The Baikal pitching* of film projects will be held in Irkutsk for the tenth time this year. The selection round will take place from July 8 to August 28. The organizing committee will announce the shortlist on September 3. The projects will be defended on September 18 as part of the 23rd Baikal International Film Festival "Man and Nature" named after V. G. Rasputin. Applications are accepted through the online platform https://script.moviestart.ru/competition/single/124

Applications are accepted for participation from debutants (screenwriters, directors, producers) - citizens or a group of citizens of the Russian Federation who are under 35 years of age at the time of the pitching.

Contestants must meet the following criteria:
- prior to submitting an application, participate in the creation of no more than one full-length film and no more than five short films, excluding student works, in the category "Feature Films" and no more than three films, excluding student works, in the category "Documentary Films".

No more than two applications are allowed from one participant. In case of application submission from a group of persons, the author of the application must be a participant whose age does not exceed 35 years.

Applications and scripts must be in Russian. Works that are supposed to be filmed in the Irkutsk region, in the subjects of the Siberian Federal District and the Far Eastern Federal District, or in co-production with Irkutsk filmmakers will be accepted for consideration.

In honor of the project's tenth anniversary, the organizers have prepared a gift for the pitching participants: From September 17 to 20, 2024, out-of-town shortlist participants (one participant from each project) will receive paid airfare.

Participants of the anniversary pitching will also enjoy a rich educational program, including online training with recommendations on how to defend their projects. After the participants' presentations, editor, creative producer and screenwriter Daria Pavlotos will conduct an analysis of the projects.

The idea of ​​holding the Baikal Pitching was first voiced by Irkutsk filmmakers in 2015. For all 10 years, the project has been implemented by the Irkutsk Regional Branch of the Union of Cinematographers of Russia, the Leonid Gaidai Center for the Development of Cinematography with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Irkutsk Region, the Union of Cinematographers of the Russian Federation and the Muvistart production center of Dmitry Yakunin. Since 2022, the Irkutsk Regional Film Fund has been the organizer of the project. This year, the event is held with the support of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives.