The Realscreen Summit closed out its third day on January 25 with the Summit Showdown live pitching contest, which saw A7E and the Food Network each award a US$20.000 development deal to the project that best hooked their attention.

Each team was allotted five minutes to describe their project via. alive onstage presentation, accompanied by a sizzle reel. Following the pitches, the judges conferred onstage, and announced the winning pitch.

Mesmeric’s Michael Holstein took home the $20,000 development deal with A&E for the project American Boss. The series centers on a serial entrepreneur in the U.S. heartland who has made it his life’s mission to give down-on-their-luck individuals- from young people with little schooling or training, to people recovering from addiction or rehabilitated former convicts- opportunities or second chances by hiring them on at his carious businesses.