A three-day global virtual marketplace bringing together writers, producers, investors, distributors, film commissioners, and creative leaders from around the world.
OSM Story Market 2026 is the flagship annual event of the Open Story Market ecosystem — three days where the platform's year-round activity escalates into a concentrated moment of discovery, dialogue, and deal-making.
The event exists to answer that question at scale. Selected projects, curated participants, structured sessions — and the infrastructure to move stories from interest to agreement.
A curated global gathering — not a public conference, not a film festival. OSM 2026 is an industry-only virtual marketplace where selected stories and verified industry participants meet in a structured environment designed for meaningful outcomes.
Who Participates
Each day of OSM 2026 serves a distinct purpose in the story-to-opportunity journey. The three days move deliberately — from visibility to conversation to agreement.
The opening day is built for exploration. Participants move through the curated project portfolio, engaging with stories and identifying the projects and people they want to learn more about.
The second day moves from discovery to dialogue. Live sessions open. Pitches begin. The OSM Global Story Forum convenes its programme of conversations across the industry's most pressing themes.
The third day is where conversations become commitments. Deal Rooms open. Structured business discussions around rights, financing, development, and co-production take place in a dedicated environment.
Running across Day Two and Day Three, the OSM Global Story Forum brings together contributors, creative leaders, industry practitioners, and thinkers to explore the direction of global storytelling.
The Forum is not a conference programme running alongside the event. It is a core element of OSM 2026 — the space where the industry reflects, challenges assumptions, and sets new directions for how stories move.
Discussion Themes
Contributors & Participants
Curated contributors from Africa, Europe, North America, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East — producers, film commissioners, creative economy specialists, distributors, investors, and cultural leaders.
Become a Contributor →"The future of storytelling will not be determined solely by creativity. It will be determined by the systems through which stories move."OSM Founding Thesis — Open Story Market
Forum Format
OSM 2026 is designed for every participant in the story-to-screen journey — not just one part of it. Each role has a clear pathway into the event and a clear reason to be there.
Submit projects through the OSM Story Marketplace for consideration. Selected writers are invited to present at the event and participate in the Pitch Room and Deal Room sessions.
Discover curated projects across genres and territories. Access the project library, engage directly with writers, attend pitch sessions, and use Deal Rooms to advance selected projects.
Promote territories, discover projects with co-production potential, and build international partnerships. The event brings together commissioners from across Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Access a structured portfolio of development-ready projects. Evaluate opportunities across fiction, documentary, and serialised content in a curated, deal-facilitated environment.
Identify compelling content earlier in the development journey. Engage with writers and producers before production, and position for first-look or acquisition conversations.
Connect with impact-driven storytelling projects. Explore narrative-based solutions aligned with development mandates, social impact priorities, and cultural policy objectives.
Access to OSM 2026 is structured. Different participants enter through different pathways. Each pathway reflects the nature of their intended participation.
Writers participate by submitting projects through the OSM Story Marketplace. Submissions are reviewed, and selected projects are invited to participate in the annual event.
Producers, investors, distributors, commissioners, and creative executives register directly for the event. All registrations are reviewed. Seats are limited and allocated sequentially.
Forum contributors are primarily curated and invited by the OSM team. Exceptional voices may submit an expression of interest for consideration.
Organisations, development partners, and institutions can register as a group. Multi-seat bookings are handled through the For Partners page. Contact seats are allocated sequentially.
Register as an individual industry participant — producer, investor, distributor, commissioner, or creative executive. Seats are limited and allocated sequentially from #101. You will receive your seat number by email on registration.
Secure My Seat — Dec 2026A confirmation email with your seat number will be sent immediately. OSM 2026 is a curated event — all registrations are reviewed before credentials are issued.
NGOs, development partners, broadcasters, studios, and production companies can book multiple seats in a single registration. Sequential seat numbers are allocated as a block to your organisation.
Organisation Booking →Organisation registrations are processed through the For Partners & NGOs page. Contact the booking contact receives all seat confirmations for distribution to your team.
Think of your project the way a startup founder thinks about a company.
Most creators approach film projects as artistic submissions. OSM encourages creators to think differently. A story is intellectual property. Your screenplay, treatment, concept, or project package is an asset.
OSM is designed to help creators present stories not only as creative works, but as opportunities capable of attracting the right partners at the right stage.
The challenge in the industry is rarely a lack of talent. The challenge is infrastructure — the systems through which exceptional stories find the people capable of helping bring them to life.
OSM accepts projects at multiple stages of development. Eligible submissions include story concepts, treatments, screenplays, television projects, documentary projects, animation projects, film packages, projects seeking co-production, and projects seeking financing.
Applicants must hold the rights or have authority to submit the project.
| Submission Period | Standard Submission | Premium Submission |
|---|---|---|
| August 1 – August 31, 2026 Early Bird |
FREE 100% Discount | $20 60% Discount |
| September 1 – September 30, 2026 | FREE 100% Discount | $20 60% Discount |
| October 1 – October 31, 2026 | $2 90% Discount | $30 40% Discount |
| November 1 – November 20, 2026 Final Deadline |
$4 80% Discount | $40 20% Discount |
Standard submissions are free through September 30. But early entry benefits extend beyond cost savings.
Early submissions gain more time in the marketplace before selection decisions are made.
Projects submitted early are reviewed ahead of the November rush and considered across a longer window.
Early-access participants gain positioning advantages as the marketplace builds toward the event.
Early participants receive guidance on how to prepare for connections and conversations during the event.
Early submitters receive event updates, programme details, and contributor opportunities first.
The full event audience — producers, investors, commissioners, distributors — sees your project from day one.
Submissions open August 1, 2026. The waiting list is open now — join to receive first notice when submissions open.
Submissions open on August 1, 2026. Join the waiting list now to receive advance notice, early access, and priority communication as OSM 2026 takes shape.
Waiting list members receive
Spaces for certain event activities may be limited. Early registration is strongly encouraged.
OSM Story Market 2026 is where the year-round activity of the platform reaches its annual peak. Three days. Curated stories. Real conversations. Real outcomes.