SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW CLOSED.

Regent Park Film Festival’s Annual Emerging Directors’ Pitch Competition

Regent Park Film Festival (RPFF) invites emerging and mid-career BIPOC filmmakers to submit pitches for our Emerging Directors’ Pitch Competition, taking place in-person on Friday, November 28 as part of the 23rd Annual Regent Park Film Festival.

One winner will receive a development deal courtesy of CBC Short Docs, as well as a fantastic prize package from our generous industry partners:

Colour-grading services care of the trusted and pioneering experts at Alter Ego ($10,000 value)
One full day at AstroLab Studios and an all-inclusive grip and lighting package ($3,750 value)
Film equipment rental voucher from Habibi Film Rentals ($500 value)
State-of-the-art, DCI-compliant digital cinema package (DCP) crafted by filmmakers at The DCP Works ($500 value)

This year, we will be accepting pitches tailored towards CBC’s Short Docs 2026 programming slate: unscripted, documentary shorts that are 12-25 minutes in length. Selected finalists will be invited to attend the 23rd Annual Regent Park Film Festival and will be given 5 minutes to pitch their project to a panel of experts who will ask questions, provide feedback, and select the winning project that night!

Selected finalists will participate in virtual training sessions prior to the event to learn how to hone their pitching skills, master the art of selling their project, and the ins and outs of a development deal at CBC Short Docs.

The Emerging Directors’ Pitch Competition highly encourages submissions by filmmakers from historically-marginalized communities, as well as pitch ideas that feature these communities.

Please read carefully through the following eligibility and pitch guidelines BEFORE submitting your application to ensure you and your pitch idea meet the required criteria.

EDP 2025 Info Session with CBC

To help filmmakers prepare their submissions and pitch ideas, a live info session with representatives from CBC was hosted on Tuesday, August 19. Applicants had the opportunity to ask questions before submitting their pitches.

Filmmaker Eligibility

Applicants must be a Canadian citizen or have permanent resident status
Emerging and mid-career are defined as having directed or produced no more than 3 films for festivals and/or broadcast
Selected finalists must commit to attending the following online sessions:
- development deal training workshop (October TBD)
- pitch training session (November TBD)
- 5-minute live pitch on Friday, November 28
Permanent CBC employees are not eligible to apply

Pitch Project Eligibility

The winning pitch should factor in time for development before production would ideally begin
Should be a short documentary film of 12-25 minutes in length
Projects with existing distribution commitments are ineligible
Selected finalists cannot pitch the same project at another Festival program
Selected finalists will be required to sign CBC’s standard submission release form

Guidelines for Pitches

CBC Short Docs is an award-winning series of original documentaries for CBC Gem and our two Youtube channels: CBC Docs and The Nature of Things. We are looking for new unscripted storytellers who use creative approaches, intimate access, and diverse cultural perspectives to tell some of the best short stories this country has to offer.

CBC Short Docs is looking for films that explore . . .

+ PERSONAL STORIES

Auteur-driven storytelling for streaming audiences through the eyes of a memorable character who will take us on a deeply personable, but highly relatable journey.
Examples: Finding Fukue, Fast Horse, Vika, In the Shadow of the Pines

+ CULTURAL TRENDS & HYPER-LOCAL MARVELS

Stories about a specific moment in recent history that is responsive to our current time.
These stories give us a unique snapshot of a time and place. What are the stories that only you, our Regent Park filmmakers can tell?
Examples: Patty vs Patty, Take Me to Prom, Graduation Day, Nancy’s Workshop

+ CHANGING TIMES

Underdog stories with big characters confronting an even bigger problem, whether personal or systemic. These stories highlight a person in a moment of transition finding joyful ways forward.
Examples: Love Leymo, Little Miss Sleepy

Strong pitches have an emphasis on . . .

STORYTELLING

CBC docs must have a Canadian connection and be relevant to a Canadian audience.
We like stories that stay with us long after we’ve watched them. They make us think differently. They’re timely, but will remain relevant in a year’s time or more.
Focus on a single, unified, active & unfolding narrative. Take us on a journey. We’re not looking for broad surveys of topics.
Resonate emotionally. Provoke conversation, offer solutions and hope. Find ways to use humour.

STYLE & PRODUCTION

Short docs should aim to be approximately 12-25 minutes in length.
Your doc should reflect the real world in an original way. Employ a modern and creative approach to storytelling style, visuals, music and pacing.
Short production turnaround time – docs should be able to be produced and released in under a year.

For more about CBC Short Docs, please click here.

Development at CBC

Development is not an instant greenlight, but instead a paid writing and research period used to build out the creative materials of your documentary. During this time, we’ll ask you for items such as a fuller treatment, a budget, a demo, etc. to finalize your pitch package. This will give you, and CBC, a chance to identify the specific challenges, opportunities and needs of the film before production begins and is a crucial period to help move this idea from your short live pitch towards a world premiere.

How to Apply

SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW CLOSED.

Please read carefully through our eligibility and pitch guidelines BEFORE submitting your application to ensure you and your pitch idea meet the required criteria.

Fill out this application form by September 14 at 11:59pm. Incomplete submissions will not be considered. For your application to be considered, please submit the following as a single PDF (upload below):

A logline that grabs our attention and captures the essence of your doc
- 1 or 2 sentence description, 50 words maximum
Pitch outline (150 words maximum). Make sure to answer the following prompts:
- What your doc is and how you’ll tell the story; i.e. not just an outline of the subject matter.
- Demonstrate how you’re going to take this doc beyond a profile or news story. How will you tell this story in a way that no other filmmaker can?
Synopsis: Maximum 1 page summary of your short. Make sure to answer the following prompts:
- A breakdown of your prospective character(s), locations and themes. How will your lead character drive the story?
- If you already have video, images or articles that will help us have a better picture of how you envision your doc, please include appropriate links.
Artist statement outlining the inspiration and intentions behind your project (300 words max). Make sure to answer the following prompts:
- Why is this project relevant now for a Canadian & streaming audience?
- If your pitch focuses on a specific community, please tell us about your access and connection to that community.
Links to past completed works or portfolio