by Liz Rosenthal , published on 27.07.2009

In just two years Power to the Pixel’s Cross-Media Film Forum has become the  leading event in the film industry calendar for creators to connect with key digital innovators: pioneers who are developing new models of storytelling, film financing and film distribution across multiple platforms. The event opens this year’s London Film Festival from 14-16 October 2009 at BFI, Southbank.

New to our programme this year is The Pixel Pitch, an international cross-media film competition where we will award the Babelgum Pixel Pitch Prize of £6,000 to the best cross-media project.  Application deadline is 14 August. You can find out how apply here.

We are looking for projects that take advantage of the growth of new tools, services and devices to develop innovative ways of telling stories to engage and interact with audiences across multiple platforms. Projects can be in development, works-in-progress or near completion. One important point is that all entries must have plans for some kind of release in a cinema, or encompass a live event.

Up to ten projects will be selected to present to a select group of financiers, commissioners, tech companies, online portals and media companies, in front of an open audience, at Power to the Pixel on 15 October 2009.

The 2008 launch saw four filmmakers present their cross-media projects to representatives from companies including Babelgum, Sony Computer Entertainment, BBC, YouTube, MySpace, Amazon, Channel 4, UK Film Council, Arts Council of England, Tribeca Film Institute.   All of the filmmakers benefited greatly from the connections and publicity, securing both finance and international partners .

After presenting his project HIM at the 2008 launch, Lance Weiler was selected to participate at the Rotterdam International Film Festival’s CineMart where he won the  prestigious €10,000 Arte France Cinema Award.  HIM uses interactive technology to tell the tale of a small town affected by a mysterious sleep virus  that infects anyone over the age of 21. HIM’s immersive storyworld will be deployed across multiple devices and platforms using 4-6 minute episodes, 1 minute micro-narratives, online and

mobile casual games, online and offline ARG (alternate reality game) elements whilst creating   a feature film in the process.  Lance describes his project as “a new type of social entertainment experience that fuses storytelling and gaming in a way that enables audience members to become collaborators within the world of the story.”.

Jamie King’s project Dark Fibre has now completed its shoot in Bangalore, India and is in post-production.   The film deliberately collides documentary and fiction,  capturing the real lives of cable TV providers in the unregulated networks of India, juxtaposing the dream of Bangalore as India’s ‘silicon valley’ alongside the everyday life of the city’s underclass.  Dark Fibre will be distributed via P2P networks in segments, each part unfolding a piece of the story. The final part will only be made available to those who have watched the entire film.

Breathe is the newest project from Expanding Universe, a social entertainment company run by Yomi Ayeni and Carmel Landy. The project is a murder mystery that unravels in the London underground dance scene, set in a nightclub that’s built in a vacuum where people need to dance to fill the club with oxygen. Breathe mixes film, online events,  real-life events and performance to tell its story, encouraging audience participation through club nights and a live finale.

Teams that are selected for 2009’s  Pixel Pitch will also gain access to Power to the Pixel’s other Forum events.  From 14 – 16

October, we’ll be hosting a cutting-edge conference, workshop sessions, one-on-one business meetings, screenings, networking

receptions and a think tank discussion group.

Enter now to compete for the Babelgum Pixel Pitch Prize or just come along and explore how films connect to  a cross-media world.  You can learn more at powertothepixel.com