary people in the film and TV industry.
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You are racist, misogynistic, and or generally rude.
PAST SPONSORS
"The scale of the challenge, the access to professional gear and contacts blew me away."
- Karen Rodrigeuz
HOW DO WE SELECT THE PARTICIPANTS?
While the film challenge itself is not a competition, we rely on the expertise of an outstanding panel of judges to help us select the participants for each film challenge. When you apply to the film challenge, your work is being seen by award-winning filmmakers! Here are just a few of our past and present judges:
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Where do I register and pay for the course?After you click "Join," you will be prompted to create an account. The payment page will pop up as soon as you log in. You will also need to be signed in to request to join the waitlist for any of the courses that are not currently available.
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Who will be teaching the How to Pitch Your Pilot course?You’ll learn directly from Moonshot Initiative co-founders Katrina Medoff and Tracy Sayre, who have prepared Moonshot Pilot Accelerator (formerly WWFC’s Pilot Accelerator) fellows to pitch to major studios and production companies. They have sat in on more than 100 pitch meetings they set up for their fellows with companies including HBO, Netflix, Warner Bros., Hulu, Showtime, Comedy Central, and more. Execs have shared that the Moonshot fellows' pitches were exceptionally polished and that they were more prepared than many of the pitches they normally see. Now, they’re bringing their expertise gained from the Moonshot Pilot Accelerator to Moonshot’s “How to Pitch Your Pilot” course.
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What are the dates and times of the live virtual meetups?For our How to Pitch Your Project course in November 2023, these are the dates and times: Monday, Nov. 6, 5-6:30 p.m. Pacific / 8-9:30 p.m. Eastern Thursday, Nov. 16, 5-6:30 p.m. Pacific / 8-9:30 p.m. Eastern Monday, Nov. 20, 5-6:30 p.m. Pacific / 8-9:30 p.m. Eastern
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How do I sign up to receive instructor feedback on my pitch?To receive live instructor feedback on your pitch, sign up via our Calendly link (available in your course registration email or on moonshotinitiative.com/courses once you have registered and logged in). You must select a feedback date by Nov. 2 to guarantee your spot.
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Do I have to have a project to pitch to participate in the course? Is it required to sign up for an instructor feedback session?You are welcome to soak up everything there is to learn from the course and live sessions without pitching your work! Often, we learn the most from observing others, because it's easier to be objective about what is needed to improve a pitch. Come watch and learn!
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Will the live meetings be recorded?We will be recording portions of the live virtual meetups and posting them on the group discussion board at a later date. However, some of the time in the live meetup will be spent in breakout rooms, which of course will not be recorded. The only way to experience this part of the course will be to join live.
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What are the dates and times of the peer practice sessions?There are two peer practice sessions during the How to Pitch Your Pilot course in November 2023. This is your opportunity to receive feedback on your pitch from a classmate and to hone your ability to give feedback by assessing your partner’s pitch. There are two days for peer pitch practice: Thursday, Nov. 9 (choose your meeting time with your partner) Monday, Nov. 13 (choose your meeting time with your partner) Sign up for one or both practice sessions via our peer pitch practice sign-up form (available in your course registration email or on moonshotinitiative.com/courses).
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In the How to Pitch Your Project course, will I be preparing a pitch deck?The How to Pitch Your Project course focuses on the skill of verbal pitching, so we will not be preparing any visual aids or pitch decks. Given the limited class time, we will be prioritizing mastering the art of speaking about your work, your ideas, and yourself as a creative.
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What kinds of verbal pitches will I be preparing for the How to Pitch Your Project course?Course participants will be preparing both a 30-second elevator pitch and a longer version of the pitch. Please note that while in typical pitch meetings, pitches might be 20 minutes, 30 minutes, or even longer, you will be working on the skill of verbal pitching in a more condensed fashion. Our belief is that it is always easier to expand upon a pitch than to make it more concise; it’s important to be able to convey ideas succinctly when needed. Our course will help you hone your verbal pitching skills so that you are able to build a more in-depth pitch when need be.