European Short Pitch is firmly committed to fostering diversity and inclusivity while tackling pressing ecological challenges. With a strong emphasis on sustainability and representation, we actively integrate diverse voices and environmentally responsible practices into every aspect of our work. Our dedication to sustainability has been recognized with the prestigious Greener Event Improvers Certification, awarded by  A Greener Future  (AGF), acknowledging our rigorous efforts across key areas such as transport, energy, waste, water usage, and local environmental impact.

SUSTAINABILITY

Year after year European Short Pitch is organised by practising mindful decision-making and including sustainable and environmentally-respectful choices. Each in-person event has an impact on the environment, but it is our responsibility to maintain these events as sustainable as possible.

What does it mean in practice? 

MOBILITY & TRAVEL
The biggest amount of our emissions come from mobility,therefore, our goal is to maximally reduce the amount of flights our guests take to reach the Coproduction Forum. In order to reach this goal we maintain and implement these actions:

Organising the training part online
First part of the programme, which includes script development workshop as well as all the training activities (production, pitching, distribution and editing consultations) take place completely online whichallows us to be as carbon neutral as possible as participants do not need to travel across Europe.

Organising the Coproduction Forum in a hybrid manner
Since ESP 2021|22 the Coproduction Forum is organised in hybrid manner – the Pitching and Q&A Live event is organised on-site and at the same time live-streamed online – professional guests can also watch the recording after the event. The individual meetings which follow the Pitching event are organised for one full day on-site and continue online for two more days. 

But maintaining the programme online allows us to invite more professionals for our project holders to meet and we can invite guests from all over Europe and the rest of the world, thus ensuring a wider exposure of the projects.  

Organising the On-site event in a well-connected location
Organising the event in a well-connected location (in the Netherlands, and previously in France) – allows us to profit from a well-connected European railway network. For example, Leiden, is located a 30 – 45 minute train ride away from both Amsterdam and Rotterdam, two very well connected cities.

Organising all activities within walking distance
An advantage of organising the on-site event in a mid-size city like Leiden , is that we can find all venues as well as the accommodation within walking distance, thus eliminating unnecessary use of transport, and our schedule is organised to allow and favour such “slow transfers”.

CATERING
Some of the actions we take include reducing the use of tableware, opting for vegetarian options as the default choice for all meals, and providing free drinking water throughout all activities. Furthermore, we always try to choose to work with local caterers who use only local, organic producers – farmers, producers and fishermen who are using sustainable techniques, providing fresh, raw and local produce and whose menu is seasonal.

DIGITAL TOOLS & REMOTE WORKING
The online setup of our workshop and the hybrid configuration of the Coproduction Forum require an implementation of a platform, where the information about the projects is available alongside the virtual pitches of participants, easily accessible for everybody. Day-to-day work of the ESP core team requires no use of commuting or eating out, thanks to our decentralised structure and the practice of home-office. 

SHARING KNOWLEDGE
Even though ESP stops with the Coproduction Forum and we cannot predict nor impact the rest of the production process of the projects, we believe that it is great for our participants to acquiretools to develop their films in an environmentally-respectful way. Therefore, we provideguidance to our participants with for instance online panels or consulting as we did in the past – in the context of the ESP Coproduction Forum 2026, with a panel on INTEGRATING GREEN PRACTICES IN FILM PRODUCTION. The discussion was presenting ways to implement sustainable mechanisms in short film projects.

INCLUSIVITY

European Short Pitch is committed to inclusivity, welcoming diverse projects and participants from various cultural backgrounds across Europe and beyond. Over the past years, the approx. 16 participants selected annually were coming from an average of 15 different European countries, and we have welcomed several Europe-produced projects by Europe-based extra-European filmmakers, staying open to cinematic perspectives from the rest of the world – last editions' line-up was complemented with participants, from as far as South Africa, Australia, Canada, Morocco, Brazil, China, Iraq, and Egypt. 

Diverse Selection:
We focus on representing a wide range of voices, particularly those from underrepresented regions and minority groups. Our recent selections have highlighted topics such as LGBTQ+ experiences, women’s emancipation, mental health, and political dissidence. We truly believe that by presenting these topics and supporting these stories, we can make a change, as it is crucial to see them in the media. 

Gender Balance:
The selection line-up of European Short Pitch is determined by a strong presence of female (62% in 2022|23, 65% in 2023|24, 65% in 2025 and 53% in 2026) and includes non-binary (6% in 2025 and in 2026) artists and professionals.

Hybrid Accessibility:
Our hybrid format makes the event accessible to those with physical limitations and varying financial capacities, ensuring broad participation. 

Mental Health Support:
We recognise the challenges of entering the film industry and strive to create a supportive environment. We want ESP to serve as a safe space for all our participants (that we accompany in the context of European Short Pitch over a period of 6 months): already during previous editions we have organised internal meetings to informally answer any questions they might have about the industry, discuss their perceived vulnerabilities as newcomers, etc. We have also taken into account the feedback of the previous participants and have made the necessary adjustments, such as providing the schedule as early as possible and organising the training part in a more relaxed timeline, thus providing the participants with more time and dedicated space to process the newly gained knowledge in a calm manner that doesn't clash with their day-to-day work, thus also making the event more inclusive.

In the coming years, we aim to maintain these high standards, focusing on gender balance, geographic diversity, and mental health support, ensuring European Short Pitch remains an inclusive and sustainable event.