Veteran independent film producer Ted Hope will give the keynote speech at this year’s Power to the Pixel Cross-Media Forum, which will be held at The Times BFI 53rd London Film Festival in October.

New York-based Hope, who has produced close to 60 films, is vocal about this belief that independent film-makers and producers need to use digital means to finance, create and distribute their work.

He said: “I sat for too long wondering why cinema wasn’t changing. Thinking about where we can take the narrative form has sometimes felt like a solitary pursuit. It was an incredible relief to me to find Power to the Pixel and see them leading the charge.”

Meanwhile, seven projects have been selected for The Pixel Pitch, which is being held for this first time this year, from 120 submissions from 14 countries. The cross-media pitching forum aims to showcase the best UK and international film projects spanning film, TV, online, mobile and gaming.

The finalists are:

  • The Alexander Wilson Project, a film web series, live event and game from producer Krishna Stott, with production company Bellyfeel/Visit Sheerport (UK)

  • Angels, a film and TV series, an alternate reality game (ARG) and live event produced by Matthieu Chereau and Sandrine Girbal with production company Happy Fannie (France)

  • Brand New-U, a feature film, interactive web series and game from producer Janine Marmot with Hot Property Films (UK)

  • The Dark Forest Game, a documentary, multiplatform game and live event produced by Rachel Jacobs with Mudlark Production Company in association with NewTV (UK and Brazil)

  • Heart Of The City, a feature film, web series, live event, ARG and video game to be produced by Karin Chien with Desedo Films (USA)

  • Slick, a feature film, web series, ARG and mobile property from producer Benham Karbassi and No Mimes Media (USA)

  • Third Rail, a feature film, web series, game, mobile application and interactive blu-ray from producers Ryan Bilsborrow-Koo and Zachary Lieberman Production Company: Exit Strategy (USA)

Each team will have ten minutes to pitch their projects to a jury of international commissioning executives, decision-makers and financiers and in front of an audience of Power to the Pixel delegates. There will be a further 20 minutes for comments and feedback. The finalists are competing for the Babelgum Pixel Pitch Award of $9,893 (£6000).

The jury includes Rosie Allimonos, multi-platform commissioner for the BBC, Sally Caplan, head of the Premiere Fund at the UK Film Council, Karol Martesko-Fenster, general manager and publisher, film division at Babelgum, and Peter Cowley, managing director of digital media at Endemol UK.

Liz Rosenthal, founder of Power to the Pixel, said: “Thanks to continued funding from our principal funder Skillset and main partners the UKFC, the Arts Council England, NESTA, Babelgum and the support of our other partners, not only are we able to invite the leading international innovators and other film professionals to join us, but we are able to expand our activities to include the ground-breaking Pixel Pitch.”

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