The Big Sky Pitch is an exceptional opportunity for filmmaking teams to "pitch" their documentary work-in-progress to a panel of the top commissioning editors and funders for documentary film. Documentary features of all forms and subjects are eligible to submit. The Big Sky Pitch is open to a live audience of filmmakers, industry representatives, festival attendees and students, an engaging and entertaining experience for filmmakers and non-filmmakers alike. Commissioning editors have the opportunity to critique and comment on each pitch. A maximum of 10 projects are accepted to pitch in this session. Selected projects have 10 minutes to pitch their project and show a sample, followed by a 10-minute feedback session with the panel. Participants also receive 1-1 pitch coaching and feedback, plus the exclusive opportunity to meet with members of the pitch jury.
Entry deadlines for the 2027 Big Sky Pitch are below:
• Submissions open: July 22, 2026
• Early Bird Deadline: September 13, 2026
• Final Deadline: November 1, 2026
EVENT INFORMATION
The 2027 Big Sky Pitch projects will be announced in January 2027. The Big Sky Pitch will take place on Friday, February 19, 2027, with the location to be announced.
The event is free and open to the public. Seating will be available between pitch presentations, approximately every 20 minutes. Additional event details will be announced in January 2027.
FRIDAY - FEB. 19 // Pitch Day
10:00 am - 3:00 pm - Big Sky Pitch
The Big Sky Pitch is an exceptional opportunity for filmmaking teams to "pitch" their documentary work-in-progress to a panel of the top commissioning editors and funders for documentary film. Up to ten projects will have ten minutes to pitch their film project and receive real-time feedback from the jury panel. The event takes place at the MCT, has free admission, and is open to a public audience of filmmakers, industry representatives, festival attendees and students.
Please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), or call our office at (406) 541-3456, with questions about submissions or the 2026 Big Sky Pitch event.
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Past Big Sky Pitch jury panelists have included representatives from HBO Documentary Films, Ford Foundation, Participant Media, BBC Storyville, CNN Films, Cinetic Media, ITVS, POV, PBS, Sundance Doc Fund, Chicken & Egg Pictures, Sundance Institute, SFFilm, The Fledgling Fund, Catapult Film Fund, ESPN Films, Film Independent, Impact Partners, Women In Film, New York Times Video, Vimeo, Magnolia Pictures, Gravitas Ventures, Field of Vision, Nia Tero, Al Jazeera, Cinetic, XTR, Disney Original Documentaries, WORLD, and TIME Studios.