Financing & Pitching Auteur Films: From a Cannes Filmmaker

A Cannes-backed filmmaker guides you through financing, producing, and pitching strategies for auteur-driven films.

What you'll learn
- Understand the steps of financing an auteur film – from development to co-production opportunities.
- Create professional visual materials for pitching your project, such as pitch decks and mood booklets.
- Confidently present your film to producers and co-producers at markets, festivals, or funding meetings.
- Avoid common mistakes in financing and pitching by learning directly from my real experiences and failures.

Requirements
- No prior experience in financing or pitching is required—just a passion for filmmaking and a willingness to learn.
- This course builds on my previous course on screenwriting, but it can also be taken independently with no prior experience required.

Description
This is thesecondof the totalfourcoursesdesigned for filmmakers and storytellers who want to create personal, meaningful films. When I started making films, I often struggled to balance my artistic vision, my lack ofexperiencewith the realities offinancingandpitching. I made mistakes that cost me time and opportunities—but those lessons became the foundation of my career. In this course, I want to share them with you so you don’t have to repeat them. Drawing from my journey of developing and presenting projects at theCannes Film Festival's L'Atelier, CineLink Sarajevo, Cluj Film Festival Pitch Stop, andProject Market in Busan Film Festival, Korea. I will guide you through the essentials of auteur film financing: from choosing the right producer and securing funding, to creating visualpitch materialsand navigating co-production markets. This course is designed for students and emerging filmmakers who want practical tools and honest insights on how to turn a personal vision into a supported international project.

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I created these courses because 15 years ago, when I was starting out -these is the exact courses I wish I had. Something that could offer not just theory and instructions, but a sense of what directing truly feels like — the experience before the experience. That realization became the driving force behind this project.

Inall four courses,we will cover all the essential aspects of filmmaking — froman auteur point of view- from theory to practical application, from visual storytelling to emotional tone. You will learn how to write a screenplay, finance your film, prepare visual materials, prepare for the shoot, work with actors, lead a crew, and shape your film in post-production. But this is not just a technical course. Primary, I will also share personal experience: stories, challenges, mistakes, and breakthroughs I’ve experienced in real life so that you can gain valuable insight into the emotional and intuitive side of writing, directing and filmmaking in general.

Auteur filmmaking means leading the creative vision, and that requires more than knowledge — it requires self-awareness, intuition, and trust in your voice. This course is here to help you develop all three.

By the end of all four courses, you won’t just understand how films are made — you’ll feel equipped and inspired to make your own. Whether you’re just starting out or already on your path, these courses offer a deep, honest, and practical look into what it really means to be an auteur filmmaker today.

Who this course is for:
- Film students who want to complement their academic knowledge with real-world financing and pitching skills.
- Emerging beginner filmmakers and passionate film enthusiasts eager to turn their personal vision into a professional project.
- Independent film professionals looking to refine their approach to funding, pitching, and industry networking.
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