This has been Neilson’s second year at Sundance London Film Festival, a festival he enjoys for festival’s best films from the main US edition in Utah coming to London, and for the industry sessions where he can learn from the veterans and network. There is a pitching session where filmmakers can submit their projects for selection and if chosen pitch it live to an industry panel that consists of important people from important organisations. This year the panels were: Neon Films, Searchlight Pictures, Bankside Films, Casarotto Ramsay & Associates, The British Blacklist and See-Saw Films. After being unsuccessful for selection in 2023, Neilson tried again this year and got selected 😃

Neilson pitched his musical science fiction comedy feature film. This was his first time ever involved in a pitching session. He has been to a number of festivals and markets like the Berlinale that involved pitching sessions where he was an audience member, but this was his first time as a participant. He was nervous to say the least, but he believed in his project, stayed true to the film and its intentions and delivered the pitch the best he could. The other contestants were amazing with equally brilliant film projects so the competition was high. Neilson admired these filmmakers and was grateful to share the stage with them.

The session had two awards: The panel award and the audience award. After the pitches, the panel would leave the room to confer the panel winner where the audience would stay in the room and vote based on the loudest ovation. The audience award went to a highly acclaimed filmmaker that won awards for previous projects at Cannes Film Festival. However the panel award was split. The panel had three favourites rather than one so they gave two “special mentions”: one went again to the audience winner and the other to Neilson 😃 Neilson is over the moon for this special mention achievement. He will certainly be adding the accolade to his CV and director’s profile. The overall panel winner was a very talented lady with a fantastic film idea and pitch delivery. A very deserving winner. Once again Neilson was grateful to share the stage with such acclaimed talent, a boost in his career and confidence for sure. And for his first time pitching, he is equally grateful to achieve a special mention from highly regarded bodies in the industry.