Indiana Production, Videa produzione, Notorious, Combo Produzioni, Propaganda, Sound Art and Draka Production are just some of the independent production companies that participated in this year’s first edition of producers-screenwriters event Pitch2Drink, organised by the AGPCI – the Italian Association of Young Independent Producers and WGI - Writers Guild Italia, on 14 July.

This first event was highly encouraging: in less than three hours, 228 pitches were made, giving over 80 screenwriters the opportunity to speak directly with 20 production companies. Pitches were made for films and audiovisual projects with very different formats, settings and blends of genres, from fantasy to western, demonstrating that Italian screenwriters are capable of taking on the international market with skill and awareness of current issues with modern approaches.

"We’re really happy that this first edition was so successful”, stated Martha Capello, the president of AGPCI, "demonstrating just how much Italian film is diversifying and the industry growing, in spite of all those who unfortunately still will the number of productions being made to fall and say that the sector should reduce the number of films it turns out.”

"Our aim is to make pitch days as a way of accessing the market the norm in Italy too.” This according to Carlo Mazzotta, the president of WGI, who managed to line up ten or so young people from his newly-established Wivaio, young people who have just graduated or are still attending the best screenwriting schools in Rome, for their first pitches alongside well-known professionals, members and non-members of the Guild. "It’s our stories that keep the production machine running and we would like to thank the AGPCI for being the first organisation to understand that there’s no real market without appropriate help for screenwriters and their works.”

The AGPCI and WGI have announced that the next Pitch2Drink will take place in autumn 2016.