
Stage 32 2-Part Lab: Perfect Your 5-Minute Pitch for AFM (October 2026)

Session 1: Saturday, October 17, 2026, 10am - 12pm PT
Session 2: Saturday, October 24, 2026, 10am - 12pm PT
Summary

Private, interactive lab on Zoom!
Learn from an international producer who has worked with Lionsgate, Warner Bros, Lakeshore, and more!
Walk away with a perfected 5 minute verbal pitch to use at the American Film Market!
Only 10 spots available - 5 spots remain
You've bought your AFM pass and created your pitch deck, but how confident are you with your verbal pitch? AFM moves fast. Distributors, investors, and producers have meetings scheduled back to back. You need a compelling verbal pitch that sells you and your project in under five minutes.
In this exclusive 2-part Stage 32 workshop, a select group of only 10 attendees will work one-on-one with international producer/distributor Alexia Melocchi to craft your perfect five-minute pitch.
Alexia has had recent AFM distribution projects with clients like Lionsgate, STX, Lakeshore, TF1, The Asylum and Mister Smith, and projects such as ANNA, PEPPERMINT, THE BOY 2, and SHAUN THE SHEEP. Alexia has placed over 100 titles in the last 5 years.
In the first session, Alexia will go over critical components of what makes a good 5-minute pitch and provide a roadmap to structure your 5-minute pitch. You will pitch your project to Alexia and then she will work with you directly and discuss what works and what doesn’t. Alexia will offer direct feedback to strengthen your 5-minute pitch TO BE NOTICED BY A GLOBAL BUYER.
In the second session, you will pitch Alexia again, having finessed and made your 5-minute pitch stronger and more effective based on her guidance. Alexia will provide more feedback on your new 5-minute pitch and further guidance on how to strengthen it even more AND EVEN WORK ON YOUR MINDSET TO BE READY FOR ANYTHING.
You will walk away from this workshop with a 5-minute pitch vetted by an international executive that you are prepared to use at this year's AFM and in other professional markets, festivals and meetings moving forward.
This interactive Stage 32 lab is held on Zoom and goes substantially more in depth than a Stage 32 webinar. Best of all? As soon as you sign up you will be linked on email with your Stage 32 Educator and given a questionnaire to fill out and send back to them. You will have access to your Educator for the duration of your class by email to ask them any questions you have about your craft or career - it’s like having a mentor on demand! And, if you can't make a live session, don't worry! All class recordings will be available 48 hours after each session and you will be able to view them in your Library on your Stage 32 profile. Finally, you can expand your network with like-minded creatives - you'll have a dedicated lounge for interactive support and discussions with your fellow classmates!
Praise for Alexia's Work and Teaching:
"Loved her class, because it laser-focused and re-focused on my weakest link – my pitch! Her feedback was invaluable, and improved my pitch with every round." - Rick B.
"Alexia is a phenomenal teacher and mentor! Her vivacious and warming personality took over and made the webinar educational and entertaining. Alexia has way of connecting with people that's very sincere and genuine. She also has an extensive background of real world experiences in the film world which in my eyes, makes her a dynamic speaker." - Philip S.

