One of this year's six Good Pitch Australia docos, 'Guilty', focuses on ending the dealth penalty (Photo Credit: Matthew Sleeth).
This year’s Good Pitch Australia event, held yesterday at the Sydney Opera House, saw $6.6 million in philanthropic funds pledged towards six documentaries and their social impact campaigns.
The six films presented this year were 2040, Ghosthunter, Dying To Live, Kids , Beautiful Minds and Guilty. The slate focuses on a diverse variety of social issues including environment, sustainability and innovation; adult survivors of childhood trauma; organ and tissue donation; Indigenous education and culture; women in science and STEM and ending the death penalty.
“The scale of our ambition has been matched by the heart and generosity of our supporters, without whom none of this would be possible,” said executive director of Good Pitch Australia Malinda Wink.
“This is an immense privilege and I am grateful for those who have embraced the opportunity to do things differently, work collaboratively and put story-telling at the centre.”
Since its inaugural event in 2014, Good Pitch Australia has raised more than $14 million for the funding of 19 social impact documentaries – including That Sugar Film and Gayby Baby – and their impact campaigns. It has also sought to forge partnerships between community groups, the corporate sector, NGOS and policy makers.
While yesterday’s Good Pitch Australia event will be the last, it was announced earlier this week that the organisation will receive $2 million from co-host Shark Island Institute to fund its operations over the next five years.
Chair and moderator Ian Darling said the thinking behind bringing Good Pitch to Australia came from his own personal ambition for the documentary and social impact sector.
“It’s been a great pleasure seeing philanthropists, filmmakers, NGOs and community partners exceed the individual expectations of all of us involved in this thrilling venture. I’d like to thank our wonderful partners, here and internationally, whose contributions are immeasurable,” said Darling.