GZDOC‘China Stories’International Pitching Session

Tell China Story to the World is the responsibility and mission of GZDOC.

The GZDOC‘China Stories’International Pitching Session aims to help directors and producers seek co-production, funding, broadcasting and distribution. Inviting decision makers from home and abroad, the event gather production talents, investors and broadcasters together for intensive negotiations. 

In 2004, the GZDOC first introduced the pitching format to China. William Paterson Ferns, the creator of international documentary film pitching, who is known as the father of independent documentary films in Canada, has been the international consultant of the GZDOC Pitching session since then.

Since 2016,GZDOC started focusing on the China stories for the pitching session. It has helped a lot of directors and producers obtain supports. According to GZDOC statistics, 151 China story projects have won international co-production financing or referrals at the GZDOC.

In 2018, the Ministry of Commerce and 11 other national ministries and commissions issued the Notice on the Pilot Experience of Promoting Innovative Development of Service Trade. The document says that the GZDOC 'documentary pitching financing mode' helped Chinese documentary projects obtain finance and referral to the international market, effectively promoting 'China Story' and improve China's export of cultural services. It's seen as a good example for all provinces and cities and becomes the only cultural project approved by the State Council promoted around the country.

The 2020 'China Stories' International Pitching Session received 199 projects from 33 countries and regions. The subjects are diverse, including the changes of the times, personal dreams, the charming nature as well as the social recordings. In the rich themes of history, nature, dreams, family affection, life and death, art, life and so on, the creators show the charm of images from different angles and tell stories that deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. After 2 rounds of evaluations, 28 projects enter the final round of 2020 'China Stories' International Pitching Session. 47 decision-makers from home and abroad jointly selected the best ten projects during the event.

GZDOC pitching session has become a mature market place for finance, production and distribution. For domestic documentary industry, it's now seen as the important first stop for projects. For international documentary community, it's a gateway to China's documentary content.