Call for Pitches
In 2026, Talking Shorts launched outlooks, a print publication dedicated to “propositions on short film culture”. Our first issue recently landed in our hands and will soon be available for purchase at our partner festivals, and in the near future also online!
With this pilot finally being out in the world, we are gearing up for issue #2 and are excited to launch our next call for pitches that propose critical reflections on short filmmaking and culture globally. To quote from our opening editorial note in issue #1:
We conceived outlooks not as a symbolic push against the (perceived) fleeting status of online criticism, but as a complementary addition to what we already see as the mission of a platform for long-form short film criticism. Paradoxically, outlooks is supplementary in the way it does the opposite of what the online magazine does—bringing our readership snapshots and perspectives that sit on the fringes of and outside the (primarily European/anglophone) short film industry.
Our first issue includes a variety of creative and critical writing, from essays to correspondence pieces. Here you can find the issue’s contents for a reference point on the subjects covered, along with samples of some of the texts. For our second issue, we are very much looking to build on this breadth of forms and topics, and are keen to receive pitches from across the world on underexposed, in-depth, surprising takes on short film and its socio-political dimensions, whether in production, distribution, exhibition or beyond. While with outlooks we try to step away from coverage of the Western-centric festival and industry landscape, we are also keen to see proposals that critique the very power structures and economics they are built on.
We expect writers to have experience writing long-form critical texts related to cinema or other areas of cultural criticism, and require at least one sample to evidence this.
Pitching Guidelines
- The proposed pieces can be essays, (reported) features showcasing in-depth research, and/or (conducted) interviews. We’re also open to other long-form creative writing, but are not looking for first-person accounts. Please note that for interview pitches, you will need to demonstrate the ability to access your proposed interviewee.
- Your pitch should be 250-300 words in length. We accept only one pitch per person.
- Please include bylines and at least one piece of recently published long-form critical writing, ideally one that is relevant to the format you’re proposing.
- We are not looking for academic treatments.
- Please do not submit completed articles; only pitches will be considered.
- We offer a flat fee between 275 EUR and 550 EUR, depending on the length and scope of the research required for the piece. Texts can range from 1500 to 3000 words. You will be asked to provide an anticipated rough word count for your proposal.
- Please consult our Contributions page, which includes our Contributors’ Terms and Style Guide.
The deadline to submit your pitch is Monday 31 August, 23:59 CET.
We will notify all applicants by Friday 9 October at the latest. If you are successful, you will have 3 to 4 weeks from the point of commission to write a first draft of the proposed piece (depending on the format proposed). There will be a minimum of two rounds of editing, done by Talking Shorts’ current editorial team: Savina Petkova, Niels Putman and Sanne Jehoul. Final drafts will need to be completed by the end of November. Please do not pitch if you are unlikely to adhere to these timelines, as we are unable to accept finished texts beyond this point. An inability to meet deadlines could result in a decommissioning of the text.
In rare cases, where articles do not meet the required standard, we reserve the right not to publish your article, and the editorial team’s decision on this is final.
If you have any questions about submitting your pitch, please contact Sanne Jehoul at sanne[at]talkingshorts[dot]com.
