Call for Entries: 20th Annual Regent Park Film Festival’s Emerging Directors’ Pitch Competition
The Regent Park Film Festival (RPFF) is inviting up-and-coming filmmakers to submit a proposal for a new project for our Emerging Directors’ Pitch Competition! This exciting platform highlights the best of Canada’s emerging talent and filmmakers, and gives them a chance to pitch a new project to a jury of industry experts.
This year we’re accepting Short Documentary in the Nature and Science Strand and Creator Network projects. The winner will receive a development deal from CBC* and $1,000 from RBC to be put towards their production.
The Emerging Directors’ Pitch Competition is free to enter, open to all ages, and to directors, producers and creators of all genres and styles.
We highly encourage submissions by filmmakers from marginalized communities (Black, Indigenous, Person of Colour, Person with Disabilities, LGBTQSAA+, Women) and films that feature these communities.
*Development at CBC
Entering into a development agreement with CBC means that you are granting CBC the first and exclusive option to pick up your project. This means that you will have to withdraw your project from consideration for development with other commissioners (unless agreed by CBC). During development, CBC and you will agree upon creative deliverables which could be a script, a demo, a research report etc. Once a creative deliverable is completed and sent to CBC, the 12 month option period begins. At any time during the 12 months, CBC may exercise its option to do some further development or to green light your project for production, where you and CBC will enter into negotiations for the license of your program.
Filmmaker Eligibility:
- Applicants must be a Canadian citizen or have permanent resident status
- Emerging is defined as directed or produced no more than 2 films for festival and/or broadcast
- Selected finalists must commit to pitch training sessions (dates TBD) and a 3-minute live pitch that will take place in-person during this year’s annual festival (Dec 7-10, 2022)
- Permanent CBC employees are not eligible to apply
Pitch Project Eligibility:
- Must be an unscripted film
- Maximum length of 40 minutes (i.e. no feature films)
- Projects with existing equity investment and/or distribution commitments are ineligible
- Selected finalists cannot pitch the same project at another Festival program, which means you will have to withdraw your project from other festivals or competitions.
- For your application to be considered you must submit a single PDF with the following:
1. Logline (1 or 2 sentences, 50 word max. description) for your pitch
2. Pitch (150 word max. outline)
3. Synopsis: Summary of your short documentary (1 page max)
4. Artist statement outlining your inspiration and intentions behind your pitch (300 words max)
5. Links to past completed works or portfolio
Selected finalists will be required to sign CBC’s standard submission release form
Please visit these pages to see what kind of UNSCRIPTED projects CBC is currently looking for: Short Documentary in the Science and Nature Strand (see below for more info) and Creator Network projects.
About CBC Science and Nature Strand
Do you yearn to tell stories about wildlife, the human body and brain, the wonders of nature, environmental issues and more? CBC Short Docs is looking for new science and nature storytellers who want to make docs driven by a scientific understanding of the world and featuring the people behind the science. We’re looking for fun, modern approaches to science and nature storytelling – immersive stories with great characters, stories that will inspire and astound and reach a young, diverse audience.
For more information on pitching to CBC visit:
cbc.ca/independentproducers/genres/other/creator-network/
cbc.ca/independentproducers/genres/documentary/cbc-short-docs
How to Apply:
Please fill out this application form by Sunday, October 23nd at 11:59pm. Incomplete submissions will not be considered.
For any questions, please contact aashna@rpff.ca and to learn more about RPFF, visit rpff.ca.
In case you missed it, check out our LIVE Info Session, where our Manager of Programming Aashna Thakkar chats with our friends at CBC and asks your pressing questions!
Featuring:
Jacquie Lee, Senior Producer, CBC Creator Network National Youtube
Lesley Birchard, Executive in Charge of Production, CBC Docs