The Post-Pitch Award is sponsored by Berlin based postproduction company The Post Republic, which is donating color correction services and the production of a DCP for a suitable project. The Post Republic will also run a workshop on processes and budgeting for digital film productions, open to participants selected to pitch their films.

Thirteen Central and East European producer/director teams will pitch their film projects to an audience of some 150 film professionals. The project pitches open on 3 November with the winner of the Special Pitch Awards 2010, Serbian director Oleg Novković, who won the Grand Prize of the 2010 FilmFestival Cottbus with his film White, White World.

The additional twelve projects will be selected in September by a jury consisting of eight members including Kirsten Niehuus (Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg), Susanne Schmitt (MEDIAAntenne Berlin-Brandenburg) and Franka Bauer (MDR television).

The application deadline is 15 July 2011.

Connecting Cottbus takes place during the 21st FilmFestival Cottbus - Festival of East European Cinema (www.filmfestcottbus.de) which runs 1-6 November and will show around 100 films from more than 30 countries