Ten documentary filmmaking teams were selected to pitch their feature works-in-progress at the 2025 Big Sky Pitch, Friday February 21st at the culmination of the DocShop conference. Covering a vast array of subjects and coming from an exciting diversity of voices, the projects ranged from early development to ready for sale. The 2025 Big Sky Pitch jury of funders and commissioning editors included representatives from Cinetic Media, Impact Partners, ITVS’s Independent Lens, POV, WORLD, and Sundance Institute. Prior to the pitch day, participants received coaching support from ESPN Film’s Carolyn Hepburn. Free and open to the public, the pitch event took place at the Missoula Community Theater with a live audience and a record attendance for the festival.
The remarkable slate of projects and presenters at the 2025 Big Sky Pitch included:
ABSTRACT - Jacob Fertig (Producer/Cinematographer) and Chelsea Hernandez (Producer)
ALL FIXED UP - Hao Zhou (Director) and Tyler Hill (Producer)
ARTIFICIAL HORIZON - Elizabeth M. Webb (Director) and DaManuel Richardson (Producer)
IN FRONT OF US - Inna Sahakyan (Director)
MALLS OF AMERICA - Brian Becker (Director)
SING AT MY WAKE - Jonathan Pickett (Director/Producer) and Josh Polon (Producer)
THE PRISON OUTSIDE - Meg Shutzer (Co-Director/Producer) and Brandon Yadegari Moreno (Co-Director/Director of Photography)
THE QUIET PART - Rachel Lauren Mueller (Director) and Ariel Tilson (Producer)
UNTITLED SANTA CRUZ CHINAUTLA DOCUMENTARY - Erin Semine Kökdil (Director/Producer) and Erin Persley (Producer)
YOU DON'T KNOW MY NAME - Roni Jo Draper and Marissa Lila (Co-Directors)
Visit our website to learn more about the 2025 Big Sky Pitch projects and alumni projects.
“I’m a massive fan of the BSDFF community. Getting to take part in the pitch was fantastic experience. The fellow film teams and their projects were majorly inspiring, and the jury’s feedback was sharp and insightful. 10/10 would participate again!”
“We had a wonderful time sharing our film at the Big Sky Pitch! The support from Alana, Carolyn, and the BSDFF team was generous and helpful. Sharing our film in production proved fruitful - we received great feedback and encouragement. A wonderful opportunity to connect with industry representatives who are tracking your project, join a cohort of passionate, kind filmmakers, and meet festival attendees!”