What You'll Learn
SESSION 1 – Fundamentals Of A 5-Minute Pitch & Personal Feedback On Your 5-Minute Pitch
- Why are 5-minute pitches important?
- What are the key elements to focus on in a 5-minute pitch WITH global decision makers?
- Differences between a feature film 5-minute pitch and television series 5-minute pitch
- What narrative, production, and budget elements should you focus on in a 5-minute pitch to trigger co-productions and development?
- How to best prepare your 5-minute pitch
- Students will pitch their project to Alexia and the class and receive feedback
- Q&A with Alexia
Assignment: Work on your 5-minute pitch with the notes you received in class from Alexia.
SESSION 2 - How To Get Noticed From A Pitch & Personal Feedback On Your Improved Pitch
- Etiquette and cultural basics to get in the room
- How relationship capital can strengthen your 5-minute pitch
- How to best conduct yourself at AFM to make the most of your 5-minute pitch
- How you should mentally prepare for your 5-minute pitch at AFM
- Students will present their updated 5-minute pitch to Alexia and the class and receive feedback
- Q&A with Alexia
WHAT TO EXPECT:
PLEASE NOTE: This exclusive Stage 32 lab will be booked on a first-come, first-served basis. The opportunity to work this closely and for this long with an executive and an expert in the field is an incredibly unique and valuable opportunity. If you are interested, please book quickly. Once the spots are gone, they’re gone for good.
- This lab is designed for beginner and intermediate writers, filmmakers, and producers interested in perfecting their 5-minute pitch for the American Film Market.
- By the end of this 2-part lab, you will have your 5-minute pitch for the AFM vetted by an international executive.
- This is an in-depth, practical, and detailed lab with one-on-one time with the instructor and significantly more content than a standard 90-minute webinar.
- You will be held accountable to take the lessons from each week and move your work forward.
- Plus, to stay motivated and inspired, you will have access to a private, dedicated Stage 32 Lounge where you can communicate with your fellow classmates throughout the length of the lab.
- **Alexia will be available to you on email during the 2 sessions to answer any questions you have about your craft, career or project.**
Who Should Attend
- All levels of screenwriters (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to perfect their 5-minute film or television pitch for AFM.
- All levels of screenwriters, producers, and filmmakers (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to learn the fundamentals of a compelling 5-minute pitch that will get the attention of producers and distributors at AFM.
- All levels of filmmakers (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to perfect their 5-minute film or television pitch for AFM.
Executive

Alexia Melocchi is a PGA producer, international sales veteran, and one of the most globally connected executives working in independent film today.
As a partner at Little Studio Films, Alexia brings over 30 producer credits and three decades of relationships spanning Italy, Greece, Latin America, Spain, France, the CIS, and the Middle East. She began her career in the 1990s as both a sales agent and buyer's representative — selling more than 50 films to profit and acquiring over 150 studio and independent titles for international distributors. Her acquisition credits include La La Land, Peppermint, Beautiful Boy, Now You See Me 2, and Shaun the Sheep, among many others.
Today, Alexia works with writers and filmmakers on screenplay development, IP packaging, co-production structuring, and US and international distribution strategy — bringing a genuinely global lens to every project she champions.
A sought-after industry voice, she has appeared as an expert panelist at Cannes, ITTV, SEE Fest, and Women in Entertainment, and has been hosted by the PGA, Stage 32, and the Producers Network. She is the author of the Amazon bestseller An Insider's Secret: Mastering the Hollywood Path and hosts The Heart of Show Business podcast, ranked top 3% on Listen Notes. She is fluent in French, Greek, Italian, and Spanish, and offers consultations and written notes in Greek and Italian.
Current producing projects include Her Choices and Day Off (both in post-production), along with the unscripted pilot Rescue the Rescue.
Alexia is reading Feature Film and TV scripts across Action, Adventure, Family, Rom-Com, Edgy Crime, Novelizations, and Unscripted/Reality.
Alexia is available to provide consultations and written notes in the Greek and Italian languages.
Alexia specializes in all genres of Feature Film and TV scripts and is currently reading Thrillers, Family, Rom-Com, Novelizations, and docuseries.
Testimonials
Praise for Alexia's Work and Teaching:
"Loved her class, because it laser-focused and re-focused on my weakest link – my pitch! Her feedback was invaluable, and improved my pitch with every round." - Rick B.
"Alexia is a phenomenal teacher and mentor! Her vivacious and warming personality took over and made the webinar educational and entertaining. Alexia has way of connecting with people that's very sincere and genuine. She also has an extensive background of real world experiences in the film world which in my eyes, makes her a dynamic speaker." - Philip S.
Credits

