Is Filmarket Hub useful to aspiring writers? (A.k.a. worth paying for)
If you are a screenwriter, the road to getting your original project optioned can be a lonely, frustrating and uphill challenge. At Filmarket Hub, we not only understand this — our very existence is to make your journey a little easier and less lonely. We understand only too well that for many, the Film and TV industry can be an impenetrable fortress where it can be impossible to get your project read and seriously considered.
We know the doubts and mistrust that can emerge from using online platforms like ours. So we want to address those concerns, be fully transparent about our business model and hopefully answer that million-dollar question — a question that we get asked almost daily — Why should I as a writer invest my money and trust my project to Filmarket Hub?
What do we do? Filmarket Hub is an online platform for curated feature films and series in development that connects talent with leading companies in the industry. It has arisen from the necessity to create a safe place for aspiring writers where their projects can be visible 24/7 and read by industry professionals — with the real possibility of that leading to the production of the project, or (and equally importantly) to stimulate opportunities for that writer to work on another project.
We are committed to breaking down the barriers between new voices that need to be heard and the industry. Our selection system is a democratic one; all the projects that are submitted to Filmarket Hub are read and validated by our in-house development team and community of freelance script readers. Selections are made based on the quality of the writing alone.
Our passion and goal are to create an inclusive and nurturing community for writers, bridging the gap between talent and the industry. We do this by hosting selected projects on our secure platform and facilitating opportunities for writers to meet the industry in face to face meetings. We believe these online one to one meetings are essential for talent to build relationships with the movers and shakers of the industry, not only for that particular project they submitted to Filmarket Hub, but crucially for their ongoing careers. Likewise, we are confident that the executives that come to our online events and search the platform for new projects are likewise, benefiting from meeting talent they may otherwise not have been introduced to.
Our success is not only measured by the number of produced projects we help to make happen, but also by the networking between screenwriters and producers that we enable. Making contacts in the development space can be extremely difficult, particularly if you don’t have a talent agent — and sometimes even if you do. Through the different ‘Call for Projects’ that we offer, we aspire to help writers build their contacts and networks. For talent with agents, we simply offer an additional service of introduction where writer’s (and their agents) can benefit from being introduced to a number of high level executives in one go. Unusually, we do not demand that talent have an agent to submit to any of our calls — in fact we are passionate about finding new, unrepresented voices. In these cases, we are actively seeking to build relationships with talent agencies to help connect them to the brilliant new writer’s we find who are unrepresented.
We are endorsed by the many companies that continue to support our online events and search for projects on our platform. These include Red Arrow Studios, Lionsgate, SKY, NBCUniversal, Curzon, Endor Productions, BBCFilm, FilmNation, Kudos and Bron Studios, to name a few. In 2021 we hosted 6 Pitchbox events worldwide and 4 screenwriting contests in Spanish and English. In addition, we facilitated 767 one-to-one meetings and made 1360 curated projects visible internationally.
But rather than hearing this from us, why not read some testimonies from the talent who have experienced us firsthand:
“As a result of being selected for the UK Pitchbox, our script actually got optioned and the momentum enabled me to get an agent” Rob Thorman (Screenwriter)
“I end up making some contacts that hopefully will continue to develop, including one that has already stated their interest in taking my project further.” Aram Atkinson (Director and screenwriter)
“We had the unique opportunity to talk with execs from Lionsgate, Gaumont, eOne or NBCUniversal, to name but a few. This was the shot that all the filmmakers or storytellers dream of.” (Director and Producer — Shooting Tiger Pictures / Tigerfish TV)
Filmarket Hub’s screenwriting contests have been supported by juries comprising of industry experts such as Catherine Freeman (Development Executive at Ruby Rock Pictures), Dionne Farrell (Development executive at BBCFilm), Karol Griffiths (Development Consultant and Script Editor), Mark Brennan (Literary agent at United Agents) and Philip Shelley (Head of 4Screenwriting, Script Consultant and Producer).
The winners and semi-finalists of these contests get cash prizes and the opportunity to have their scripts ready by the competition’s executive partners. Other prizes include script coaching and mentoring, the screenwriting software Final Draft (valued at $249.99), Curzon membership, as well as the opportunity to attend the UK Online Pitchbox to pitch your project in one to one meetings, amongst others.
We hope you will experience Filmarket Hub and find it to be a professional and reliable service committed to building bridges with the industry. Our goal is your goal — to elevate you and your script, making you visible to the producers that can get it made.
We are deeply grateful and thankful to both the talent and our industry partners who have helped us forge this growing community, one where we all share the same passion — to turn great projects into memorable viewing time!
