ACCS Unveils New Pitch Prize

The Australian Children’s Content Summit, taking place this August, is introducing an A$20,000 prize as part of its Exclusive Content Pitch initiative.

The initiative will enable registered delegates to pitch original IP that supports early childhood development to Minderoo Pictures. Shortlisted projects will be presented during the Communicating Climate Change in Early Childhood session during the summit, with the winner announced at a later date.

Delegates will also be able to use the Exclusive Content Pitch initiative to present ideas to three pubcasters: ABC in Australia, the BBC in the U.K. and CBC in Canada. Plus, they will have the opportunity to pitch one-on-one to commissioning, audio, distribution and acquisition executives from ABC and ABC Commercial, the Australian Children’s Television Foundation, Amazon Kids+, Apple TV+, ITV, Warner Bros Discovery, Odin’s Eye Entertainment, Merchantwise, Nine Network Australia and more.

Applications for the Exclusive Content Pitch are now open. The Australian Children’s Content Summit runs from August 25 to 28 at the Pacific Bay Resort, Bay Drive, Coffs Harbour.

Suzanne Ryan, SLR Productions CEO and founder of the Australian Children’s Content Summit, said, “We’re thrilled to be offering, for the first time, a A$20,000 pitch prize through our Exclusive Content Pitch initiative, which year after year continues to create exciting opportunities for creators to be seen, supported, and celebrated on a global stage. With the presence of leading content decision makers from across the globe, this year’s summit is committed to championing bold and original storytelling from today’s content makers.”

Marie McCann, CBC Kids’ senior director of children’s content, added: “I am really excited to return to Coffs Harbour for the Australian Children’s Content Summit. At the 2023 summit, I had the chance to better understand the Australian production scene, found a couple of great projects and strengthened connections with our broadcast partners. Looking forward to seeing what 2025 has in store.”

Alan Schauder, Group CEO at Merchantwise, said, “At Merchantwise, we’re passionate about championing the talent and creativity within Australia’s children’s content industry. As a leading brand licensing and merchandising agency, we see firsthand the global potential of locally created characters and stories. It takes a very special property to make it in the highly competitive world of consumer products. We are always on the lookout for high potential brands and properties to help nurture and take to the world and look forward to participating in this year’s Exclusive Content Pitch initiative.’

Odin’s Eye Entertainment Founder and CEO Michael Favelle said, “At Odin’s Eye Animation, we’re always looking for high-concept stories featuring compelling characters. The Exclusive Content Pitch initiative is a fantastic platform for uncovering standout projects and engaging directly with passionate creators. We’re excited to return this year and continue our support of this vibrant creative community.”